Ted Lasso Season 3; will the series finale lead to new adventures for Nate Shelley, Roy Kent and Keeley Jones?

After three seasons and countless television awards, the managerial career of one Ted Lasso is coming to an end as the final episode of AppleTV+’s incredibly popular, feel good football comedy-drama screens this week. Having experienced the highs and lows of the British football pyramid, could taking the team to Premier League victory be the perfect signing off for AFC Richmond’s American manager, played by series co-creator Jason Sudeikis?

We are careful to note however that it could be the character’s final episode though - despite Brett Goldstein, writer and Roy Kent actor (and current housewives favourite), stating that they wrote a three-season arch for the show, it does feel like there are a couple of loose ends that are either going to be speed-run in the final episode (a criticism this season has had regarding rushing storylines, akin to the final season of ‘Game of Thrones’), or they’re going to be left somewhat open ended much like the season finale of ‘Succession’ - another television juggernaut that has come to an end.

*** Spoilers ahead ***

We’ve followed Ted Lasso throughout his struggles this season balancing a job overseas with family life, especially making time for his son which we discovered has been a reason for his forlorn nature over the dissolution of his marriage, but we’ve only recently tapped into Keeley Jones (played by the wonderful Juno Temple) and Roy Kent getting back together with an X-factor in the form of a reformed Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), meanwhile we’ve still yet to discover if Hannah Waddingham’s character, Rebecca Welton, is pregnant or not after her dalliance in Amsterdam.

What of Trent Crimm, formerly of The Independent and now writing a book on Ted Lasso and his time at AFC Richmond - surely if Ted leaves to return to Kansas, there’s an opportunity after some of the sleuthing to move into a new freelancing role? What about what is to become of Colin Hughes, potentially the first gay footballer to be playing professionally in the Premier League?

… and then there is of course the redemption arc of one Wonder Kid (although he still is adamant he said Wunderkind) Nate Shelley, who we discover has an overwhelming sense of guilt how he left Ted Lasso and the team, and now has been invited back to coach the first time after a heart to heart with Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt.)

There is an awful lot to get through in one episode in order to give the usually well written characters a chance to sign off their own stories - which leads Peopleworld to speculate if they are to continue with the Ted Lasso-niverse, what potential spin-offs could we see appear on AppleTV+?

Nate Shelley - Richmond AFC Manager?

Perhaps the biggest storyline from the entire three-season series comes in the form of Nick Mohammed’s lovable, then loathable, then lovable character Nathan Shelley. We know now after the penultimate episode that he is set to return to AFC Richmond, but we also know now that Ted Lasso himself is experiencing homesickness. 

Could this lead to Nate taking over the coaching role at AFC Richmond, being passed the mantle by the very person who elevated Nate and gave him the confidence to manage West Ham United, owned by the nefarious Rupert Mannion (played by former Buffy The Vampire Slayer actor, Anthony Head)? The players have all seemed to forgive Nate - and it could be an ideal way to continue the story without the need of Jason Sudeikis to be on hand for his role.

Roy Kent, Keeley Jones and Jamie Tartt - Throuple?

There seems to be something set up regarding the love-triangle between Roy Kent, Keeley Jones and Jamie Tartt. While Roy and Keeley are currently in a “will they/won’t they” impasse regarding a monogamous relationship, the addition of a reformed Jamie Tartt and the care that Roy Kent now has towards his former rival has become none more apparent since their journeys to Amsterdam and Manchester.

Though we still believe that a spin-off regarding Keeley Jones’ fledgling PR company is something we think would have some mileage alongside the always impressive Katy Wix, could Roy and Jamie be rolled into a spin-off as one of television first throuples? There seemed to be a very prolonged moment in Jamie Tartt’s old bedroom with a poster of a younger Roy Kent (when playing for Chelsea) and Keeley Jones - maybe the writers were foreshadowing a polyamorous relationship? It would not be outside the progressive remit of some of the storytelling on the show.

Trent Crimm - Freelance Investigator?

He has a knack for doing what’s right, when revealing his source regarding Ted’s panic attack story, and managed to discover that Colin Hughes was gay before the rest of the team, regaling the young player with tales about his coming out. Trent Crimm is very much an investigative journalist despite being placed into the sports pages as a football pundit. 

Having been fired from his position at The Independent after revealing his sources, and with the book regarding AFC Richmond and Ted Lasso pretty much at a point of completion, what is the writers took the character and turned him into some sort of pulp fiction style freelance journalist, with an element of sleuthing at the same time?