By Dan Skip Allen

Ted Lasso ended on a perfect note in season 3. He returned to Kansas to be there for his son and help his ex-wife. He left Roy Kent in charge of Richmond FC with Rebecca, Keeley, and Coach Beard, supporting him in various roles. I never thought I’d see the day when he would come back to England for any reason, let alone to coach again. Well, that’s what we have here. It’s the fourth season of this award winning comedy series. The big question is, where do you go from the ending of the last season, which seemed pretty definitive. Obviously, to coach a women’s team. I didn’t see that one coming, but some people did, or there wouldn’t be a fourth season on Apple TV this summer. Jason Sudeikis had to want to do it, or there wouldn’t be a fourth season. That’s for sure.

When season four picks up, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is working as a cashier at a grocery store, Fouches Fine Foods, in Kansas City, Missouri. He picks his son, Henry (Grant Feely) up from school sometimes, and he’s very present in his life. Out of the blue, one day, when he least expects it, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) show up at his doorstep. They all give various different answers to why they are in Kansas City at the same time as each other. This is a pretext for the real reason why they’re there. They are there to offer the job of head coach of the new women’s team. It’s a tough decision for Ted to decide, but he eventually decides to take the job, and Henry goes to England with him. This isn’t the same kind of team he coached before, though. Women are a lot different than men as he soon finds out, which is why he needs help from his friends to get back into the swing of things.

Jason Sudeikis has become synonymous with the character of Ted Lasso. The same as John Ritter as Jake Tripper, or Carol O’Connor as Archie Bunker and Brian Crantson as Walter White for some examples. That’s how people will remember him when they see him on the street or in public. They won’t call him by his real name. They’ll call him Ted Lasso. That’s when you’ve made it in Hollywood. Sudeikis is mostly known by me and many others from his time on SNL (Saturday Night Live). He has great experience in improving and becoming characters. I’ve seen him in some movies like “Were the Millers” or “Horrible Bosses.” I’ll always remember him for this role. He has literally become Ted Lasso in my mind. His Midwest country accent and his upbeat charm have won me over after seeing him now play the character for four seasons. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad to see him back as this character. The world needs more television/streaming characters like this on our screens.

With the new season, there are obviously some new characters. The season has a lot more women who play the members of the women’s Richmond team. The first was the assistant coach Jayne Paune (Phoebe Walsh). She’s playing the female version of Roy Kent to an extent. She has a coldness about her, and she’s hiding something in her past that has been revealed yet in the 6 episodes I was given access to. I’m very curious to see where her character goes from here. Another character I liked quite a bit from what I’ve seen so far is Gemma Jay (Abbie Hern). She is a fantastic soccer, futbol player, and she has a connection to the Walsh character. Their history together is something I hope the series explores more of in the later episodes. Last but not least is a single mother, Lizzie Davis (Faye Marsay). She is determined to show she has what it takes to be a quality player on the pitch while being a great teammate despite being a mother of a son. I really enjoyed all the new characters, but it’s the returning cast that brought me back again.

What I’m a fan of regarding this series is that the writers give all of the characters’ story arcs within the season. This season, all of the main characters have subplots. The Temple and Goldstein characters are still involved in their on again off again relationship. Waddingham’s character has an issue regarding being supportive of the woman’s team and its players, and I’ve mentioned some of the new cast members and their stories already. Sudeikis’s character is kind of in the middle of all of these characters and their stories. He’s like the glue that keeps them all together. His positivity is infectious, and it’s a key reason why this show is so successful. His buddy relationship with Hunts, Coach Beard, is always fun. This is just an amazing cast that is blessed by the writing that they have on the show. I never thought it could be so consistent, but it is. I’ll be fascinated to see where some of these stories go in the last three episodes that I haven’t seen.

There are a few cameos that I liked in the six episodes I’ve seen. Two of them are Rebecca Lowe, Peacock/NBC soccer analyst, and Jill Scott, former women’s soccer great. Their banter and back and forth during the matches were hilarious. It reminded me of some baseball movies I’ve seen in the past where the announcers were cracking me up or, for that matter, football movies. Like Bob Uecker in “Major League” or Fred Willard in “Best in Show”. Another cameo was the return of Phil Dunster’s Jamie Tart. He was a pleasant surprise, considering he went to play for Manchester United. I didn’t think he’d be back for this new season of “Ted Lasso. I’m sure there will be more cameos or guest appearances before the fourth season is over.

“Ted Lasso Season 4” was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t know where it was going to go, considering the third season left off perfectly with that ending. I think most people, including myself, thought the ship had sailed on ever coming back. It has been a joy to see these characters return, though. They bring so much joy to my heart. I wish more shows would have such positive characters on screen. Sudeikis is infectious in his positive outlook on life even when things aren’t going well. The cast as a whole, new and old actors are doing great work. As mentioned, I’ve only seen six/nine episodes, so hopefully, the writers and directors nail the landing to use another sports reference. We’ll all have to see together as the episodes are released. Until then, the show so far has been stellar. I’m waiting with abated breath to see what happens next.

Ted Lasson is streaming on Apple TV. 6/9 episodes have been reviewed

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 stars