The fourth season of the Apple TV series Ted Lasso premiered on Wednesday with one major change: the introduction of women’s soccer. The cast, which featured both returning characters and new faces, shared their thoughts on the new direction in an interview with Variety.
Season four starts off with Ted back to his roots in Kansas City, enjoying a simple life away from coaching. However, it isn’t long before he is being called back to Richmond to coach AFC Richmond’s new women’s team.
Hannah Waddingham (Game of Thrones, Sex Education), who plays AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton, noted that the storyline was a natural continuation of the brief scene at the end of season three, when Keeley hands Rebecca a file outlining plans to introduce a women’s team to AFC Richmond. Waddignham also said co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis’ (We’re the Millers, Horrible Bosses) interest in professional women’s sports helped influence the decision.
Brendan Hunt (Terrestrial, We’re the Millers), co-creator of the series and actor behind Coach Beard, told Variety of the significant pressure Sudeikis was under to move forward with the storyline. Hunt described how he made it a point not to discuss the subject when he was with Sudeikis. Eventually, Sudeikis texted him, “I think we should do the women’s team,” confirming the direction that would become central to season four.
New cast members also shared their excitement about joining the latest chapter of Ted Lasso with Variety. Jude Mack (Such Brave Girls, Back in Action), who plays goalie Boots, discussed her enjoyment of portraying the character, describing her as “a bit unhinged.” Abbie Hern (The Pact, My Lady Jane), who plays star athlete Gemma, called her character “a joy” and teased that audiences are “in for a treat.” Hunt also praised Tanya Reynolds’ (Emma, The Decameron) performance as coach Alice Chilton, describing her as “kind of everything.”
As the cast shared their excitement for the season, some also highlighted broader themes introduced in season four. Juno Temple (Killer Joe, Maleficent), who plays Keeley Jones, expressed her enthusiasm to explore the disparity between women’s and men’s sports in this new season. Temple implied this issue will affect Keeley and Rebecca’s relationship for this season.
With the introduction of AFC Richmond’s women’s team, season four kicks off a new chapter with new players, new coaches, and new challenges. The second episode of the season is scheduled to premiere Aug. 12 on Apple TV.