Television reviewer Christopher Stevens gave Apple TV comedy Ted Lasso two out of five stars following its return for a fourth series. He described the show as self-satisfied and called its revival a lazy mistake that mirrors broader trends in Hollywood.
Stevens argued that Americans do not understand sport, treating it as entertainment rather than something serious. He called the word soccer playground slang, comparing it to calling American football tig.
He cited the World Cup final half-time concert featuring Madonna and Justin Bieber as an example of American influence causing real distress to English fans. Stevens shared an email from his cousin Rob, a loyal QPR fan, who called the event a "mockery of the game I've loved and followed for the greater part of my life" that reduced a great spectacle to a "carnival event."
According to Stevens, Americans mistakenly believe that adding pom-poms, tickertape, laser beams, and dancing mascots will convince British audiences to embrace their style of sport. He described this approach as an attempt to make games garish and glittery.
Jason Sudeikis stars as titular character Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to transform an English Premier League team by teaching them the American way. While players learn to embrace mental health and parrot inspirational slogans, Stevens noted that the team ultimately gets relegated.
Season four storyline and characters
As the comedy returned for a fourth series, billionaire club owner Rebecca, played by Hannah Waddingham, travels to the United States to coax Ted out of retirement. She aims to bring him back to London to coach the women's squad for his former club, AFC Richmond.
Head of PR Keeley, played by Juno Temple, visits a stadium in Kansas to observe how American women play. After watching fireworks erupt over the stands while fans look at the sky instead of the pitch, Keeley concludes that British fans will love the spectacle, a claim Stevens rejected.
Stevens criticized running jokes in the series, including scenes where Rebecca eats boxes of barbecue ribs and repeatedly drips sauce over designer outfits. He also dismissed recurring gags about Kansas City being located in Missouri, stating British viewers neither know nor care about the distinction.
Additional television reviews
In the same review, Stevens highlighted BBC3 quiz game Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee, calling it his "strained joke of the night." He said he did not understand the title until realizing it was a pun on the host's name, calling it the worst wordplay since Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's book Hugh Fearlessly Eats It All.
Stevens concluded that Apple is repeating old ideas instead of developing original content. He rejected the notion that British viewers wish to imitate American culture, ending his review with "Yanks Go Home. Please."
