SPOILER ALERT: The key storylines from the Season 3 finale of Apple’s Ted Lasso are revealed below.
The biggest question about the Season 3 finale of the Apple TV+ hit Ted Lasso is whether or not it would serve as the comedy’s series finale. The episode, titled “So Long, Farewell,” feels like a series finale from start to finish as everything ties together, but the show could certainly go on as it is — with or without Ted (Jason Sudeikis) joining his Retreat pulled the trigger to Kansas to be with his family.
From the moment the episode begins, Ted has to smile while thinking that he will be back home with his son Henry (Gus Turner). The couple exchange cute texts while using funny GIFs.
Back in Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) office, she’s chatting with Keeley (Juno Temple) and Leslie (Jeremy Swift) about Rupert’s (Anthony Head) recent divorce when the topic of Ted’s successor comes up. From the looks of the trio, they’d rather talk about something else, so Rebecca changes the subject and asks how much she could get for the club if she sold it. Horrified, Leslie — who had advocated selling 49% of Richmond so Rebecca can remain in control while raising much-needed funds — says $2 billion for the whole thing, sending everyone into shock.
Ted’s farewell message has taken over London. At the conclusion of his final practice session with the squad, AFC Richmond begins to sing (and dance) as the players honor their leader with their rendition of “So Long, Farewell” from The Sound of Music, appropriate to the episode’s title, of course.
Nate (Nick Mohammed) feels right at home at team headquarters, although a lot has changed since he was Darth Nate. In one hilarious moment, he catches Roy (Brett Goldstein) and his former nemesis Jamie (Phil Dunster) making plans to meet up, a sight that stuns him.
In a more touching scene, Roy tells Jamie over a beer how proud he is of him for all his hard work this season, a feeling he reciprocates. The syrupy moment is cut short when Roy admits that he and Keeley have started talking again. Old Roy and Jamie are soon back at it and compete for a girl before heading to Keeley’s house where they try to get her to choose between them. She does this by kicking them both out to clear herself.
Harriet Walter is back as Rebecca’s easygoing mother, Deborah, who supports her daughter’s idea of selling the club. Unfortunately, she has more important things to take care of, like getting to her tattoo appointment the next day.
Shortly thereafter, Rebecca joins Ted in the empty stands at AFC Richmond Stadium to discuss his decision to leave London. She starts off by telling him she’s going to sell the club, before countering that there’s a second option they’re sticking with. Ted’s boss makes a hefty financial offer that would make him one of the highest-paid managers in the league. With tears in her eyes, she knows that none of this matters. He’s already made his decision.
In another touching scene, Ted and Nate reunite in the dressing room and the duo make things right. Nate hugs Ted and asks his forgiveness for all the Darth Nate things, which he accepts. The redemption we’ve all been waiting for is finally here.
Now for football! Fans around the world cheer for AFC Richmond – without Rupert, of course. Even Zava (Maximilian Osinski) sent a care package with t-shirts and a giant avocado – Dani (Cristo Fernández) claimed two t-shirts for himself.
After an emotional montage over the past three years, the team is ready to fight, or so we thought. For the lads openly crying on the pitch in front of their opponent West Ham, this video might have been a bit too much. However, her tears dried up quickly and it was business time as the Flight of the Conchords would say, but everything was very hectic in the first half which ended with Richmond trailing 2-0.
At half-time, Ted gives his final managerial speech to motivate the team to give it their all. The pitch is buzzing again and finally everyone believes that AFC Richmond has a chance to win it all. Captain McAdoo (Kola Bokinni) is selected for a penalty and at first it looks like he missed the penalty, but on closer inspection the referee discovers the ball tore a hole in the net, allowing Richmond to equalize .
