Jason Sudeikis Breaks Down Ted’s Return to Coaching (Exclusive)

Ted Lasso is back and — thank goodness — so are his hype people, because Ted (Jason Sudeikis) is in need of a wake-up call when Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) offer him a job. Warning: Spoilers for the Ted Lasso Season 4 Premiere!

As viewers see, the action picks up a few years after Season 3 ended, and Ted is working a day job at a local supermarket to maintain a schedule conducive to his son Henry’s (Grant Feely) life. And while he’s as cheery as he always appears, there’s no denying that Ted’s lost a bit of his shine as he settles for the life he thinks his family needs as he coparents with ex Michelle (Andrea Anders).

When his old friends arrive in Kansas City to woo him with a new coaching job leading the Lady Greyhounds at A.F.C. Richmond, Ted’s apprehensive to leave the safety of his situation until a frank discussion with his mother, Dottie (Becky Ann Baker).

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“Ted’s mom more or less says it towards the end of the episode,” Sudeikis tells TV Insider, “It’s important for my own personal philosophy that kids grow up around love. It seems obvious, and it can be love for one another’s partner; that’s really important, and respect and admiration there. But then I think also, love for other things,” he adds.

“In this instance, Ted needs to wake up and remember getting to see a parent care about something in the world, whether it be their job, whether it be something political… a point of view of philosophy,” he continues.

As viewers will recall, Ted revealed in previous seasons that his father was a man he’d admired, but ultimately battled with mental health and took his own life. Those emotional moments of reflection are stirred up as he looks at a plaque celebrating his father’s accomplishments at work in the childhood home his mother plans to sell.

“Probably the most important [thing is for a] child to grow up seeing a parent love themselves, not in a narcissistic way, but in a way that they treat themselves with love and care and respect,” Sudeikis sums up, hinting at the real motivation behind his acceptance of Rebecca’s job offer.

“And I think Ted, at the beginning of that, when we find him, is content but probably hiding out in a lot of ways, and I think Ted’s mom shares her perspective and wisdom in a way that resonates with him greatly, especially in relation to his viewing of his own father from years gone by,” Sudeikis concludes.

In the end, Ted floats the idea of moving the whole family to England, and with Henry and Michelle’s stamp of approval, it’s a done deal. What will unfold next as Richmond regains Ted and embraces the Lasso way once more? Tune in to find out and let us know what you thought of the Season 4 premiere in the comments section below.

Ted Lasso, Season 4, New Episodes, Wednesdays, Apple TV