Ted Lasso returns for its second season on Apple TV Plus in July, and excitement for the heartwarming soccer-based comedy series' return is growing among its fanbase.
It seems like we should make the most of Jason Sudeikis' lovable football coach while we can, too, as Ted Lasso is set to end after three seasons – or will it?
According to the show's cast and crew, Ted Lasso could live on past its third season.
- Here's everything you need to know about Ted Lasso season 2
- Apple TV Plus review
- Foundation on Apple TV Plus: what we know about the sci-fi epic TV series so far
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly ahead of season 2's arrival on July 23, Sudeikis didn't deny the prospect of continuing Ted's story after season 3 – even though it sounds like the series' third season will be the final chapter.
"I don't know [if we'll continue after season 3]," Sudeikis responded. "The story that I know is the one that I wanted to tell, and so that's the one we're telling with the help of numerous people in front of and behind the camera, so it's by no means me typing every key stroke and saying every word. It's nowhere near like that.
"But the story that's being told – that three-season arc – is one that I see, know, and understood. I'm glad that [Apple] are willing to pay for those three seasons. As far as what happens after that, who knows? I don't know."
Analysis: Ted Lasso's cast and crew don't know if season 3 will be the end
While Sudeikis' comments sound pretty final, that's not the case with other cast members and the series' co-creator.
Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard in the Apple TV Plus show, also told EW that "it would be cool" if Ted Lasso ended after three instalments.
"I think we've always meant it to be three seasons," Hunt said. "I think it would be pretty cool if, in the face of how much everyone likes this show, that we stick to our guns and really just do three seasons... [but] I will say that, whatever he [Sudeikis] decides, I will happily abide."
Ted Lasso's co-showrunner Bill Lawrence, meanwhile, dropped the biggest tease about continuing Ted's story, saying that he was "hopeful" of following the AFC Richmond manager in some capacity post-season 3.
"The initial story Jason had in his head is a three-season arc, [but] I'm hopeful there's more Ted Lasso stories to tell after three seasons," Lawrence said. "Hey, in my head, I'm like, Ted Lasso moves home and he should coach the professional team that's a block away from Jason's home in real life."
Yes, please.Tell a nice story, from the beginning, to the middle, and to the end. Then put it to bed - rather than clinging onto a concept LONG after its expiry date. That how you end up with 6 seasons of something that stopped being fresh and fun after 3.June 8, 2021
Will Ted Lasso season 3 be the final entry in the series? Right now, all signs seem to point to yes, but we shouldn't discount the fact that nobody is categorically ruling out the prospect of making a fourth season or even a possible follow-up special.
That said, we wouldn't want people to start getting sick of Ted Lasso. It may be the show that's "in" at the moment, but who knows what the TV landscape will look like in two or three years' time. Audiences can be fickle and, over the next two seasons, we'll probably begin to see how much mileage there truly is for the character.
Ted Lasso is a wonderfully optimistic series and, given the current global climate, it's the TV show that a lot of people have needed to get them through the Covid pandemic.
However, we wouldn't want it to outstay its welcome. If Sudeikis and company have a three-season arc plotted in their minds, then, it would be best for them to stick to it. That way, providing seasons 2 and 3 are as good (if not better) than season 1, it'll be a superb show that'll live long in the memory – and if there's a further story to tell with Ted, we'll probably know (by then) if we actually want to see it or not.
Ted Lasso season 2 arrives exclusively on Apple TV Plus on Friday, July 23.
