The first season of Ted Lasso was a sublime shock to the system (see my review), a sweet but robust tale that combined playful humor with perspicacity. The second season dialled down the smarts but retained the wisdom (see my review). The twelve-episode finale, Season 3, amps up the drama of Lasso, an American coach with a hokey, “wise” style overseeing a British soccer team (that juxtaposition leading to much humor). His team, a wonderfully diverse and well portrayed team, AFC Richmond, had been struggling at the end of Season 2 but is now on the rise. Will it ascend to the top a la Mighty Ducks? At the same time, the creators/writers carefully lay out the ground to conclude the show, which leads to many saccharine moments that could, in lesser hands, be a sopping disappointment. Instead, we are treated to a wonderful mix of humor, pathos, and, most tellingly, life lessons. Season 3 is a triumph and its closing scenes crown one of the most engaging examples of modern streamer-led television. The entire sequence of Ted Lasso is roundly commended.
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