Ted Lasso season 2: release date, trailer, cast and everything we know

Ted Lasso season 2, Apple TV Plus' hit TV show that's about more than soccer, has finally arrived.

The next chapter in Ted and AFC Richmond's journey has landed and, given how much we enjoyed its first episode, it could to be a contender for 2021's end of year TV show lists just like its predecessor was.

The Apple TV Plus original series has been a surprise smash hit among viewers and critics, and it's already been renewed for season 3. That means there'll be even more comedy capers for Ted and AFC Richmond in the future.

Right now, though, you're here to get the lowdown on everything to do with Ted Lasso season 2.

Below, we'll explain more about its episodic release schedule, plot details, new additions to the cast, how many episodes there will be in season 2, how you can get your hands on some official merchandise and more. 

A ward of warning, though: we'll be dealing with spoilers for the first season throughout, so ensure you've watched it in its entirety before proceeding. Get ready: it's nearly time to believe again.

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• Here's our spoiler free review of Ted Lasso season 2

Ted Lasso season 2 release date: July 23

Ted Lasso season 2 launched on Friday, July 23. Season 2's first episode premiered on this date, with new instalments releasing every Friday after that. This is a slight change from season 1's release schedule, and falls in line with the weekly episodic schedule employed by the likes of Disney Plus.

However, some Apple TV Plus subscribers may finally have to pay for the privilege of watching content on the streamer. According to The Verge, early adopters of Apple TV Plus have been able to watch all of its content for nothing due to the streaming service's one-year free trial offering. 

Per Variety, 62% of all Apple TV Plus subscribers are currently making use of the streamer's free 12-month promotional offer, which users can get from buying Apple hardware devices, including Apple Macs, iPads and iPhones.

For viewers who received their offers as part of an Apple produce purchase in 2020, those free subscriptions are set to run out on July 1, 2021. Any Apple TV Plus customers who haven't been paying for the service, then, will likely have to sign up for a $4.99 a month subscription to watch Ted Lasso season 2.

If you have a PlayStation 5 console, however, you can get a six-month free trial by downloading the Apple TV Plus app onto your gaming device. Just make sure you cancel your subscription before the trial runs out or you'll be automatically enrolled onto its $4.99 a month basic subscription package.

Ted Lasso season 2 trailer: check out the latest video

Ahead of season 2's arrival, Apple released a new official trailer for everyone's favorite US soccer coach. 

It's only 75 seconds long, but the latest video is packed with the show's trademark humor and heart – and there's even a hilarious scene where Ted showcases his angry side to his players once more.

Check out the latest trailer below:

The first trailer debuted at Apple's 2021 spring event. As you'd expect, there are plenty of funny moments between Ted, AFC Richmond's staff and the first-team squad, as well as some soccer-based action and other dramatic moments:

There was also a smattering of new footage in a new Apple TV Plus Summer 2021 and Beyond trailer, although it didn't reveal much more about Ted Lasso season 2's plot:

Ted Lasso season 2 episodes: how many are there?

As confirmed by Collider, season 2 of Ted Lasso will be longer than season 1. 

Apple TV Plus picked the show up for 12 episodes instead of 10 this time, simply for story-based reasons, and each entry will be between 30 and 40 minutes in length. Who doesn't want a little bit more of Ted in their lives, eh?

Ted Lasso season 2 plot: life in the lower leagues

Spoilers for Ted Lasso season 1 follow.

While we've seen the first batch of season 2's episodes, we can't disclose what happens for spoiler reasons. However, what we can say is where season 2 may go, based on what fans of the show know by the end of season 1.

In the season finale, we watched as AFC Richmond were relegated from the Premier League to the Championship. This came courtesy of a last-minute winner for Manchester City, with the goal set up by none other than Jamie Tartt, who had been on loan at Richmond earlier in the season but was recalled midway through season 1.

The football side of Ted Lasso will likely be preoccupied with adjusting to the new level, then, but we suspect that AFC Richmond will be promoted straight back to England's top tier in season 2. 

Why? Well, it would certainly buy into Ted Lasso's theme of unwavering optimism in the face of adversity. Given the proposed three-season arc, too, Richmond could then battle for the Premier League title in season 3 as Ted and Richmond owner Rebecca Welton discuss in season 1's finale. Well, strange things can happen in football.

While Tartt’s loan spell was terminated in season 1, Lasso’s unique coaching methods and emphasis on teamwork clearly won Jamie over. Perhaps Tartt will turn his back on his abusive father for good and help Richmond on the way to a Premier League return. We live in hope, especially if Ted has had that much of an impact on him, so fingers crossed that he returns to the Greyhounds' squad.

