Apple TV+ has released its first promotional photo for Ted Lasso Season 3, teasing a tense new dynamic between two of the series' main characters. Along with the image, Apple TV+ revealed that the series will return sometime in spring 2023.
The promotional image features Ted Lasso (Sudeikis) staring down Nate Shelley (Nick Mohammed), Ted's former assistant coach who left AFC Richmond in a heel turn at the end of Season 2. Chasing fame and grandeur, Nate accepted a head coaching opportunity from West Ham United's new owner, Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head), who happens to be the ex-husband of AFC Richmond's owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham).
Ted Lasso recently won its second straight Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series, with star/executive producer/co-creator Jason Sudeikis winning his second straight Best Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy and co-star Brett Goldstein repeating a win as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Roy Kent. The second season finished over a year ago, so the arrival of Season 3 is hotly anticipated.
The first season of the series centered on Rebecca's quest to ruin Rupert's favorite team from childhood (which he went on to buy as an adult) by bringing in an American football coach who knew nothing about football in England. She was shocked, however, to find that everyone at AFC Richmond -- herself included -- grew to care about the lovable Coach Lasso, and the team even began to respond to his coaching. The team returned to the Premier League at the end of Season 2 after being bumped down to a secondary league. These events prompted Rupert to purchase West Ham United and recruit Ted's former assistant, Nate, in an attempt to get back at his ex-wife. Rupert is seen lurking in the background of the Season 3 promotional photo, hinting at his continued villainous role in the new batch of episodes.
Season 3 Could Be the End of Ted Lasso
Despite rumors that the series won't return for Season 4, Apple TV+ did not state in its announcement that Ted Lasso will end with Season 3. The show was sold to Apple TV+ as specifically a three-season arc, but its blockbuster success has made it an open question of whether the series will still end after three seasons.
Before Season 2 premiered, Sudeikis spoke about Ted Lasso possibly going past Season 3. "I mean, I don't know. 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 keystroke and saying every word," he said. "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 they are willing to pay for those three seasons. As far as what happens after that, who knows? I don't know."
Source: Apple TV+