Despite what really seemed like a series finale three years ago, Ted Lasso is back. Apple TV began streaming season four on Wednesday, reviving its Emmy-winning comedy with what amounts to a soft reboot rather than a direct continuation of the story.
Here’s what to look forward to as Ted, Coach Beard and all our favorites return.
Apple TV gives beloved comedy Ted Lasso a soft reboot
When season three ended in 2023, it felt very much like a series finale. Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) returned home to Kansas to be with his son, AFC Richmond’s story reached a satisfying conclusion and the show’s major character arcs were largely wrapped up. At the time, both the cast and producers suggested the story had reached its natural end.
But Ted Lasso proved too popular to stay on the sidelines. Apple officially renewed the series in 2025, and starting on Wednesday, Sudeikis and many of the core cast members return for a fourth season that keeps the heart of the original while shifting the focus in a new direction.
Ted Lasso: New stories, same attitude
Instead of returning to AFC Richmond’s men’s squad, season four sees Ted take charge of the club’s newly formed women’s team. Rebecca Welton, Keeley Jones, Roy Kent, Coach Beard and Higgins all return, but they’re joined by an almost entirely new roster of players as the series introduces fresh characters and storylines.
The show didn’t abandon the optimistic humor and emotional warmth that made it a global phenomenon. However, the new setting gives the writers room to explore different challenges, including the realities of women’s professional soccer, while avoiding simply repeating stories that were already resolved in the first three seasons.
Apple TV wasn’t ready to say goodbye
It’s easy to see why Apple wanted another season. Ted Lasso became the breakout hit that helped establish Apple TV as a serious streaming service, winning multiple Emmy Awards and growing into one of television’s most recognizable comedies.
And the soft reboot is a clever strategy. Rather than trying to undo the ending of season three, Apple opted for a compromise. Season four acknowledges that Ted’s original journey came to an end, then launches him into a new chapter with new players, new challenges and a familiar supporting cast. That makes the series feel less like “season four” in the traditional sense and more like a second act built on the same foundation.
Whether fans embrace the new direction remains to be seen, but Apple seems confident there’s still plenty of life left in television’s nicest coach.
The first episode of Ted Lasso season 4 is now streaming globally on Apple TV. It followed by new episodes every Wednesday through October 7.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
