'Ted Lasso' Season 4 opens to series-low critical reviews

Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” returned on Wednesday, August 5, after a three-year break, and the first wave of reviews pointed to a more divided reception than the show’s earlier seasons. Gold Derby reported that Season 4 had fallen back to series-low critical territory as reviewers split over whether the revival was necessary and how well its new women’s-team setup worked. Rotten Tomatoes showed seven critic reviews on Thursday, with a consensus excerpt saying the show still had surface charm but was “not entirely clear” about what it had to add. Jason Sudeikis reprises the title role in a season that sends Ted back to Richmond to coach a second-division women’s team, a premise Apple laid out in its July 28 trailer release. Apple said the 10-episode season debuted with one episode on August 5 and will continue with weekly Wednesday releases through October 7. The company also said the new season brings back Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, alongside new cast additions including Tanya Reynolds. (yahoo.com) ### Why are critics more split this time? Gold Derby said the sharpest divide centered on two questions: whether “Ted Lasso” needed to come back at all and whether the shift to a women’s team gave the show a fresh angle or a thinner one. Rotten Tomatoes’ review page reflected that split on Thursday, with some notices praising the returning cast and familiar tone while others criticized the season as unfocused or too eager to repeat old comforts. (apple.com) Rotten Tomatoes’ own season page summarized that tension in its featured critical line, saying the returning characters still felt like “old friends” but adding that it was not clear “Ted Lasso 2.0” had anything new to say. That wording captured the central complaint repeated across several early reviews aggregated there. ### What happened with the Rotten Tomatoes score? (msn.com) Forbes reported on August 5 that the Season 4 critic score moved repeatedly as reviews were added, dropping from 91% to 78% before rebounding to 89% later in the day. Forbes described the movement as evidence that critics “can’t quite seem to settle on a consistent review score” for the comeback season. (rottentomatoes.com) Rotten Tomatoes showed seven critic reviews when opened Thursday, a small sample that can produce larger swings than a mature score. That helps explain why coverage of the aggregate shifted over the course of the day as additional reviews were posted. ### How does Season 4 differ from the earlier run? Apple said Season 4 centers on Ted’s return to Richmond to coach a women’s side, identified in its materials as a second-division team. (forbes.com) The company framed that as Ted’s “biggest challenge yet,” while Forbes said the story also puts renewed emphasis on his struggle to balance coaching with fatherhood after his return to Kansas City at the end of Season 3. (rottentomatoes.com) Brendan Hunt, the series co-creator who also plays Coach Beard, told USA Today in comments quoted by Forbes that the new offer to coach the women’s team raises a question for Ted about whether failing to be “the best Ted” means he is also failing to be “the best dad.” Forbes presented that as a key personal conflict for the season. (apple.com) ### Was the comeback always planned? Forbes said Season 3 had originally been expected to serve as the show’s final season, making the revival a closely watched return. MacRumors, citing the launch of the new episode on August 5, also noted that many viewers had expected the Season 3 finale three years earlier to be the end. (forbes.com) Apple’s January announcement confirmed the fourth season would debut in summer 2026, and its July release fixed the premiere for August 5. The next benchmark is straightforward: Apple said new episodes will arrive every Wednesday through the October 7 finale. (apple.com) (forbes.com)