Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis has hit out at fans of the show who disliked the widely divisive third season, claiming that they didn’t “understand” it and “don’t have imaginations”.
Season 3, which aired in 2023, was accused by some of losing its way, despite receiving positive reviews from critics. Fans had criticised the show for having too many separate storylines and felt especially let down by the arcs for Juno Temple’s character Keeley Jones and Nick Mohammed’s Nathan Shelley.
In a new book about the Apple TV+ show called Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso, the Show That Kicked Its Way Into Our Hearts by Jeremy Egner, it is suggested that there was a “small but hostile crowd of dissenters” about the third season.
Although the criticism is brushed off by co-star Brendan Hunt as being “easily compartmentalised,” Sudeikis decided to make a more blunt point.
“Much like live theatre, the show, especially Season 3, was asking the audience to be an active participant,” the 49-year-old is quoted as saying. “Some people want to do that, some people don’t. Some people want to judge—they don’t want to be curious.”
He adds: “I’ll never understand people who will go on talking about something so brazenly that they, in my opinion, clearly don’t understand. And God bless ’em for it; it’s not their fault. They don’t have imaginations and they’re not open to the experience of what it’s like to have one.”
“Everybody’s in better shape than when they started,” the Emmy winner continues. “Like a good Boy or Girl Scout at a campsite, we left it better than we found it. And if you don’t see that in that show, then I don’t know what show you’re watching.”
Despite the backlash against the show, Ted Lasso season 3 still earned 21 nominations at the 2023 Emmy Awards but only won in two categories for Outstanding Guest Actor and Outstanding Original Music.
Meanwhile, the show looks set to receive a greenlight for its fourth season, according to reports.
US media states that Warner Bros Television has picked up the options for the three original cast members, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift.
Waddingham stars in the show as AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Walton, while Goldstein plays hot-headed assistant coach Roy Kent. Swift is the meek director of football operations and father of five, Leslie Higgins.
