Ted Lasso Season 4 Repeats A Key Mistake From The Show's Past
Contains spoilers for "Ted Lasso" Season 4, Episode 1 — "Home"
The welcome (if uneven) "Ted Lasso" Season 4 brings back Apple TV's pandemic-era comfort watch phenomenon, and shows that the series still relies heavily on vibes and character interactions. Unfortunately, it also returns to one of the show's recurring flaws in its very first episode. There are many heartwarming "Ted Lasso" moments, and at its best, the show excels in economical storytelling that lets said moments breathe and flow. Unfortunately, "Ted Lasso" has also been known to put heavy focus on storylines that are so incredibly predictable that they can feel like a chore — and "Home" stumbles mustache first at this exact pitfall.
We know that Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is rejoining AFC Richmond to coach the women's team. That's the whole premise of the season. He's seen doing so in the Season 4 trailer, which begins with Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) welcoming him back in the Richmond dressing room. This is not a matter of tension.
Yet, for some reason, "Home" spends its entire runtime meandering in Ted's native Kansas City without any real stakes, trying to create some drama from his hesitance to accept the job. Yes, it's fun to catch up with the characters. But since every major plot thread of the episode hinges on convincing the viewer that Ted might say no to the job that we already know he'll take, the entire series premiere is effectively spinning its wheels.
Sometimes, Ted Lasso doesn't even try to surprise the viewer
As mentioned, this is far from the first time "Ted Lasso" opts to vex the viewer with arcs that have foregone, easy-to-telegraph conclusions. For instance, who would have believed for a second that Nate (Nick Hammond) wouldn't get a complete redemption arc by the ending of "Ted Lasso" Season 3, after the show reveals that he breaks bad and joins Rupert Mannion's (the late, great Anthony Head) West Ham?
Why would that same season's endgame tease a potential romance between Ted and Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) — the show's most heartwarmingly platonic friends, who have never once shown an inkling of romantic interest toward each other, and would be wildly incompatible if they did hook up?
Such frustratingly predictable side quests are, of course, just a small fragment of the "Ted Lasso" experience. Still, it's not the best possible omen that, in the very first Season 4 episode, the show goes right for the stunt yet again.
"Ted Lasso" Season 4 is streaming on Apple TV.