Overview
Believe. That's Ted Lasso's (Jason Sudeikis, Saturday Night Live) standard advice, and it's going to come in handy in the hit Apple TV+ sitcom that shares his name's upcoming third season. On-screen, the American coach and his AFC Richmond team need to believe in themselves after their promotion to the Premier League, especially when everyone around them thinks they'll be relegated before the year is out. Off-screen, fans of this award-winner can simply believe that the show will finally be back, returning mid-March almost two years after its second season.
Believing has played a part in both of Ted Lasso's season-three trailers so far, too, the latest of which has just hit the pitch. The choice of song accompanying the new sneak peek is telling, and just the kind of advice that Ted would give his squad: 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'.
The new trailer is filled with glimpses of ups, downs and showdowns to come set to The Rolling Stones' tune, with AFC Richmond battling that lack of belief from outside, and also clashing with the club's former assistant coach Nathan 'Nate' Shelley (Nick Mohammed, Intelligence). He walked out on the team, and on his perennially optimistic mentor Ted, for rivals West Ham United. So, get ready for a hefty rivalry — but is Ted facing off against an adversary still going to be the usual Ted?
Viewers will find out across 12 episodes, which will start streaming from Wednesday, March 15. Also, Ted has both work and personal struggles to deal with, Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, Uncle) leans into his assistant coach role, Keeley Jones (Juno Temple, The Offer) is managing her own PR firm, and AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham, Hocus Pocus 2) is all about defeating West Ham United (and her ex Rupert Mannion, played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head, who owns it).
While Ted Lasso has felt like streaming's biggest warm hug across its first and second seasons, it wasn't afraid to skew darker in the latter, including as Nate felt pushed aside, ignored and unloved by Ted. Viewers will know that the last batch of episodes culminated with Nate's defection — but as seen in the first teaser trailer for season three, the rest of the AFC Richmond crew still has plenty to believe in, taking one of Ted's favourite words to heart.
Also part of the team, whether on or off the field: recent hotshot player Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster, The Devil's Hour), his teammates Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh, The French Dispatch) and Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez, Spider-Man: No Way Home), Ted's laconic second-in-charge and long-time friend Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt, Bless This Mess), and AFC Richmond Director of Football Operations Leslie Higgins (Jeffrey Swift, Housebound).
As the sitcom's first two seasons have shown, viewers definitely don't need to love soccer or even sport to fall for this series' ongoing charms — although if you obsessed over the 2022 World Cup, it might help fill the gap until the 2026 version arrives.
Kind-hearted in the way that Parks and Recreation, Wellington Paranormal, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Abbott Elementary have also proven, Ted Lasso will be in for a significant obstacle in 2023, thanks to Ted and Nate's battle. Usually, this series celebrates people who support each other, are always there for each other and form close bonds as a result. Indeed, that's what has made it so instantly likeable. But with Nate now working for the competition, change is afoot — don't expect to see the show mess too much with its winning formula, though.
Check out the trailer for Ted Lasso's third season below:
Season three of Ted Lasso will stream via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, March 15.