“Ted Lasso” co-creator Brendan Hunt has opened up about the major reset awaiting fans when the series returns for Season 4. The new chapter will follow AFC Richmond’s effort to establish a women’s team while navigating financial pressure and fan skepticism.
Hunt and fellow co-star Jason Sudeikis also talk about why the show is finally making a comeback after three years since the last episode aired.
Brendan Hunt says “Ted Lasso” Season 4 is trading the Premier League’s glitz for the far less glamorous world of second-division women’s football.
In a recent interview with TV Insider, the co-creator explained that AFC Richmond’s newly formed women’s team will sit at the center of the show’s biggest creative shake-up yet. Unlike the men’s side, the new squad starts with limited resources, modest facilities, and no deeply rooted fan base.
Hunt said the team will play where the men train rather than in Richmond’s main stadium. They will also operate on a separate budget, despite being connected to a Premier League club.
Winning over supporters could prove just as difficult as winning matches. Some Richmond fans fear the women’s team will drain resources from the men’s side, leaving the newcomers treated like outsiders in their own community.
Hunt Explains How The Three-Year Time Jump Reshaped ‘Ted Lasso’
Speaking about the three-year gap since “Ted Lasso” was last on air, Hunt explained that the break gave every major character room to grow beyond the events of Season 3. Instead of picking up immediately after Ted left Richmond, Season 4 asks a different question: who have these people become after years apart?
“On some level, it has been time, so let’s not pretend it hasn’t,” Hunt said. “We saw all these characters really go through something, and they’ve had time to let it settle inside them.”
That approach also allowed the writers to introduce fresh dynamics without abandoning what made the series popular. Hunt noted that while none of the characters have changed completely, each of them is “a little bit different” because of the experiences they shared before Ted’s departure.
Jason Sudeikis Says Ted’s Story Was Already Over
According to “Ted Lasso” leading man Jason Sudeikis, the series stayed off the air for more than three years because he genuinely believed the story had already reached its natural ending.
Long before Season 4 became reality, Sudeikis said the plan had always been to tell Ted’s journey across three seasons. After the Season 3 finale sent the coach back to Kansas City to be with his son, he wasn’t interested in undoing that ending simply to extend the show’s success.
“The story was told,” Sudeikis told The Hollywood Reporter. “Ted went home… I wasn’t going to have Ted uproot their life to justify the money truck. It made no sense to me.”
Despite reportedly earning around $1 million per episode by the third season, Sudeikis insisted his hesitation had nothing to do with negotiations. Instead, he said he only agreed to return once a fresh direction emerged, with Ted taking charge of AFC Richmond’s new women’s team.
Looking back on the decision, the actor admitted the character ultimately pulled him back as much as the audience. “I know I needed this,” he said, adding that Ted’s optimistic outlook was something he wanted in his own life again.
Brendan Hunt Teases Coach Beard’s Troubling Transformation
Hunt has also hinted that his character, Coach Beard, will return in a noticeably different state, and the change may point to trouble behind the scenes.
The writer said viewers will immediately recognize that something has happened to Beard since they last saw him. Hunt suggested the shift does not appear to come from a particularly healthy place.
“When we see Beard, he’s definitely had some kind of change since last we saw him,” Hunt said to TV Insider. “And you can tell by looking at him, it’s probably not from a positive place.”
Hunt left the cause deliberately unclear. He questioned whether Beard’s condition stems from problems in his home life or from spending years without Ted beside him.
The character ended Season 3 by marrying Jane Payne, whose turbulent relationship with Beard had already raised concerns throughout the series. Hunt told Entertainment Weekly that answers about their marriage are certainly addressed throughout the season.
Richmond Women’s uphill battle closely reflects where English women’s football has been until very recently. While the Women’s Super League has enjoyed rapid commercial growth, clubs below the top flight have long faced limited resources, part-time squads, and a constant fight for investment.
Things only began improving before the 2025-26 season, when WSL2 turned fully professional. Until then, plenty of players juggled full-time jobs with football, rushing from work to training and repeating the cycle the next day.
Ipswich Town star Sophie Peskett told BBC Sport that players once lacked basics like dedicated changing rooms, regular gym access, and even food after training.
The financial reality also mirrors Hunt’s comments about Richmond Women operating on a separate budget. Many Women’s Super League clubs still rely on loans or financial backing from their affiliated men’s teams. The ladies’ game also continues to trail its male counterparts in ticket sales and broadcast deals.
