Ted Lasso Season 3: what fates may behold the characters of AppleTV+’s final season of this feel good tale?

It’s a bittersweet feeling at the PeopleWorld office today - there is excitement that the third season of Ted Lasso begins this week on AppleTV+, but then there is the announcement Jason Sudeikis made that this season is the last. We were warned about it previously - writer Brett Goldstein suggested that when creating the series it was only planned for a three-season arc.

Still, news that some spin-off shows may take place after the third season finishes fills us with some optimism; optimism we need given that this and Succession are calling time after their broadcasts this year. A darling with the critics, the Golden Globes and audiences alike, the folksy feel-good nature of Ted Lasso was a shot in the arm we all needed after the pandemic.

It’s also been a platform for several actors, with Brett Goldstein getting a cameo in the most recent Thor film, Hannah Waddingham becoming a Eurovision 2023 presenter (helped by her body of musical theatre also, we hasten to add) and Phil Dunster appearing in the Amazon Prime Video series The Devil’s Hour.

So what could lie in store for some of the characters with open storylines after the conclusion of Ted Lasso season two? We know that AFC Richmond has arrived back in the Premier League and that Nate Shelley has turned to the dark side, joining Darth Mannion at West Ham United.

We’ve decided to play fantasy football ourselves with what we think could happen in Ted Lasso Season 3, ahead of the first episode streaming on AppleTV+

Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis)

With Jason Sudeikis confirming that season three of Ted Lasso will be the last, there are a few loose ends that might require tying up. Leading AFC Richmond to a respectable finish in the Premier League after their return aside, season two saw Lasso finally trying to reconcile the reasons for his overly-optimistic take on life.

Could Ted Lasso find a new love in the arms of Rebecca’s friend Flo “Sassy” Collins, with the pair sharing a mutual attraction, or will Ted Lasso feel that his mission is accomplished with AFC Richmond and return to Kansas to be with his son, Henry?

We don’t think Jason Sudeikis’ beloved character will feature prominently in any spin-off from the show, otherwise, it would just be another season of Ted Lasso right?

Nathan Shelley (Nick Mohammed)

The slow burn of Nate “The Great” Shelley throughout the last season culminated in the former Ted Lasso protegee turning on not only the manager but the entire AFC Richmond team by joining up with former owner Rupert Mannion (played by Anthony Head) to manage West Ham United. Gone is the boy next door attitude and instead we’ve been presented with a spitting, grey-haired, bitter individual.

How Nate’s storyline will play out in season three remains a mystery - we know that in terms of football fixtures, Ted Lasso will meet Nate twice in the Premier League. But we’re kind of hoping that instead of a last-day charge to win the Premiership, the two face off in another competition (see below).

Either way, with Ted Lasso’s modus operandi being learning and growth as individuals, we hope to see a redemption arc take place. Will the Machiavellian Rupert Mannion pull the strings and turn Nate into an even more loathsome character, or will Nate finally have the self-confidence he’s always needed rather than the approval of those he deems more culturally and financially “elite” than him?

Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein)

With Nate moving to West Ham United, that bumps former player Roy Kent up in the coaching hierarchy at AFC Richmond. Despite being foul-mouthed and ill-tempered at the best of times, Roy’s grown to accept that his playing days are over.

But does that mean that a managerial career is on the horizon? With this being the final season, we can only assume Ted is hanging up his hat, and with that potentially Coach Hat also hanging up his… Well, hat. So who is going to manage the team?

We kind of smell a spin-off here with Roy Kent possibly taking over the management of AFC Richmond, though Ted Lasso by any other name is still Ted Lasso. Maybe Nate takes over the running of AFC Richmond while Roy gathers experience in the lower leagues. Or maybe he’ll continue coaching his niece Phoebe at Richmond Primary School?

Keeley Jones (Juno Temple)

One of the standout characters of Ted Lasso and a complete reversal of the WAG trope, Keeley has grown from a glamour model to a businesswoman after her successful campaign for the dating app Bantr. They decided to fund Keeley’s venture - which put her at odds for a short while with her boyfriend Roy Kent. Ever so short, we would like to remind you.

So in terms of season three, perhaps a side story throughout the footballing ventures could see Keeley traversing her early years as a businesswoman. There has been a lot of focus throughout Ted Lasso regarding females in a male-dominated environment - so how will Keeley navigate the choppy waters of advertising and marketing?

Again… we kind of think this might have enough mileage that a standalone Keeley Jones series dedicated to her life as a successful businesswoman could be spun off after the completion of Ted Lasso. It also could lead to cameos as other members of AFC Richmond visit her for branding opportunities - such as former flame Jamie Tartt.

AFC Richmond 

We left AFC Richmond celebrating their promotion back into the Premier League, but it would seem kind of contrived if the team in the final season of Ted Lasso won the Premier League. Although that would be an incredibly happy ending - football fans know that there is more than one way to have a victorious season.

Instead, we’re banking our money that the team, led by Jamie Tartt, go on a fantastic FA Cup run instead, culminating in the final showdown between Ted Lasso and his former assistant, now West Ham United manager Nate Shelley. There could be no greater feat, aside from being Premier League champions, for AFC Richmond to accomplish than facing Nate and West Ham in a cup final. Will it come down to a nail-biting penalty shoot-out?

The new series of Ted Lasso is available on AppleTV from March 15.