‘Ted Lasso’ Needs To Keep Its Eye on the (Foot)Ball

After a pretty bad premiere and a decidedly improved second episode, this week’s episode, “Richmond’s Got Talent,” falls so firmly in the middle that I suspect we’ve now established the season’s median baseline. For everything that’s not working (and there’s plenty) all of the show’s current promise lies firmly in the hands of the show’s newcomers, especially Coach Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds). The topic of the disparities between men and women’s football was broached early on—seeing one of the players of Richmond Women’s Football Club, also known as the “Lady Greyhounds,” be ecstatic over accessible menstrual products was the first real breath of fresh air this season—and it’s the best chance this new iteration of Ted Lasso has at telling us a meaningful story.

Football, much like earlier seasons, is a vital counterbalance to the show’s unceasing tweeness. Career-ending injuries like torn ACL’s are ever-present risks for professional athletes, but a woman’s team brings additional medical considerations; thirty seconds of a screamed expletive preceding a pregnancy announcement sufficiently demonstrates how making a family can bring a woman’s career to a standstill (any family planning for players on the men’s team wouldn’t even be a blip on the radar).

Unenthusiastic shareholders and attendees also stand in stark relief to the usual passionate reception for Richmond’s men’s team and, with it, a perpetual struggle for money. Not long ago, the U.S. soccer team made headlines in the fight for fair pay; after years’ worth of protests and court battles, the U.S. women’s team will finally be able to share an adequate amount of the men’s team’s recent $16 million World Cup winnings after updates to their collective bargaining agreements were ratified in 2022 (go, unions). The subject of pay has been mentioned in passing this season, but it’s hard to believe it won’t be discussed in more depth as the season goes on.

Currently, Richmond’s financial woes are impacting team merchandise but, even more importantly, the ability to receive their team kits in a timely manner. Keeley’s (Juno Temple) short time as Chief Marketing Officer is leagues more interesting than anything in her season three arc, including her incredible (and highly relatable) breakdown when said kits fail to appear. In Ted Lasso fashion, it’s resolved through the cutest solution possible: Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield) and her teammates who are more than happy to cut and bedazzle kits for the Lady Greyhounds.

Possibly the only thing this show loves as much as a pun is a cute kid. Just to ensure the adorable child conveyor belt keeps moving, the public tryouts introduce a new precocious tike (with an admittedly great dinosaur hoodie) by way of new team member Lizzie (Faye Marsay), who’s well on her way to being established as unofficial Team Mom. I can go along with this development, as it contrasts nicely with Coach Chilton’s brand of stern but sincere care for the players.

Though I’m not yet all that intrigued by whatever past beef Coach Chilton and new striker Gemma (Abbie Hern) are carefully dancing around—we just don’t know enough about Gemma thus far other than her being a law student and remarkably careless when it comes to warming up—my hopes are that it will be something that furthers the issues in professional sports that it’s begun to excavate. Because there’s little of note happening when it comes to our returning principal characters; Ted (Jason Sudeikis) is just, well, Tedding, while Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) role as team owner is intruding on time with her boyfriend. Many viewers took umbrage with Rebecca’s portrayal as a less-than ideal feminist, but I can’t think of a better personal conflict for a wealthy Gen Xer to navigate than wrestling with the realization that she’s got some inner work to do when it comes to potential hidden biases; her about-face when it came to approving the tryouts (Ted: “Well, it was Coach Chilton’s idea.” Rebecca: “And I love it, let’s do it!”) is a more worthwhile use of her screen time than an unsuccessful running gag revolving around her repeatedly standing up Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn).

If Ted Lasso can keep its eye on the literal and figurative ball, this season will be able to justify its existence. But if the small progress it’s begun to make is stunted by its need for feel-good fluff, then Ted Lasso is going to have far more odds stacked against it than the Lady Greyhounds ever could.

The first three episodes of Ted Lasso season four are available to stream on Apple TV.

Kaleena Rivera is the TV Editor for Pajiba.