Ted Lasso's coaching adventure might be some of the best television comedy out there, but AFC Richmond’s story could be coming to an end early, at least if showrunners follow through on the initial game plan they had envisioned for Coach Lasso.
Still fresh off a sweeping run at the Emmys, Ted Lasso's unparalleled success has surprised even the show’s masterminds, Bill Lawrence and Jason Sudeikis, whose desire for a third season was fulfilled by Warner Bros., Universal, and Apple TV. After all, Ted Lasso was born out of a comedy skit developed by Sudeikis and Lawrence to welcome the English Premier League aboard NBC Sports’ regular programming as far back as 2013, when the first drafts of the now-beloved character showed how much potential was in that idea after his short-lived stint in charge of Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the current elephant in the room for Ted Lasso is that the series was originally conceived as a three-season story with a clearly outlined beginning, middle, and end. Thus, the show’s next season would be the final one. Regarding that matter, Lawrence told The Hollywood Reporter that he doesn’t “think anything is closed off, but out of just respect, we’re going to wait.” This is because, much like the fictional Lasso, Sudeikis’ expat adventure involves being apart from his family for about as long as a real football season lasts.
Regardless of how fulfilling or successful Ted Lasso can be for Sudeikis, Lawrence is quick to remind everyone that the actor “is a dude with two kids, and he is a great dad, and upping your life to London for half the year is tricky.” Sudeikis just penned a new deal that will see him earned $1 million per episode ahead of the show’s third season when Lasso’s Richmond returns to the Premiership, and even Lawrence himself concedes it’s difficult to imagine quitting on such a massive hit.
Judging from Ted Lasso's second season finale, it becomes obvious that the writers had a very scripted plan for where they wanted to take all these characters, as exemplified by how they chose to explore Lasso, Rebecca Welton, Nate, Jamie Tartt, and new star Sam Obisanya. As shown by Sudeikis’ brand new contract, season three could see Ted Lasso raise its game with more special cameos and an extra realistic feel to its Premier League football setting.
Even if Sudeikis passes on continuing with Ted Lasso, there’s a chance the series could move on onto a different spinoff story with another coach or team, especially his assistant Roy Kent, whose meme status has turned him into another fan favorite. Stability is not the name of the game in the world football, as even EA Sports could soon leave the FIFA branding, though hopefully, the sport can come up with something a little bit nicer than Konami's eFootball.
Ted Lasso is available on Apple TV Plus.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter