Being a goldfish isn’t really helpful in this instance.

Where did Ted Lasso leave off? Everything to remember before season 4

Being a goldfish isn’t really helpful in this instance.

By Rachel LaBonte

August 5, 2026 8:00 a.m. ET

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Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard and Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso in ‘Ted Lasso’ season 3. Credit:

- *Ted Lasso* season 3 ended with its titular coach leaving AFC Richmond behind and returning home to his son.

- The finale also hinted at the creation of a Richmond women’s team, which will now be at the center of season 4.

- Most major characters got their happy endings, though the Roy/Keeley/Jamie love triangle was left largely unresolved.

It’s been over three years, but we still believe.

After a prolonged absence, Apple TV’s wholesome smash hit *Ted Lasso* has finally returned for season 4. While the soccer-centric (sorry, *football*) series’ success would ordinarily have made renewal a sure thing, creators Bill Lawrence, Joe Kelly, Jason Sudeikis (who also stars as the titular Ted), and Brendan Hunt (a.k.a. Coach Beard) maintained that they had planned a three-season story and brought it to its natural conclusion in 2023.

At the same time, *Ted Lasso *left several plot threads dangling. Ever since, its stars and creatives have fielded near-constant questions about whether there could be more. The season 4 renewal finally arrived in March 2025, along with confirmation that Ted would return to Richmond to coach a second-division women’s football team.

Fans are no doubt excited to return to the optimistic, big-hearted world of *Ted Lasso*, but they would also be forgiven for forgetting some details about where the story left off. Did Richmond remain in the Premier League? What happened between Roy (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley (Juno Temple) — and Jamie (Phil Dunster), for that matter? And where did Ted himself end up?

Before you hit play on the *Ted Lasso* season 4 premiere, allow ** to catch you up on where things left off.

What happened to Ted?

Jason Sudeikis as Ted on ‘Ted Lasso’.

At first glance, it seemed like nothing could dampen Ted’s spirits, but season 3 sure tried its best. The very first episode found him sending his son, Henry (Gus Turner), back home to Kansas, and it kicked off a sustained arc where Ted found himself torn between Henry (and his ex-wife Michelle) and his new family, AFC Richmond.

Even as Richmond started to play well — thanks to Ted’s midseason strategy switch, which involved adopting the playing method known as “total football” — the goofball coach still contended with bouts of melancholy, often triggered by thoughts of his loved ones. His distance from Henry was painfully emphasized when his son got in trouble for bullying another classmate, and the idea of Michelle (Andrea Anders) getting engaged to someone else sent him into a tailspin.

A surprise visit from his mother (Becky Ann Baker) only solidified his ultimate decision to leave Richmond behind and return to America at the end of the season. Though Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) pleaded with him to stay and Beard opted to remain with the team, Ted left England with his head held high and reunited with Henry in the closing moments of the season finale. He was last seen coaching Henry’s youth soccer team, while Michelle cheered them on from the stands.

Clearly, though, Ted has some unfinished business with Richmond, since he’s hopping back across the pond for season 4.

How did Richmond’s season end?

The men of AFC Richmond in ‘Ted Lasso’ season 3.

Perpetual underdogs AFC Richmond kicked off season 3 at a low point — literally, as virtually every commentator predicted the team would end the Premier League season in last place.

They got a brief boost by adding star player Zava (Maximilian Osinski) to their roster, but a brutal clash with West Ham — the team owned by Rebecca’s slimy ex-husband Rupert (Anthony Head) and coached by turncoat Nate (Nick Mohammed) — sent them into a losing spiral. Richmond became the laughingstock of the Premier League, and the players increasingly struggled with morale, even while their off-the-pitch bonds remained as strong as ever.

It was Ted’s idea to bring in total football — a strategy that involved players being flexible and ever-moving, filling in gaps where needed rather than staying in fixed positions — that turned Richmond’s fortunes around. After a tough adjustment period, Richmond skyrocketed up the standings to become one of the Premier League’s top teams.

They even got a shot at winning the whole thing, thanks to an incredible victory during their last match against West Ham. Ultimately, however, Richmond came in second; the Premier League winner is determined by which team earns the most points throughout the season, and Manchester City only just beat out the Greyhounds. Nevertheless, Richmond’s improbable comeback dazzled fans and turned its players into legends.

The Roy/Keeley/Jamie love triangle

Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, and Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt on ‘Ted Lasso’.

Despite what some fans may have wanted, this trio did *not* become a throuple.

Fan-favorite couple Keeley and Roy spent much of season 3 broken up — and despite what everyone assumed, it was *Roy* who split them, not Keeley. The star player-turned-assistant coach grappled with his self-esteem issues, while Keeley spread her wings to lead her own PR firm. That alone brought fresh challenges for the bubbly marketing maven, particularly after she became romantically involved with her investor, Jack (Jodi Balfour).

Meanwhile, her two former suitors became rather close after spending a considerable amount of time as rivals. Roy trained Jamie to improve his skills on the pitch, and Jamie taught Roy how to ride a bike while in Amsterdam. They began to truly value and support each other, developing a proper friendship that reached its peak during an away game against Manchester City that saw Jamie confront his complicated feelings about his estranged father. What’s more: Both Roy *and* Keeley came together to help Jamie.

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After her breakup with Jack, Keeley hooked up with Roy, but it didn’t immediately lead to a rekindled relationship. Roy confessed to Jamie that he intended to pursue Keeley, but since Jamie still harbored feelings for his ex, he refused to step back. This led the two to seek out Keeley together and grant her the chance to pick which man she wanted.

Needless to say, it wasn’t their smartest move, and Keeley shut the door in both of their faces. That was the last development in this love triangle, though it’s worth mentioning that the three were seen hanging out together at a team barbecue during the finale’s closing montage. There’s always season 4…

What happened to everyone else?

Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton on ‘Ted Lasso’.

*Ted Lasso* wrapped up its core characters’ stories with a moving montage — which some fans theorized was all a dream concocted by Ted on the plane ride home — that suggested everyone got their happy ending.

Roy took over as Richmond’s new manager and began seeing newly-installed team therapist Sharon (Sarah Niles). Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) finally got to play for the Nigerian national team, Trent Crimm (James Lance) finished his book, and Beard married his volatile (and pregnant!) girlfriend. Nate, who learned the error of his ways and earned the team’s forgiveness, returned to work for Richmond, and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) once again played host to the entire Greyhounds crew for the aforementioned barbecue, a callback to season 2’s sweet Christmas episode.

Additionally, Rebecca again crossed paths with the dreamy mystery man she spent a whirlwind evening with in Amsterdam, and considering this man (played by Matteo van der Grijn) showed up at the barbecue with his daughter, things seemed to be going well between them.

Most notably, Keeley brought Rebecca an enticing business proposal: a Richmond women’s team. That thread appeared to be the show’s easiest path to a continuation, and now season 4 will finally pick it up. It’s already been established that Ted is returning to coach the team, though what exactly convinces him to come back is a reveal saved for the premiere itself.

If it’s anything like the first three seasons, though, it’ll probably make us laugh *and* cry.

Where can I watch Ted Lasso?

*Ted Lasso* is available to stream on Apple TV. New episodes of season 4 will premiere weekly on Wednesdays.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Comedy”