NFL
From the start, the creators of AppleTV’s Ted Lasso have stated the show was written with only an arc spanning three seasons. Once the third season aired its finale, we assumed that would be it. For whatever reason, whether they felt they had more stories to tell or Apple sweetened their deal, we’re back with Richmond for season 4. However, this time around it’ll be different, with Ted taking over the newly launched Lady Greyhounds all-women’s team. There are only two episodes so far. Audiences have to wonder if the show has all the same heart and charm of the original show/cast. So here’s what we’ve discovered so far:
Season 4 Mirroring Season 1:
It’s not hard to imagine the jokes staying the same with the same crew coming back to write the new episodes, but what about our favorite characters as well as the new ones? Will we care for them just the same? Is this your typical gender swap? So far, although we’ve had little interaction with the female team, there’s a similarity to finding out about each player as we initially did with the men’s team. They’re slowly starting to unpack the players and their personalities as we go, but there are plenty of things that seem familiar so far.
Omitting episode one as it’s more of a prequel to the season, season 4 starts with familiar scenes. The second episode is where more starts to unfold. Rebecca and Higgins discussing the future of the team in her office. Rebecca interrupts Ted’s first press conference. Ted’s charm lands with the team through changes in the locker room. For the men’s team, he had the showers fixed, putting his efforts beyond the pitch. With the women, he moved them out of a shared space to having their own locker room with more than one shower. Then there’s Coach Chilton quitting, which echoes Rebecca firing her current coach, George, in the pilot episode.
But what about our original characters? Don’t worry, the tension between Keeley and Roy is still there. Beard and Jane are still a rocky mess. Roy is just as blunt and brutally honest as can be. That also seems to be the case with his “replacement,” assistant coach Alice Chilton, who a handful of characters paint a colorful picture of.
Change Ups:
Yet, it doesn’t feel like they’re just copying and pasting season 1 with a gender swap. While there are parallels, there are some differences as well. Some creative choices are head-scratchers, but some show growth in both Ted and his closest confidants. One of the more interesting choices is how they’re playing Rebecca so far. Her character grew throughout the series, but still there’s a major difference in the new season.
For instance, in the first season, they developed Rebecca to be a bold and powerful woman. This includes her making herself big to feel her own power in a room and putting a group of men’s owners in their place when trying to form a super league. Surely this isn’t the same Rebecca hiding in plain sight to avoid an awkward interaction with her “former” assistant coach. She always came off as someone who attacked her problems head-on, so that was an interesting choice.
Then, of course, there’s Ted, who is also different. Rather than going in blind with no information, he now has an understanding of the game. That said, he also takes a different approach to getting to know the team. As the head of the men’s team, he went in without a clear plan and was operating in a freestyle mode. With the women, he has a different approach thanks to coach Chilton. He takes the time to study each player and their skills via the dossier written up by his assistant coach.
We Want More:
Despite the similarities and the differences, there’s plenty to look forward to as the story moves ahead. As stated before, this isn’t just a retread of previous seasons. There’s substance here and a lot to unpack. So far we’ve interacted with the team on a limited basis, but the show seems to be going all in on Coach Chilton, and that’s okay. Her story might be the bulk of season 4, and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
First, there’s more there than meets the eye. People are going to call her the new Roy based on her demeanor so far. However, it’s not exactly a carbon copy. There are a few things to notice about Coach Chilton that mirror Roy’s tough, gritty attitude, yet there are also subtle differences. It’ll be interesting to see those unfold as season 4 progresses.
Maybe she’s not as tough as she seems. Maybe she’s learned to be tough to put up a wall from being hurt by being too hopeful. After all, it’s the hope that kills you, right?
Yes, on the surface, Alice Chilton (played by Tanya Reynolds) has a tough outer shell. Still, a few quick scenes show she might not be as tough as she seems. Two things stood out specifically that I hope to see explored in her character more as the show goes on. First, when the women get their own locker room, she fights back her emotions with both pride for the women and heartbreak that she’s decided to leave. Although she storms out of the locker room, that brief moment she hesitated, holding in her emotions, said plenty.
Then there’s the end of the episode where she decided to stay. Two brief moments had me second-guessing her distant approach, and all credit to Reynolds on this, as the subtle nuances of facial expression let viewers in just a little. Both in the same scene where Ted hands her a going-away present, it’s the look of confusion that lets her guard down a little. Her change towards Ted starts right there alone. Maybe Ted isn’t the bad guy in this whole thing, and maybe he does care about more than just himself.
Then, of course, that quick smirk when Ted goes to countdown from 5 in the corner. His back is turned, and he will never know about her allowing herself to smile. Her story seems to be unfolding, with her missed opportunities putting her on the defensive and putting up a wall to climb over. Too bad, as an audience knowing Ted as we do, how long will she be able to keep that wall up?
Circling Back:
As a bonus, with Ted Lasso there are very few moments that aren’t done with intention. We hope they revisit these two. One: we never find out what Ted’s going-away present is. There’s a good chance that Ted has his “I see you” moment with Coach Chilton the same way he did with Jamie Tartt in season 1 with the army guy. Chances are the choice to hold this reveal was on purpose, and I can’t wait to see what comes of it.
Two: Rebecca’s letter of recommendation. It’s quite clear these two women are not on the same page, and it’s sure to play out as a main storyline between the two. There is zero doubt in my mind that the writers kept the scene of her writing the letter without the plan to come back to it. More than likely, as the season progresses, the tension between the two will build. As with any “letter of recommendation” scene that has become a classic TV trope, it will likely play out the same, and we’re here for it.
Those scenes always play out with a moment where one character shows just how much they respect the other. If I were writing the show, it would play out in a big scene as it did in earlier seasons. Rebecca coming down from her office to confess to Ted was where their bond began. If her temper reaches the boiling point with Coach Chilton, this would be the perfect opportunity for a callback to those scenes.
So far, season 4 of Ted Lasso both feels familiar while different enough to keep intrigue going. It’s not a carbon copy of the first three seasons, and it’s not totally a gender swap with intent to extend the show. It feels like there’s more story to be told, and it just so happens to be with the women’s team. They’re doing a great job of making it feel like the same show without being a stale, heartless reboot.
They’re developing their tentpole main plot around the long-term sustainability of women’s sports leagues. Also, the opportunity for women’s sports to shine. But they’re also doing so with character-driven plots that pull you in. It’s just the same as they did with our fan-favorites on the men’s team. It’s still too early to tell if they can stick the landing. So far, though, there’s enough story to make audiences want more. The heart and soul of the show didn’t really start until about episode 4 of the first season with Trent Crimm. If season 4 starts slow as well, I won’t be worried.
