I just finished Ted Lasso’s Season 3 finale – which could very well be the series’ finale – and I’m pleasantly surprised. Ted Lasso managed to produce a satisfactory result, although quite predictable.
Still, my brain kept spinning after the credits rolled, and I began to hope we’d get a definitive version of Ted Lasso’s director soon. While the series was wrapped in a very nice arc, this finale left out some scenes that one would expect to see.
under the Spoiler alert, I’ll explain all of my thoughts on why Ted Lasso’s finale worked, but also how it could be even better. Congratulations to the Apple TV Plus team, though, this was the winner.
Ted Lasso’s finale sparked a huge engagement that didn’t happen
I thank the TV gods that Ted Lasso didn’t fulfill the wishes of some fans. Find the phraseTedbecaonline, and you’ll find that some viewers have been craving for Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) will be a thing.
So, when Curly Ted greeted Rebecca in her kitchen in the morning, I’m sure the Tedbecca faithful were screaming in glee. There was tension in the air, as Ted asked if Rebecca wanted to “talk about it” — and she didn’t.
Otherwise, everything seems to wink and there is no plot.
Fortunately for the rest of us who don’t need every pair of mates eventually, this late discussion is actually about Ted Richmond leaving. To create even more confusion, Barely Beard (Brendan Hunt) and Jane (Phoebe Walsh) walk in — and we learn they’ve spent the night at Rebecca’s.
Ted Lasso’s writers obviously wanted to wink at the TedBecca fandom, but it turns out the gang had a wild night together. I’m okay with the little wink, but I would have really liked a scene that night. Either flashbacks or something else. Because, otherwise, everything seems to wink and there is no plot.
This brings me to my other gripe…
Ted Lasso’s farewell hair was cut in half
Yes, Richmond’s AFC sent Ted in proper fashion, with a big win and a rendition of “So Long, Farewell” from The Sound of Music. But we never get to see Ted tell his football family that he’s leaving.
The same goes for the conversation, which is interrupted towards the end of the penultimate episode, when Ted tells Rebecca that he has big news for her. I don’t know why I left those talks, and his farewell talks to the team later in the episode weren’t enough of a replacement.
This is a group of characters who wear their emotions on their sleeves, which would have made those ad scenes amazing.
There needed to be looks of surprise or understanding up and down the rooms, and that would have really helped this finish feel more massive. Although it’s not hard to assume that Ted Lasso’s folks may have felt like they were on their limit with the 79-minute finale — remember when Ted Lasso episodes were half-hours? – Another scene combining both ads would have been excellent.
This is a group of characters who wear their emotions on their sleeves, which would have made those scenes amazing. What’s a few more minutes, anyway?
The outlook: Ted Lasso’s finale was predictable, and that’s awesome
In my final preview of Ted Lasso, I confidently predicted Ted would come back to the States and Richmond beat West Ham (although I thought he would score an even bigger win, damn Man City). And I almost stated that Kelly would refuse to choose between Roy and Jimmy, and would push them away. I even wrote it before erasing it.
It all happened, with almost no other surprises, but it wasn’t disappointing. While Ted Lasso’s third season had bizarre decisions — Rebecca and Keeley deserved more, and getting Nate back felt sleazy as Jade felt left behind — all of his characters ended the season as you’d expect.
Ted Lasso gave all the right results. It’s the end, it was quite the – said Rebecca’s Dutch gentleman – gezellig.
Those characters that act just right and don’t surprise us for the final twists gave us great moments, like Nate crying on Ted’s shoulder as he finally apologizes and Roy reluctantly asks to become Diamond Dog. I was just confused about how Ted was so calm when West Ham temporarily took a 3-2 lead.
Yes, he got smart enough about the game to even see some sneaks that his entire team missed, but how did Ted’s nerves not work? A friend suggests this is because of the peace he found in his decision to go home, which reminds me of how much I’d love to hear him make said decision out loud.
Also, Ted Lasso pulls off the amazing trick of giving everyone happy endings, without feeling forced. Regardless of whether you (like Rebecca) want Ted to stay in England, Ted Lasso delivered all the right results. In the end, it was just that – said Rebecca Dutch gentleman – gezellig.
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