Now this smells like potential. Ted Lasso season 3 is here in just a few weeks and we not only have our first look at the new season, but also the first teaser trailer to boot. Go Greyhounds!
Sadly, though, this could be Ted Lasso's last year. The Greyhounds may have been promoted back to the big time, but the full time whistle could soon blow on AFC Richmond. The Apple show's creators and creative team have been open about not outstaying their welcome, and we'll have the latest details on the potential endgame below.
Need to know more before kick off? Join us in our guide to Ted Lasso season 3, from release dates, to cast news, and so much more.
Ted Lasso release date is March 2023
Ted Lasso is officially back on our screens on March 15.
Cameras rolled on the third season in March 2022. Per GQ, filming wrapped up in mid-November. The Hollywood Reporter had previously reported that a "summer 2022" window was originally planned, but a March release is now official.
Ted Lasso season 3 trailer and first look
Ted's iconic 'BELIEVE' poster may have been ripped apart by Nate in the season 2 finale but, as this teaser trailer shows, the Richmond squad are making their own versions of the inspirational sign.
In his own folksy fashion, Ted says, "If seeing is believing, I believe we've been seen."
The first official image from Ted Lasso season 3 also arrived in January. Featuring Ted face-to-face with his one-time protege Nate and an ominous Ralph Mannion lurking in the background, it neatly sets up the main conflict of the season. See it above.
Ted Lasso season 3 cast: all the major transfers
As far as we know, no one has been demoted to the reserves. All the major players from the Ted Lasso cast will return for season 3.
That includes Ted Lasso himself, Jason Sudeikis. Hannah Waddingham is back as Rebecca, as is everyone’s favorite entrepreneurial force of nature, Keeley (Juno Temple). Higgins (Jeremy Swift), Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) will all be back as part of AFC Richmond’s crew. Nick Mohammed’s Nate may have swapped Nelson Road for the Olympic Stadium as West Ham’s new manager, but he’ll factor into the new season heavily as well.
As football fans will know all too well, players can come and go at will. Still, we hope to see most of AFC Richmond’s squad back for a third time, including Sam (Toheeb Jimoh), Isaac (Kola Bokinni), and Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez).
Ralph Mannion, Rebecca's ex-husband played by Anthony Head, now owns West Ham – and could play a more significant role than he has in prior seasons as tensions bubble over both on the pitch and in the boardroom of the respective clubs. Trent Crimm – now independent – will surely have a book deal or two in the pipeline, too.
In terms of newcomers, For All Mankind actor Jodi Balfour is joining the show. She'll play Jack, who is a "charming venture capitalist" according to Deadline.
With Nate established at West Ham, we can expect the cast to swell further. While there’s no official news, there could be several new actors joining the cast as part of AFC Richmond’s Premier League rivals.
Ted Lasso season 3 story: What's next for Ted, Nate, and AFC Richmond?
The second season ended with on-pitch success and personal failure for Ted. While he may have got AFC Richmond back to the big time in the Premier League – and to the FA Cup semi final, no less – he had to say goodbye to his one-time trusted Diamond Dog Nate. The fracturing of that relationship, as well as Nate’s new role at West Ham, will likely drive much of the season’s tension.
The official synopsis reads, "In the wake of Nate’s contentious departure from Richmond, Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) steps up as assistant coach, alongside Beard (Brendan Hunt). Meanwhile, while Ted (Jason Sudeikis) deals with pressures at work, he continues to wrestle with his own personal issues back home, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) is focused on defeating Rupert and Keeley (Juno Temple) navigates being the boss of her own PR agency. Things seem to be falling apart both on and off the pitch, but Team Lasso is set to give it their best shot anyway."
In an interview with the BBC, Nate's actor Nick Mohammed says his character’s redemption arc certainly isn't a formality. "The thing with Ted Lasso is the audience are possibly expecting a redemption arc for Nate, and I'd like to see one I think because that would be nice," he said. "But equally I could well imagine the writers thinking: 'no, we're going to turn it on its head', because that's what they did in season 2, playing against everyone's expectations, so he might be the one character they don't redeem."
Elsewhere, the marriage of professional good news and rocky personal drama appears to be the underlying theme of what’s to come. Keeley may be taking another step up on the corporate ladder as head of a new PR firm, but she leaves Roy to go on a surprise holiday alone – leaving their relationship up in the air.
Sam, meanwhile, is still growing after his brief fling with Rebecca. He's staying put at AFC Richmond and also has a new business venture in the works. Rebecca, too, will likely attempt to settle down. The second season was tempered with various flings and the death of her father. Could the fandom’s hopes of a Ted/Rebecca relationship finally start to bloom? We’ll find out when the new season kicks off. Either way, Rebecca actor Hannah Waddingham has told Deadline we’ll get more of the old boss in the new season.
"When we see Rebecca again, she's a boss ass bitch," Waddingham said. "She's 100% boss ass bitch and then some. She's fully there because she wants to be and there's a change in her that I think was much needed. She's leading that group of players and wants the best for them."
Is Ted Lasso season 3 the final season?
"When we started, we plotted out everybody's beginning, middle and end of a three-season arc. This story is going to be over… even if the show finds another story to tell and goes on," showrunner Bill Lawrence told The Hollywood Reporter.
That certainly sounds ominous, but is Ted Lasso season 3 really the end for our moustachioed, biscuit-gifting manager? If Roy Kent actor Brett Goldstein had his way, he would go on for a lot longer.
"The plan is entirely in Jason's hands. I know all of us would happily do this for 20 years" he said at an Emmys media event (via IndieWire). "And then say, ‘Maybe we need to wrap this up, because these footballers are all on crutches."
He added, however, that the decision is entirely out of his hands – and that the show is being written as if it’s the end. "It's entirely up to Jason," Goldstein said. "We’ve been writing this as if it’s the end, but it might not be. I really don’t know."
In short, Ted Lasso's main story – which has been planned from the very beginning – has always been a three-season deal. Given the popularity of the show, we can't imagine Apple would be thrilled to give Ted Lasso his marching orders just yet. Let's hope the show's creators and writers heed Ted's own advice when it comes to the three-season plan: be a goldfish.
Wondering what else is going on with the future of some of your favorite TV shows? Here are our guides to Stranger Things season 5, Cobra Kai season 6, and The Witcher season 3.
