Is Ted Lasso making one match too many with his season 4? (critical)
We thought his story was over. Ted returns, however, for a fourth season which struggles to justify its existence, but finds enough heart and humor to end up winning. The important thing is not always to take the three points.
He plays overtime.
We thought the Ted Lasso story was over. And she was in fact. Closing his third season and returning to Kansas, good old Ted had found the melancholy conclusion that suited him wonderfully, tender and touching, in tune with the hero of AFC Richmond: a man who had finally understood that you could sometimes win by giving up. But three years later, here he is putting on his crampons again to offer himself a comeback, a match that is a foregone conclusion. But the score doesn’t really matter. The important thing is the pleasure, not the 3 points…
The first episode has the intelligence to start from scratch. Or almost. Welcome to Kansas City, home of the Lasso, where the former Premier League idol is now stacking cans on the shelves of a supermarket. He relishes a mundane existence as a divorced father, while continuing to share his caring philosophy. Then Rebecca shows up. She wants to repatriate him to Richmond so that he can take charge of her brand new women’s team. He says no. And then he says yes, of course… Ted puts on his best tracksuit and sets off to conquer the world of soccer.
The pleasure of finding Jason Sudeikis is intact. The actor instantly finds this solar energy which makes Ted a character almost impossible to hate. Behind the dad jokes and the homemade cookies there is always this disarming humanity that feels good. The series still knows how to administer its dose of good humor, but now struggles to dose it. By wanting to warm hearts, she sometimes ends up overheating them. The good feelings pile up, the big declarations too, to the point of bordering on self-parody, as was already the case in a large part of season 3. What was once the strength of Ted Lasso – his ability to slip sincere emotions behind an avalanche of gags – sometimes becomes a mechanism that is a little too visible.
Especially since this fourth season only exists on vague motivation: Ted Lasso is needed to support the development of women’s football in England. The hammered feminist discourse borders on the absurd. Richmond fans would all be stupid, mean misogynists who would reject the idea of supporting a women’s team outright. The series sometimes gives the impression of explaining to the general public that women also have the right to kick a ball… The message sounds frankly dated, when we know that Play It Like Beckham is already 25 years old and that the Women’s Champions League attracted, this season, 45 million European viewers (cumulative). As a result, the central plot gives the horrible impression of pushing open doors.
But what matters, in the end. All this is just an excuse to see Ted spread joy and good humor to the residents of Richmond.
Starting with the players of the new team, who therefore take the place of Jamie Tartt, Sam Obisanya and Dani “Football is Life” Rojas. A roster that is gradually establishing itself. Special mention to Tanya Reynolds. The young actress, revealed by Sex Education, is amazing as an assistant coach who is perpetually on the defensive. Once the warm-up is over and the new squad is installed, Ted Lasso finds his cruising speed. The dialogues hit the mark, the secondary characters come back to life (around the indescribable Keely Jones played by Juno Temple and her billionaire BFF played by Hannah Waddingham). The emotion returns without forcing. Like a good old Ligue 1 match, this season alternates weak moments and unexpected accelerations. She never revolutionizes the game, will probably not score the goal of the year, but nevertheless ends up winning thanks to what has always been her strength: a contagious optimism. This fourth season probably had no reason to exist. But since she’s here, it’s hard to blame her for making us still want to cheer Ted from the stands.
Ted Lasso, season 4, to watch from August 5 in France on Apple TV (and also via MyCanal)
