With the final entry in the show, it’s time to look into the Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 12 Review. Ted Lasso is an original Apple TV+ series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly. The series stars Sudeikis as Lasso, Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard, Hannah Waddhingham as Rebecca Welton, Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins, Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt, Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, Nick Mohammed as Nathan Shelley, Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, and Anthony Head as Rupert Mannion, with Billy Harris as Colin and Kola Bokinni as Isaac.
-Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 12 Review Contains Spoilers-
Premiering on May 31, 2023, Ted Lasso Season 3 finale, titled ‘So Long, Farewell’ has a runtime of 74 minutes with a synopsis that reads, “Season finale. AFC Richmond play their final match of the season.” It has been written by Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly and Jason Sudeikis.
Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 12 Synopsis
The whole Season 3 has been leading up to this – the last match of the season. Having raised questions throughout the course of it, what is possibly the last season of the show, Ted Lasso address the ordeal perturbing the eponymous character ever since – “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” While he’s already settled into the answer, it’s not necessary that others do too so easily.
Rupert is in hot waters (as he should’ve been long back). Season finale probably stretched it out too long so that it could make for a memorable reversal of roles and fate, especially with him being degraded to the same slur that Ted was welcomed with to Richmond in the first season.
And, if you must know, Ted was in Rebecca’s house (the writers know how to tease their fans) – but, it wasn’t what you think it was for, because Beard and Jane were there too, making for a group crashing session at the boss’ house.
With a magical swoosh of the wand, Nathan Shelley is also back at Richmond. Rebecca may even be considering selling the club, and Trent has finished the first official draft of his book as well. Let’s get into it.
Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 12 Review: Discussion
If you’ve been a fan of this show long enough, and by that, I mean a genuine fan, then you would’ve probably not been ready to hit play, knowing this to be the last episode. With great characters being introduced over the course of three seasons, the Apple TV+ original series became, as they say, “a Shight in Knining Armour”. However, Season 3 particularly hasn’t been on cue in terms of coherently closing the doors to these characters’ stories.
Important conversations about homophobia, race and more took the forefront, but other equally important arcs slid down the pole. With most character developments happening off-screen, the third instalment has been equally frustrating as it’s been bittersweet. However, the latter bit only comes from the acknowledgement of it all coming to an end, and if it was not so, the season was mid at best.
Coming down to the finale, it gets sweet, a bit too sweet to the point that it feels like candy floss melting down in your mouth. And when it finally fully dissolves, all you’re truly left with is the aftertaste of how sweet it was, and it becomes too much. While I was watching the episode, the only thought that occurred to me was how clear the writers were about the finality of it, and constantly reminded us of it as well.
It’s not even a spoiler at this point because we all knew what was going to happen – Richmond wins and we get a big family reunion at the football club, with all characters coming back home, only for the leading figure (who rather took the back seat this season) to leave in the end.
None of this is news per se, it was all known, almost since the season began. Although Ted leaves a PS note on Trent’s draft that not all of it has been about him, for him to change the book’s title to “The Richmond Way” in the end, yet, he was the one who made it all fun in the first place. As surprising of a good character Ted Lasso was, it was this very striking revelation to us that he’s never quite been a foolish caricature on the side, and that is what made the series hit the bull’s eye.
What began with teaching us not to be judgemental, but to “Be Curious”, completely lost sight of its goal in the third season. As curious as I’d stayed till the end, with Ted himself going through an existential crisis about his role at Richmond, the show’s good spirits severely slipped down this time.
Which takes us to one of the brightest highlights of the show – Jamie and Roy’s friendship. The former finally confessed to having loved spending his time with the other owing to his lack of healthy relationships with older men in his life otherwise, but it boils down to a pissing contest (even if it’s for the sake of comedy – it’s just bad comedy) between the two about who’ll win the girl in the end.
If you think that talking about the whole love triangle situation was the way to go, then you’re wrong because the moment it’s actually spoken of, it comes off as a cheap trick for comedy, and thankfully, Keeley did exactly what I wanted to – close the door on both of them (supposedly).
Ted and Rebecca’s friendship has also been one of the most major winning aspects of the show. And, boy, did their interactions make me cry ugly. Seeing their friendship flourish as an extension of the whole “platonic soulmates” vision, has definitely put it at the top of my most savoury takeaways from the show – “If you go, I go”.
The show is pretty much saying goodbye even though the episode synopsis merely calls it the “season finale”. We have “a room full of grown men” crying even before the 74 minute mark. It’s emotional indeed. There are just too many emotions going around. Regardless of everything, it still feels like a final goodbye. But, I truly hoped for there to be more, because ultimately, Episode 12 served me exactly what I’d expected, which in other TV show universes may be a good thing, but with a show like Ted Lasso, you tend to believe that there will be more than that. Unfortunately, there wasn’t.
Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 12: Favourite Moments or Quotes
- “Change isn’t about trying to be perfect. Perfection sucks. Perfect is boring…. Trent’s hair is perfect.”
- “The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can. And if you keep on doing that, you’ll always be moving towards better.”
- All the players bringing in a piece of the ripped apart “Believe” sign and putting it back together – almost as if taking each piece of advice, love and warmth passed on to them by Ted since day one when he handed them all a book to read.
- Ted finally getting the off-side rule.
- Pushing away the Super League idea, Rebecca sells 49% of the club to the fans instead.
- Ted welcoming back Nathan without pushing him to “prove his worth” to the club.
- “Classic rom-com leave-cute tactic” at the airport.
- Coach Beard’s first name reveal.
- Jamie’s (Phil Dunster) callback to Ted’s “Give me the ball please” tactic.
Ted Lasso Season 3 Finale Review: Things I Did Not Like
- Ted not being able to accept his divorce with Michelle, and obsessively hanging on to it even after their separation.
- Rebecca’s romance arc being forcefully stuffed in for the sake of it, and that too, without easing into it.
- Keeley’s treatment over the third season as a side character, limiting her to her love tracks.
- Nathan’s swift inclusion into Richmond, without his resignation from West Ham being talked about.
- Jamie and Roy’s warm friendship tackling the love triangle scene without any grace or maturity. (Sorry, but that’s not how I expected Ted Lasso‘s comedy to have gone down)
- None of the main characters being treated like one – I know it was never supposed to be about Lasso alone, and that “The Richmond Way” is the way to go, but it felt distasteful to see the characters I cared about the most initially completely vanish off the board and just show up on the last episode for one final hurrah.
The supposed Ted Lasso Series finale is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Also read: All of Our Ted Lasso Season 3
I liked the ending in a way, but I also think you were right about your first point that wasnt good, the fact that Ted didnt move on from his marriage. I know he loves his boy, and children are the love of our lives, but Ted is also allowed to have a life. To me the perfect ending would have been Ted going home and doing what Rebecca said and then go back to pursue his dream.
Did anyone but me see the empty seat next to Ted’s wife at the end? Hope springs eternal! And good for Nate. They took him back-forgiveness. SECOND CHANCE. Duh!
I noticed too, but also during the match he completely alienated Ted’s wife and son. Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking!