I promise I’m really trying to enjoy Ted Lasso Season 4.
Despite my previous qualms about the newest season, I’ve given the show a fair chance and tuned in to see where the new storyline goes.
Even though I’ve been invested in how the Richmond women’s football team is doing, there’s something about the newest season that irks me: the focus on romance.
This isn’t my first TV show. Most series, if not all, have some kind of romance involved, usually as a major or minor plotline.
But Ted Lasso Season 4 can’t seem to escape its reliance on relationship drama to drive the story forward.
How The Show Won Me Over In Early Seasons
Before learning to love the show, I was a skeptic of Ted Lasso.
For the longest time, I was dubious about a comedy that seemed universally loved, and with all the great reviews, expectations were extremely high going in — and they were met.
I fell in love with the characters quickly, but more importantly, I felt drawn to the story of a coach winning over a team and leading them to an unlikely victory.
There was magic in watching Jamie Tartt transform from hating Ted to seeing him as a mentor.
The early seasons of the show were clearly grounded in the underdog story, which made it rewarding to watch teammates bond and win.
The moment I deemed the show something special was the bonfire the team held and how they welcomed Dani Rojas. Watching the Greyhounds go from teammates to real friends was unforgettable.
Admittedly, Ted Lasso Season 4 follows a similar formula and does a lot to make the audience root for the Richmond women’s team.
While the first few seasons had some romance involved, particularly the Roy-Jamie-Keeley love triangle, it never felt like it overshadowed the Greyhounds’ main plot.
Love Is In the Air
Before diving headfirst into being a hater, I’m over-the-moon about Ted Lasso’s uptick in queer representation.
Despite not being the biggest fan of Ted Lasso Season 3, the Colin storyline was always strong. Also, exploring queer people in sports is near and dear to my heart (which is another reason to tune into Slo Pitch when it premieres in September!).
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So, I was thrilled to see a sapphic couple, Mady and Margy, on the team, and even more excited to see that Coach Chilton herself is in a queer relationship as well.
My main criticism of Ted Lasso Season 4’s handling of romance is how much time it spends developing romances that don’t directly impact the main plot.
I love Roy and Keeley, and the focus dedicated to their relationship in earlier seasons made sense since Roy was part of the Greyhounds.
But now that Roy doesn’t directly have a role in the Lady Greyhounds’ success, it’s a little confusing to see the show spend so much time on his own journey of dating people other than Keeley.
Arguably, it affects the story through Keeley’s involvement, since she’s responsible for marketing and ensuring the Lady Greyhounds’ success.
As much as I love Roy, I wish that time was spent fleshing out the team dynamic further.
The same applies to Rebecca’s relationship with Matthijs. I’m happy to see that she’s moving on from the whole Rupert debacle.
At the same time, it’s disappointing that most of her storyline focuses on her relationship with Matthijs rather than how she interacts with the Lady Greyhounds.
Redirecting Focus
It’s interesting to watch Rebecca balance her personal and professional life, but the commentary doesn’t work as well when the story leans more into one side than the other.
The only romance — other than the background ones — that the show leaves ambiguous is Ted Lasso’s love life, which becomes the subject of the Lady Greyhounds’ obsession in Ted Lasso Season 4 Episode 5, “Riches of Embarrassment.”
Even with all the time the show has spent on Ted’s divorce, it’s surprising that it has left his love life open-ended.
At the end of the day, Ted Lasso Season 4 lured me in with the promise of centering a new team dynamic but ended up hammering me over the head with romance-heavy stories.
We’re halfway through the season already, and despite wanting to believe, hopes for the show winning back are dwindling.
Have you been tuning into this season of Ted Lasso?
If so, what are your thoughts on the storylines so far?
Comment your thoughts below, and make sure to check out our weekly coverage of Ted Lasso Season 4!
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