Of course, Ted Lasso is more about the players, staff and their families than it is the football. We may also see Rebecca’s continued feud with her ex-husband (Anthony Head), Roy adjusting to life out of the first team and with girlfriend Keeley, and Ted’s struggles with his divorce and distance from his family, among other new storylines.

If anything, season 2 sounds like it'll be a wild ride. In an interview with Collider, Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Welton) compared Ted Lasso season 2 to Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. 

If The Empire Strikes Back was anything to go by, we suspect that AFC Richmond are gearing up to hit back at their critics and win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. It's that, or they'll be getting out the lightsabers and force powers to defeat the opposition.

Finally, we're hoping that more of Richmond's other players will get their share of the limelight. We'd certainly like to see Dani Rojas and Sam Obisanya get more screen time, given how important they are to the team.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Ted Lasso co-writer Brett Goldstein, who also portrays Roy Kent in the show, seemingly teased this prospect when he recounted his favorite moments from season 1, so there's every chance we'll dive into these characters more in season 2.

Ted Lasso season 2 cast: getting the squad back together

Many of Ted Lasso's season 1 cast are returning for season 2:

• Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso
• Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton
• Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent
• Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard
• Nick Mohammed as Nathan "Nate the Great" Shelley
• Juno Temple as Keely Jones
• Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins
• Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt
• Toheeb Jimoh and Sam Obisanya
• Cristo Fernandez as Dani Rojas
• James Lance as Trent Crimm
• Kola Bokinni as Isaac, Richmond's vice-captain
• Annette Badland as Mae, the pub landlord

There’s no Ted Lasso without the man himself, who Sudeikis plays in the show. Lasso was pictured next to Coach Beard and Nate the Great in Apple’s season 2 production announcement, so they're all returning.

We’ll see plenty of other familiar faces, such as Richmond chairman Rebecca Welton and Keeley Jones, who is now working for Welton as the team's sponsorship lead. 

Jamie Tartt may have returned to Manchester City, but the door has certainly been left open for the star to rescue Richmond from their Championship perils. The legendarily grumpy Roy Kent whose career is up in the air due to a knee injury suffered against Manchester City, but he'll be returning, too.

Teams tend to change significantly when they drop divisions, especially from the Premier League to the Championship, so there’s a sensible opportunity for co-creator Bill Lawrence to sign some new players for Richmond. We won't spoil whether there will be new faces to fall in love with, even though we know if there is or not.

We do know about at least one new backroom addition, though. In March 2021, it was confirmed on Deadline that actress Sarah Niles joined Ted Lasso season 2 as Doctor Sharon Fieldstone, a sports psychologist who begins working with AFC Richmond's players.

In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Niles explained how Sharon will factor into season 2's plot, and whether she'll be the latest individual that Ted wins over with his signature charm and love for biscuits.

Niles revealed that Sharon is coming in to the club to "sort a few things out", and that viewers can expect her character to be "straight-talking, very kind and wants the best for everyone". Niles also hinted that there would be a "few more roller coasters" for fans to enjoy or endure, too, when season 2 rolls around.

As for how she'll get on with Ted, Niles teased that Sharon, like everyone else that AFC Richmond's manager has encountered, might not initially realize that he's serious about his job.

"I feel like he's gone on a journey to get to this point and to get the trust of the team in him," Niles said. "And it's interesting when you get another person that comes in to this space, into this kind of family, and how everything has to shift around that. So I think the character Sharon has one motive and one idea of how it's going to play, and she might be pleasantly surprised by how things turn out."

Season 1's supporting cast member should also return, including Mae the pub landlord, The Independent reporter Trent Crimm and commentator Arlo White, who portrays himself in the show.

Will there be more than three seasons of Ted Lasso?

We certainly hope so. However, while the early season 3 renewal is cause for celebration, it’s worth knowing that this may be all we get. 

Interviewed by his good friends Zach Braff and Donald Faison on the duo's Fake Doctors, Real Friends podcast about old show Scrubs, Lawrence warned that “Ted Lasso is a three-season show” owing to Jason Sudeikis’ busy life and young family. Should season 3 be the final instalment in the series, Lawrence also confirmed that there is a planned resolution for the TV show's end.

That said, it hasn't exactly been ruled out by Sudeikis, Hunt or Lawrence. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the trio said that Ted Lasso was mapped out as a three-season story, but all hinted at the prospect of more seasons (or a follow-up special) if there's a natural way to continue Ted's story.

Official Ted Lasso merchandise is finally on sale

Fans of Ted Lasso have been wondering for some time if they'll be able to get their hands on some official merchandise. Now, Lawrence has confirmed that viewers will be able to purchase items including AFC Richmond jerseys and training tops ahead of season 2's premiere.

A basic jersey and other merchandise, including mugs, are now available to purchase at the Ted Lasso Warner Bros. shop. Professional AFC Richmond kits, however, won't be dropping until September:

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