Warning: Reviews of Ted Lasso season 3 will contain spoilers.

This third and, presumably, final season of Ted Lasso has been undoubtedly rocky, to say the least, but it at least manages to go out on a high note by finally focusing on the man at the heart of it. There’s a part of me that feels that So Long, Farewell is ultimately bittersweet because, while it is a mostly solid finale, you can’t help but wish the season leading up to it had been just as strong.

In fact, there’s a lot of conflicting feelings brought on by this week’s episode. It’s possible to roll your eyes at the schmaltz of the team performing “So Long, Goodbye” from The Sound of Music and to let the emotions of the equally saccharine pre-game or halftime scenes wash over you. It’s possible to be disappointed that Ted’s major decision to leave Richmond happened entirely off screen and also to respect the writers for realizing that we knew it was happening anyway after last week’s cliffhanger. It’s possible to be exhausted by the runtime of So Long, Goodbye and to be consumed by its nail-biting third act soccer sequence.

At least the episode has the good sense to finally make Ted the main focus, which has been this season’s biggest mistake. The impact of Ted leaving carries with it enormous weight because of the work that the show has done over the course of the series, but it’s not impossible to believe the show’s writers could have found a worthwhile plotline for him this year. Whether the show focused on it or not, Ted’s impact could be seen all throughout So Long, Goodbye in characters like Rebecca, Nate, Roy, and Jamie. 

Rebecca gets almost equal time in this finale, as she wrestles with her own future with Richmond. She set out at the very beginning of the show tying herself to Ted and his lack of success, so now that he’s brought them to the top of the mountain*, where else does she have to go? Also not to be discounted, she no longer has to compete with Rupert, another primary motivator at the outset of the show. Again, I loved the majority of Rebecca’s time this season, and Hannah Waddingham absolutely crushed it in So Long, Goodbye, but can’t help but feel like some material was left on the table. Primarily the fortune teller’s predictions and her desire to be a mother, though her unexpected reunion with the mystery man from Amsterdam and his daughter provided a sweet send-off.

*Once again, the show has fun with poking holes in the tiers of European soccer, here with the breakdown of how the various leagues are named and structured. Even if Richmond ascends, they’ll always have another mountain to climb.

Much as the halftime scene feels ready-made for an Emmy clip, the best scene in So Long, Goodbye comes with the final convocation of the Diamond Dogs – with Nate back in the fold again. Ted Lasso’s fundamental question has been whether people are capable of change, and how that change can be started. Whether he’ll ever admit it or not, everyone at Richmond’s lives have changed because of Ted. Roy feels more at peace with himself. Nate has come to grips with his own ego. Jamie has found a way to look outside himself. Keeley found the confidence to see herself as more than a pretty face. Even the fans of Richmond feel a renewed sense of pride at their hometown club.

Naturally, the episode isn’t without its faults. I’ve spoken at length about how great the Roy and Jamie stuff has been all season, but their scene where they confront each other over being with Keeley felt like it came from a different program entirely. Never for a second did I believe that Keeley would choose either one of them. I was left flabbergasted when the show continued to cut away to Dr. Sharon (Sarah Niles) as she watched the match, given that the only time we had even seen her was in the season premiere. I understand she was needed to set up her future tenure under Roy’s leadership, but it was a baffling decision that only spotlighted how sorely the show missed her this year.

So where does Ted Lasso go from here? For the life of me, I have no idea why Apple and the show’s creators have been so coy about whether this season will in fact be the end. Yes, the final montage leaves open a few possibilities to return to Richmond without its namesake star, and we’ve all noticed the show’s budding ensemble nature this year, but how much magic would linger without Ted, who provided a reason for the show to exist? 

But you didn’t come to this review to read endless speculation of what may or may not transpire behind the scenes. As it stands, So Long, Goodbye is a fitting farewell to all of the show’s characters, especially with its closing montage as it gives a hopeful look ahead for everyone. I’ve had my gripes with this third season on a micro and macro level, but I’ll choose to look back on the show fondly for its depiction of change and hope amongst an increasingly cynical world. Ted Lasso showed that a streaming show could depict troubled characters and discuss heavy subjects within a shiny veneer, in a way that won’t be easily replicated. And for that, in spite of its troubles, I’ll miss it.

Ted Lasso season 3 grade: B