Even though you know that Ted needs that victory for his story to come to an end in Season 3, that’s really for everyone. After Richmond gets a last-minute free-kick, Ted summons Nate’s first big play of Season 1, which requires Jamie to act as a decoy to expose Sam. The team executes it perfectly to score the winning goal and the crowd goes wild. Everyone on the field has someone to smooch, including Colin (Billy Harris) who kissed his boyfriend in front of the world. love is love
After completing his mission, Ted reappears at the airport ready to return to Kansas. But first he rummages through the magazines and grabs a copy of The Everyday Independent with the headline “Richmond For All!” Welton sells 49% of the club to fans.” When he reaches for a comic, there’s a magazine with Zava next to it the cover and the inscription “Zava Returns”. Forward goes to LAFC.” Could there be a Zava spinoff set in LA? Or is it just a nod to Zava’s inspiration Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left for LA Galaxy after his EM career?
Zava nods
In typical Rebecca fashion, she buys a first-class ticket just to say goodbye to Ted. She tells him she plans to stay with her family in Richnond and is glad he will return to his. They hug, they cry – wait, are we all saying goodbye to Ted?! Rebecca is each of us.
At least for a while, Beard (Brendan Hunt) sits next to Ted on the plane. He tells Ted that he doesn’t want to return to the US and would rather stay with his lover, Jane (Phoebe Walsh). Ted wishes him well and leaves Beard with a very dramatic exit.
As Rebecca leaves the airport, she is sad but experiences a moment of happiness when she sees a young girl running out of the terminal. When the girl trips and falls, Rebecca rushes to help. At that moment, a worried father makes his way to the little girl. It turns out that the father is a pilot who happens to be the stranger whose houseboat Rebecca spent time in during her visit to Amsterdam. Boom! Rebecca gets her happy ending.
Other notable tidbits in the final moments include the appointment of Roy Kent as the new AFC manager; he couldn’t help himself at the moment and flashed a cheeky smile. Keeley cheers him on and is in a great position herself as her agency thrives.
Keeley surprises Rebecca with a proposal for a new project – the AFC Richmond Women’s Team. The two look at each other with tears of joy in their eyes and scream. That sounds like a possible spin-off that we can support.
Nate and his girlfriend Jade (Edyta Budnik) share a romantic kiss while surrounded by his family at the restaurant where they fell in love – right there, sitting in front of the large window while his father finally watches proudly.
Sans Ted, there’s a barbecue as life goes on. Rebecca is there with her new husband; Keeley is with her fan club members Roy and Jamie (who has also reconciled with his father), Richard Montlaur admires his beautiful blonde date. Elsewhere, Trent Crimm (James Lance) promotes his new book, The Richmond Way.
Cat Stevens’ song “Father and Son” plays as Roy and Nate tape the “Believe” sign back to where it belongs. Beard is spotted marrying a heavily pregnant Jane outside of Stonehenge, surrounded by family and friends. Dani is happiest in the crowd of well-wishers flanked by two beautiful women.
Before the song ends, Ted comes home and into his son’s waiting arms while Dr. Jacob is nowhere to be seen and may have disappeared from the scene. In the final moments of the episode, Ted Henry is training on the soccer field while Michelle (Andrea Anders) looks on. Judging by the look on his face, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.
When Sudeikis spoke to Deadline in March ahead of the Season 3 premiere, he presented viewers with something of a challenge. He said, “This is the end of this story that we wanted to tell, that we wanted to tell, that we loved to tell.” The fact that people want more and are more curious than what they don’t even know – which is Season 3 -, is flattering. Maybe by May 31, once every 12 episodes of the season [have been released]They’re like, ‘Man, you know what, we got it, we’re fine.’ We don’t need anything else, we have it.’”
And he was right. The story can certainly go on, but if not, it’s wrapped perfectly in a loop. It’s a worthy farewell for the outsider, the Everyman, who never knows how far life can take him, but who still follows his heart. Thanks to Ted, many people found the inspiration to keep going amid a raging pandemic. It’s not easy to say goodbye to this man, but it’s definitely great to see him win.
“Just listen to your gut and pay attention to your heart on the way to your gut. Between those two things, they’ll let you know what’s what,” Ted Lasso.