Ted Lasso S3 Ending Gives A Nod To Another Iconic Sitcom Finale
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart that we might get a revisit to AFC Richmond one day. For now, though, that really is all she wrote for "Ted Lasso." Jason Sudeikis' alter-ego who managed the Greyhounds and, finally, the off-side rule, is heading home, leaving behind a handful of heroes he's touched in different ways. In the show's final moments, we saw various characters carrying on in a post-Lasso world. Roy (Brett Goldstein) is officially the top gaffer of the Greyhounds, Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) is staying put after tying the knot at Stonehenge (because of course), and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) has found a family after all.
Between all these heartfelt catch-ups, though, there's one brief moment at The Crown & Anchor, the go-to pub for locals and Richmond fans, that sticks out. In a brief moment in the finale with the pub's owner, Mae (Annette Badland), we see her straighten up a picture of Geronimo. Of course, nothing in "Ted Lasso" is without purpose (unless it involves a matchbook, of course), as this straightening-out is a reference to the beloved sitcom "Cheers." In the final episode of that iconic sitcom, we see Ted Danson's Sam do the exact same thing in the show's closing as well. The great thing about this little adjustment echoing one from 30 years before is that the owner of that photo in "Cheers" has a pretty cool link to this one.
Ted Lasso's Cheers homage is from one Coach to another
While the picture of Geronimo never really held any importance in Apple TV+'s show, for "Cheers," the moment was, in fact, one of respect for a cast member who died during the show's run. The photo in question that Sam straightens out is one that originally hung in the dressing room of late actor Nicholas Colasanto. Colasanto appeared on "Cheers" between 1982 and 1985. The moment is a tribute to his character, Ernie Pantusso, who worked the bar during that time. Of course, everyone called him "Coach."
Now this little wink to audiences might well be a reference to coaches of the past and present, but it may also be confirming something that fans feared. Just like "Cheers" ending with this last image, so too could "Ted Lasso" really be blowing the whistle and ending its story for good. The team will play on, now under new management as Roy assumes the status of top dog, and while we won't get to see what lies ahead, the three seasons we saw were a hell of a good run. That's definitely something to raise a glass to.