Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 1-4 Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of episodes 1-4 of Ted Lasso Season 3. The first episode will be released March 15th on Apple TV+

In what seems to have felt like an excruciatingly long period of waiting for those eager to reach the conclusion of Ted Lasso with its third (and final) season, viewers are now closer to that resolution once the season debuts in just several days. However, they will be forced to endure weekly episode drops as if undergoing some form of cruelty threshold case study put into action by the powers that be at Apple. Nevertheless, the handful of episodes that were provided for review offers an interesting glimpse into just how far the journeys of these beloved characters have actually taken them toward personal growth, not to mention just how much more they have left to go in order to achieve a form of success or peace within themselves.

Season three finds Ted and his band of adorable misfits on the precipice of something truly extraordinary – a full season in the English Premier League, the top level of professional football. As Ted stated at the end of the first season, his goal is to win the whole thing and now that his team has reached this level, there is only one minor thing to do – win. Naturally, the foil on this road to victory lies with none other than the former spurned assistant coach-turned-manager, Nathan Shelley, who backed by Rebecca’s ex-husband, Rupert, is touted as the one who can bring the cheery disposition of Ted & Co. down into a crumbling heap of regret. Beyond what’s at stake on the pitch, the series leans into all of the personal growth journeys that each of the main characters is experiencing in this phase of their lives. Ted is still sorting through his past trauma alongside his recent divorce but is evolving into a better place by seeking others to assist with processing his feelings. Rebecca has recognized that having Rupert no longer in her life is growth, albeit, an obsession to beat him via a sport that he loves begins to form and reveal a cautionary space of being that is unhealthy for her to exist in. Keeley and Roy Kent are still processing where they find themselves after their break from each other and are forced to look inward by answering why or how they arrived at this decision in the first place.

For those within AFC Richmond, change occurs both on and off the pitch, however, despite all of the plot threads slowly being pulled on in order to see where they lead, the series’ pacing in its first third leaves a slightly noticeable concern for its ability to not be forced to rush various storylines in the final episodes because of waning focus and balance on its many plotlines. Still, there is a lot of series left to experience before the finale, but so far, there is a subtle sense that so much was happening that nothing was really happening at all. Yet, this could also be a series choosing to divert away from its two seasons of history with these characters, the narrative structure, and how it has chosen to arrive at its conclusions in order to do something different or new, and in that case, one can’t help but be even more intrigued at what lies ahead for Richmond.

In the end, the third season of Ted Lasso doesn’t start as strongly in its opening third as it did through previous seasons, but it doesn’t have to, instead it finds a way to create an interesting foundation for personal growth and evolution with almost all of its characters that will be exciting to track through the remainder of the season.  While the pathway to its resolution is still unclear, it is exciting to finally arrive at the place where viewers know all of the emotional equity that we’ve invested so much into these characters will be paid off in a hopeful manner. The series has always taken an unconventional approach to its storytelling and character development and we have fallen in love with it for it.

While there might be an insignificant uneasy feeling toward the balance of its narratives in its opening episodes, Ted Lasso has always preached one unwavering principle that should have all fans resting assured that this season will be everything we hope it will be – BELIEVE.

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