As surreal as it feels, there is a Ted Lasso Season 4 teaser trailer. It’s one minute of footage – after three years away from the AFC Richmond family. The Ted Lasso Season 3 finale took Jason Sudeikis’s titular Ted back to Kansas to be closer to his son, Henry. But now he’s back to coach a second division women’s football team. The season’s description plays coy about whether that women’s football team is AFC Richmond’s, but the trailer confirms it. It also teases that the season may kick off in Kansas with Ted. It’s only that the first shot of the trailer doesn’t look like Ted’s flat in London, and there is a photo of Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and Ted by a plane – with a pink biscuit box.
Not to mention, this all started (again) with a photo of Rebecca, Keeley (Juno Temple), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) eating barbecue with Ted in, presumably, Kansas. So, it tracks that the season would start there, bringing Ted back to his home away from home. It’s telling that he doesn’t smile until he’s back walking the familiar Richmond streets. But that’s getting ahead of the trailer, which is set to Mumford & Sons’ “Rubber Band Man.” It always felt like it was a matter of time before that song made it into Ted Lasso, given how closely Marcus Mumford worked with composer Tom Howe to create the show’s sound. I just didn’t expect it to happen this early – in the show’s teaser trailer.
MORE: It’s the Perfect Time for Ted Lasso to Introduce the Women’s Team
What Does the Ted Lasso Teaser Reveal?
The minute mostly sets a tone as it reacquaints viewers with the characters. It reintroduces Nelson Road and the AFC Richmond facilities. The latter of which seems to have had a bit of a makeover, which is expected with the club’s growth to include a women’s side. There are some shots of Rebecca and Keeley doing work for the team, as well as superfans and shareholders Baz, Paul, and Jeremy attending an AFC Richmond event. I’m excited to see how they – and Mae – show up for the women’s team. Relatedly, Henry and Michelle will be there cheering on the club. That shot makes me wonder if Michelle is visiting after Ted’s move back to London, or if she made the move, too, to be near Henry.
I don’t imagine that Ted and Michelle are back together, but Ted Lasso may surprise me. For instance, this trailer reveals that Rebecca and Matthijs are still together – for some reason. Likewise, Beard and Jane may still be together (Yikes!) after their Stonehenge wedding, or maybe he’s just supporting her chaotic one-woman show. There’s also a shot of Higgins standing between Keeley and Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein). They could be going on a date, where something happens to Roy’s car. Otherwise, it makes little to no sense why he would need to use Keeley’s heel to break the sunroof. In both scenes, they are in their signature colors – pink and black. Some things never change. (I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t mention how odd it is to see them without Jamie Tartt.)
Alternatively, it is a bit challenging to guess how much has changed. The teaser trailer seems to suggest that Beard is back on Ted’s coaching staff with Tanya Reynolds’s character. Beard, who has a full head of hair, is next to both characters when the women’s team scores a goal at a match, so that pretty much confirms it. If that’s the case, is Nathan Shelley (Nick Mohammed) still coaching the men’s side with Roy as manager? It’s hard to tell from the one shot of Roy at AFC Richmond if he’s there to see Keeley, to work, or both – or neither, frankly. Then again, it’s not entirely surprising that this teaser trailer doesn’t provide any clarity on where the men’s side stands after the first three seasons. Hopefully, there will be some context in the show itself, even in passing.
Mostly, this season begins a new story, where Shannon (Shannon Hayes), a tertiary character in the first three seasons, is seen trying out for the women’s team. There’s a glimpse of that team celebrating something at the Crown & Anchor. There’s also a hint at some of what Ted and, predominantly, the team are up against in the season. Ted reunites with Mr. Mann, the Richmond local, who welcomes Ted back. He also adds, “Too bad you’re coaching a bunch of girls.” Ted’s optimism is great and necessary, but it’s not going to be enough against even the most casual sexism that women in sports face. Hopefully, that line means that Ted Lasso Season 4 will explore all of that and then some as it builds the highly anticipated AFC Richmond Women’s Team.
MORE: Everything We Know About Ted Lasso Season 4
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