Warning: Reviews of Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 will contain spoilers.

Here’s something I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to say: welcome to Ted Lasso season 4. Or, perhaps more accurately, something I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to say. After finishing a mostly disappointing season 3 with a fitting, if kinda weird, send-off in 2023, it was never a guarantee that the show would ever return, and if so, in what form. How many of the original stars, who are now household names because of the show, would be back? And what story could there possibly be left to tell, now that Ted (Jason Sudeikis) has not only stepped down from coaching Richmond FC, but left the country of England altogether? The very nature of the show’s return means that his own return is all but inevitable, but thankfully episode 1 of season 4 doesn’t rush the proceedings that we all know are coming.

For those that don’t remember, the end of season 3 saw Ted returning to his home in Kansas City. But he’s not coaching anymore; rather, he’s now the part-time assistant manager at a local grocery store and devoting his time and energy into being a father to Henry (Grant Feely). We don’t get to see much regarding how Ted’s life has changed now that he’s back in the states (it hasn’t) before Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) come in and we learn what’s changed in their lives. Rebecca finally watched Breaking Bad and is still seeing Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn), the suave Dutchman we met midway through season 3. Keeley’s life seems to revolve around her work, and Higgins now has heated flooring in his bathroom.

Now is the perfect time for Ted Lasso to tackle Ted coaching a women’s team at Richmond, especially given the rising popularity of women’s sports. But first, episode 1 of season 4 explores more of both versions of Kansas City, which is essentially populated by differing versions of Ted in all shapes and forms. Keeley and Rebecca venture into a gaudy bejeweling clothing store, and Higgins, intent on visiting the Jazz Museum but finding it closed, settles for the Negro Leagues museum instead. So much of the dissatisfaction in season 3 stemmed from Ted Lasso‘s unnecessarily extended episode runtimes, where it felt like the writers were in search of meaningful storylines for its secondary characters. I wouldn’t say these scenes feel like wasted time – Higgins’ expedition at least connects to the value of sports from underrepresented groups – but I found more character intrigue within Ted and his looming decision to leave home once again, even if, again, we all knew it would happen anyway.

Where season 4 episode 1 succeeds is in its depiction of Ted’s malaise regarding his life back home. Naturally, he makes the best of his grocery store job, even finding a creative way to discourage his younger co-worker from shoplifting. But there’s an undeniable part of him that will always be a coach. Consider the thrill he gets from running into an athlete he once coached, who still fondly remembers the impact Lasso had on him, even after marrying and having a son. Consider how invested he is in Henry’s soccer game and his confrontation of his coach afterwards. But it’s these people Ted has surrounded himself with that become the reason why he initially turns down Rebecca’s offer.

There’s a lot of dramatic potential to be found in Ted Lasso season 4. Episode 1 hints that, despite the rising popularity for women’s sports, it’s not the most financially viable pursuit. Real-world women footballers often use the sport as a kind of supplement to their full-time jobs. Only time will tell if the show’s return will be a worthwhile endeavor, or a meager excuse to wring more IP out of a property that didn’t need it, but the season premiere offers a promising opportunity. Maybe Ted has worn off on me, even after all these years, but I believe.