All 4 Seasons Of ‘Ted Lasso,’ Ranked

Ted Lasso is one of the defining TV series of the 2020s. Debuting in August 2020 on Apple TV, the comedy series, about a friendly, outgoing American football coach who begins steering a U.K. soccer team without any experience, became a critical darling and an audience favorite. It quickly became Apple TV’s signature series and event television on the level of Game of Thrones.

Ted Lasso won two Outstanding Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys, and all four seasons have received fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. It has had its ups and downs and ended in 2023 before being revived for a new season just three years later. Season 4 lays the groundwork for a new era for the series, one that hopefully will continue for years to come. While we wait for Ted Lasso Season 5, here is how every season of the series ranks.

4

Season 3

Besides the Rushed Ending, It’s a Solid Season

Why It’s Great: Ted Lasso Season 3 needed to wrap up the multiple Emmy-winning series. It delivered on its promise and finds Ted trying to make sure everyone is the best version of themselves. The final episode was an emotional farewell to the characters we grew to love over the three years the series aired, and it showed how far many of them had come.

Why Season 3 is the Bottom Pick: While Season 3 isn’t bad, it’s the most uneven. Many storylines feel rushed, as the creators had to fit multiple arcs into a finite number of episodes after committing to only three seasons. Although the series had moved beyond those plans, the creators stuck to their original ideas. As a result, some plotlines, like the reconciliation between Ted and Nate or the addition of new player Zava, feel undercooked. When Ted Lasso Season 4 premiered, it became clear that the show had some life left. It also retroactively makes Season 3 not the real ending, but a farewell to a specific era of the series.

3

Season 4

New Characters Make the Repeated Beats Feel Fresh

Apple TV

Why It’s Great: Ted Lasso Season 4 is, in many ways, a revamp of the Season 1 formula. Now, Ted is coaching a women’s football team. The season wisely uses this similar setup to deliver fun remixes, including highlighting the challenges the women’s sport faces in the media and public eye. The new cast of characters on UFC Richmond’s women’s team helps the season shine. Annette Blanchard also has an expanded role as Mae Green, a beloved supporting character from the first two seasons. However, the season’s MVP is Tayna Reynolds as Alice Chilton, the cold, distant assistant coach who is hiding a host of emotional complexities.

Why It’s Number 3: Season 4 suffers a few of the pacing problems of its predecessor, and not all the additions work; namely, Tracey Ullman’s Zelda Southpath. However, the season tells a meaningful story and features new, exciting characters. The entire AFC Richmond Women’s team is a delight, and watching them is exciting.

2

Season 2

A Darker, More Emotionally Complex Season

Why It’s Great: Ted Lasso Season 2 was the “Empire Strikes Back” season. Like the iconic sci-fi film, it’s the second entry in a trilogy that, instead of going bigger, digs deeper into its characters. Most notably, Ted finally goes to therapy and opens up about the death of his father. Other standout storylines include Nate’s growing resentment over being overlooked, and the strong relationships between the various team members. It goes to some dark places, which wasn’t welcome by everyone, as it wasn’t the cheery series they fell in love with. Ultimately, though, the season added emotional nuance beneath Ted’s happy smile.

Why It’s Number 2: Part of what makes Season 2 so fantastic is the two additional episodes. This extra time let the creator break away from the standard streaming-era setup of television and include some nice one-off episodes that didn’t advance the plot but did develop the characters. This included the delightfully charming Christmas episode and a Beard-centric story that is an homage to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours. While holiday episodes used to be staples, there is a fear in the streaming era of episodes being called “filler.” Ted Lasso Season 2 is much stronger because of these two episodes, and more series would benefit from the same.

1

Season 1

The Original Is Still the Gold Standard

Why It’s Great: Ted Lasso Season 1 is what we call great television. It’s a well-written series with rich characters brought to life by a fantastic group of actors who add nuance, anchored by Jason Sudeikis’s iconic performance as the central character. Ted Lasso works so well because we have to be convinced that Ted is the right person for the job, just like the characters around him do. It’s funny, but despite the openly corny nature of the lead character, it never seems saccharine. Instead, it’s inspiring.

Why Season 1 Is Still the Best: People often look back at Ted Lasso Season 1 and claim it wasn’t “that good” and that people were only kind to it because it came out during the COVID-19 pandemic and they wanted an optimistic story. However, six years later, the first season still holds up. Considering that Ted Lasso was a spin-off of an NBC commercial, it shouldn’t have worked. In the end, Ted Lasso inspires people. There is a reason why it became a cultural phenomenon when it debuted, and it’s still widely beloved today. It all starts here.

Release Date

August 14, 2020

Network

Apple TV

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