The mustached American coach who took the world by storm is back on the pitch. Ted Lasso Season 4 officially premiered on August 5, 2026, on Apple TV+, three years after the show’s apparent farewell in 2023. The new season brings back Jason Sudeikis as the optimist coach, but this time he faces a completely different challenge: coaching a women’s football team.
The show’s return has generated plenty of attention, with critics sharing mixed opinions about whether this comeback was necessary. Some praise the show for recapturing its signature warmth, while others call it a tired sequel that should have stayed retired.
New Season Brings a Fresh Challenge for Ted
Season 4 picks up a few years after the Season 3 finale. Ted Lasso has returned to Kansas City to be closer to his son Henry. He is now working as an assistant manager at a grocery store, living a quiet life and watching Henry play soccer.
His former boss Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), along with Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) and Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), shows up at his door with a proposal. They want Ted to come back to England and coach AFC Richmond’s newly formed women’s team, which is struggling in the second division.
Ted initially says no, but with encouragement from his mother, he changes his mind and returns to London with his family. The season follows Ted as he builds this new team from the ground up, dealing with limited resources and the challenges of promoting women’s sports in England.
Main Cast Returns with Some Notable Absences
Most of the original cast members have returned for Season 4. Jason Sudeikis is back as Ted Lasso, Hannah Waddingham returns as Rebecca Welton, Brett Goldstein reprises his role as Roy Kent, Juno Temple is back as Keeley Jones, and Jeremy Swift returns as Leslie Higgins. Brendan Hunt also returns as Coach Beard.
The season introduces seven new cast members. Tanya Reynolds (from Sex Education) joins as Alice Chilton, Ted’s gruff new assistant coach. Other new additions include Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern, and Grant Feely, who plays Ted’s son Henry.
However, some familiar faces are missing. Phil Dunster, who played Jamie Tartt, will not return as a regular due to scheduling conflicts. The status of Nick Mohammed (Nate Shelley) remains unclear.
Critics Divided Over the Comeback
Reviews for Season 4 have been mixed. The season currently holds an 89% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 56 critic reviews. The audience score is even higher at 90% on the Popcornmeter. This is actually eight points higher than Season 3’s score.
Some critics have praised the new direction. Screen Rant’s Kara Hedash rated it 8/10, saying the season “carries the same Ted Lasso charm viewers have grown to love”. Radio Times called it “another winning season”. CBR described it as Ted Lasso returning “to being the wholesome, feel-good comedy it started as”.
“Season 4 might be focused on a new team, but it carries the same Ted Lasso charm viewers have grown to love.”
Other critics have been less kind. The Hollywood Reporter described the season as “sweet but empty” and said it “struggles to find anywhere interesting left to go”. The Guardian’s review called the show “fake and phoney” and noted that it “rarely bears any relation to reality”. The Mirror went further, saying the show has become “frustratingly hollow” and that the comeback felt like it was done to earn more money for Apple.
Variety’s review offered a balanced take, calling Season 4 “both a promising reboot and a tedious sequel”. The review noted that while the show has corrected some of Season 3’s excesses, it still struggles to make room for new characters.
Jason Sudeikis Explains Why He Changed His Mind
Jason Sudeikis had previously said the show was finished after three seasons. He has now explained what made him change his mind.
Sudeikis revealed that he felt “enthusiasm bubbling inside” and wanted to see if the rest of the team felt the same energy. The breakthrough came when he developed a storyline about Ted coaching a women’s team.
“As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to ‘look before we leap.’ In season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to ‘leap before they look,’ discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be.”
Sudeikis also admitted that he was initially the only holdout among the cast, even after being offered $1 million per episode. He said returning to the character has been good for him personally.
“It is infectious to play a character who sees the best in people and isn’t mad at the world for all its foibles,” Sudeikis explained.
New Showrunner and Tighter Episodes
Season 4 has a new showrunner, Jack Burditt, known for his work on 30 Rock and Modern Family. He has scaled back some of the show’s excesses.
The five episodes sent to critics average about 45 minutes each, shorter than many of Season 3’s hour-long episodes. The season will have a total of 10 episodes releasing weekly.
The show has also removed all the male players from the men’s team, except for Roy Kent. This allows the show to focus on the women’s team and the challenges they face.
Episode Release Schedule
Ted Lasso Season 4 premiered with its first episode on August 5, 2026. New episodes will release every Wednesday. The full schedule is:
- Episode 1: August 5
- Episode 2: August 12
- Episode 3: August 19
- Episode 4: August 26
- Episode 5: September 2
- Episode 6: September 9
- Episode 7: September 16
- Episode 8: September 23
- Episode 9: September 30
- Episode 10: October 7
All episodes are available exclusively on Apple TV+. The first three seasons are also streaming on the platform.
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What the Season Explores
Beyond the football matches, Season 4 looks at the difficulties women’s sports face in England. Rebecca, Keeley, and Higgins struggle to get support and sponsorship for the women’s team. The show includes jokes about sexism and highlights how much harder it is to promote women’s sports.
The season also continues the stories of familiar characters. Roy Kent and Keeley are still figuring out their relationship. Rebecca’s romance with her Dutch pilot continues. Ted seems happier this time around with his family in England with him.
Digital Spy noted that the first episode is uncomfortable to watch, but the show gets better once Ted returns to Richmond. The review said the season is “better than you’d expect” if you can make it past the premiere.
Some critics have praised Tanya Reynolds as the new assistant coach Alice. Variety called her “a well-suited foil for Ted’s sunny optimism”. However, some reviews noted that the new players on the women’s team haven’t gotten enough screen time yet.
Also Read: Ted Lasso Season 4 Premiere: Ted Faces His Biggest Challenge Yet as Richmond Returns
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