All the reasons ‘Ted Lasso’ shouldn’t come back for season 4

Ted Lasso shouldn’t come back for a fourth season. At least not as it once was.

Let’s be honest: Apple TV’s Ted Lasso was a resounding hit … until season 3. The show’s creative direction took a drastic nosedive, with flimsy character development, poor episode structure, and a plot that was … lacking, to say the least.

The one thing they got right, kind of, was concluding Ted Lasso’s (Jason Sudeikis) arc by sending him home to the U.S. to be with his son. This pulled the heavy themes of avoidance, depression, and guilt to a brighter conclusion, watching Ted Lasso finally accept his past and what his life in Kansas now means. It seems this was the plan from the show’s conception, as many producers have reported the show was only meant to be three seasons.

Yet, the character development of Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) was all over the place. Nathan Shelley’s (Nick Mohammed) new girlfriend, Jade (Edyta Budnik), was a massive miscalculation—she had zero personal history, and her attraction to Nathan was ill-timed.The breakout stars of the show were Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), and many of the AFC Richmond players, particularly Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh).

Reportedly, those in talks to return to their character’s shoes thus far are Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Jeremy Swift, who would potentially and presumably make up the core staff at AFC Richmond. However, at the end of Ted Lasso season 3, we also had Juno Temple’s character, Keeley, coming out of the woodwork with wanting to make an AFC Richmond women’s team, which could potentially make for a spin-off series under another name.

Should Ted Lasso’s writers create a female-centric show that follows a similar structure but focuses on a women’s team, there are plenty of themes to cover that would keep the story fresh. However, what makes this option complicated is the evidence of poor female character development from past Ted Lasso seasons. Jade was underdeveloped. Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles) was abandoned. Shandy Fine (Ambreen Razia) was pointless. Jack Danvers (Jodi Balfour) was a cartoon lesbian villain. And that’s just skimming the top.

Instead, I would be fascinated to watch one of the already beloved AFC Richmond players take the lead in a spin-off show with the heart of Ted Lasso and the grime/plot structure of Shoresy. We could follow Sam Obisanya to another football club and watch him change the dynamic of an African FIFA team while facing socio-political barriers (as was briefly addressed in Ted Lasso season 2). The same could be true should the character stay in the U.K. or be transfered to continental Europe with how his restaurant was vandalized in Ted Lasso season 3. Toheeb Jimoh has untapped potential; I want him to get his dues as a title character or, at least, top of the call sheet.

At the very least, the creative team must follow their gut and keep Ted Lasso in Kansas. Please.