This show was already mean to be over after the 2023 season but it was renewed for another season after I guess Apple couldn't figure what else to do with their TV lineup and greenlit some things that were going to do just fine and well, that is exactly what sort of presentation Ted Lasso Season 4 is giving the impression of.
The show is still good, but it just kind of seems like a rehash of past seasons and even though the show only has 3 seasons in the bag and one on the stove at the moment, they are bringing back old characters to do cameos as if this was some sort of long-standing and beloved series.
It's a bunch of parlor tricks to keep the audience on the line for just a bit longer and these tactics have been used in many series in the past. It has always been a sign of the end being nigh at all times in the past and it will be this time as well.
Even though every episode is kind of the same thing I have to hand it to the producers for utilizing this method really well and in a way that still kind of holds your interest. The intrigue for the long-run isn't really there though because it is pretty evident that Ted and his crew are going to succeed because that is the sort of show that this is. There is going to be a cheerful resolution because there always is in this show.
When they went the route of kind of promoting women's football I kind of groaned a bit but as it turns out the production value of the actual playing of the sport on screen is concerned it is actually a lot more professional looking than it was when they were portraying AFC Richmond's men's team in the first 3 seasons. Maybe there was a board meeting about that exact thing.
I do enjoy, in particular, the banter between Ted and the assistant coach (the woman) because they don't get all preachy and have some sort of girl-power thing going on here, it is just a nice, and almost like a father/daughter sort of relationship going on. Ted doesn't baby her either and actually suspends her for disobeying him after a particularly special match.
Then things carry on down their normal cheerful path since a big part of the story here is that Ted Lasso the man is unbreakable in his spirit and positive-thinking.
Keeley Jones (wonderfully played by Juno Temple) is probably a fan favorite character and she started off as a bit of a side quest of sorts but it is clear that this season is focusing a great deal on the eventual return to her relationship with Roy Kent, which has been on the rocks since season 3.
It is endearing, but rather obvious that this is where things are going.
In a lot of season 4, they kind of take the focus off the running of a football club and start to focus more on the romantic relationships of several of the key members. Most notably Keeley and Roy as well as Ted himself.
Does this resonate with viewers more than managing a football club? Probably.
Should I watch it?
Well, if you are at all interested in this show I think it would be more prudent to go back and see the first season because that was when they were taking chances and seeing what stuck. Now, it seems as though they have figured out what works and are just recycling it over and over - which is fine for a while.
The action as far as the playing of the sport is concerned gets noticeable better as the seasons go by and that is a good thing. I think maybe at the start they didn't invest in this because they were not sure it was going to work as a show. Then, when the show was a hit they realized that the audience didn't really care about that aspect of it all since the show was more about relationships than it ever was about football.
It's still a wonderful feel-good show, but one that has run it's course. I am happy they brought it back for a 4th season but am also more happy that they are deciding (at least for now) to wrap it up and end it at the conclusion of season 4. Now, I wonder if Keeley and Roy will get back together? (just joking, it's rather obvious.)
