So Long, Farewell (Ted Lasso)

"So Long, Farewell" is the twelfth episode and season finale of the third season of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. It is the 34th overall episode of the series and was written by series co-creators Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis, and Joe Kelly, and directed by Declan Lowney. It was released on Apple TV+ on May 31, 2023.

The series follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who is unexpectedly recruited to coach a fictional English Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond, despite having no experience coaching soccer. The team's owner, Rebecca Welton, hires Lasso hoping he will fail as a means of exacting revenge on the team's previous owner, Rupert, her unfaithful ex-husband. The previous season saw Rebecca work with Ted in saving it, which culminated with their promotion to the Premier League, while the current season saw the club's efforts in winning the Premier League. In the episode, AFC Richmond prepares to face West Ham, with the result deciding if Richmond will win the League, while Ted prepares to leave England. Jason Sudeikis said that the episode will be "the end of this story that we wanted to tell", although Apple TV+ did not officially describe the episode as a series finale.

The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the closure to Ted's arc, performances and emotional tone, but criticizing the pacing, writing and under-developed stories, with some feeling that the episode was not enough to compensate for an uneven season.

Plot
AFC Richmond can win the Premier League on the final day of the season, as long as Manchester City lose or draw in their match. Richmond will face West Ham United F.C., just as Rupert (Anthony Head) has been involved in a scandal, as Bex is planning to divorce him over his affair with Mrs. Kakes.

Higgins (Jeremy Swift) informs Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) that as the club is guaranteed a spot in the next UEFA Champions League, their value is at an all-time high and many buyers are interested in shares. He suggests that Rebecca could sell 49% of her shares, which will still grant her full ownership, as well as new perks for the club. However, Rebecca is actually interested in selling all her shares, potentially valued at up to $2 billion, as she does not feel she has anything to prove with the club now that Rupert is ruining his own life. Roy (Brett Goldstein) feels that Jamie (Phil Dunster) is trying to go back to his relationship with Keeley (Juno Temple) and asks him to "step aside." In response, Jamie reveals that her explicit video was sent to him, angering Roy. They get into a fight and then visit Keeley to make her choose between them. Insulted that she "gets to choose" who to be with, she chooses neither and kicks them out. They then realize their mistake and leave to get some food.

Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Beard (Brendan Hunt) have announced that they will return home, making the game their final day for Richmond. At the end of their last practice, the team surprises Ted and Beard by performing the "So Long, Farewell" song-and-dance number. Before they leave, Trent (James Lance) gives them a draft of his book, The Lasso Way, so they can give any feedback. Nate (Nick Mohammed) is back as the kit man, and is jokingly fined by the club for his season-long absence. At the stadium, Rebecca informs Ted that she is choosing to sell the club, explaining that "if you go, I go". She tries to make him stay, but he maintains his position. As Ted leaves the office, he finds Nate in the locker room. Nate tearfully apologizes for his behavior, especially after noting that the "Believe" sign is no longer in the room.

On the day of the match, Ted, Beard, Higgins, Nate, Trent and Roy reunite the “Diamond Dogs”, where Roy expresses his desire for self-growth, and Nate reveals his relationship. The first half ends with West Ham leading 2-0, while Manchester City is also leading over Liverpool. As Ted talks to the club, the players reveal that they have kept pieces of the ripped "Believe" sign, and re-attach them. During the second half, Jamie scores a goal, and later wins a penalty kick. Jamie offers the kick to Dani, who instead gives the penalty to Isaac (Kola Bokinni), which he has never done but still scores by blasting through the net.

Rupert furiously walks to the touchline and reprimands West Ham's manager, George Cartrick (Bill Fellows), telling him to "take out" Jamie by injuring him. Not wanting to play dirty, George refuses and Rupert assaults him. This prompts the crowd to jeer at Rupert in the same manner they used to jeer at Ted and he leaves the stadium in disgrace. In the final minute, Richmond wins a free kick. Using a strategy developed by Nate, Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) scores a goal that wins the match. However, Manchester City won their match and Richmond finish second overall, but Ted still receives widespread praise for the achievement.

At the airport, Ted says goodbye to Rebecca, who has chosen to sell 49% of Richmond to the fans while maintaining ownership. A newspaper reveals that Rupert was removed as owner of West Ham and has been ostracized by the media. Before the plane takes off, Beard explains that he wants to stay in England to be with Jane and the two share an emotional farewell with Ted revealing that Beard's first name is Willis. As she leaves the airport, Rebecca runs into the stranger she met in Amsterdam (Matteo van der Grijn) who is a pilot and happens to be with his daughter, and both smile at their surprise reunion.

Trent finds his draft with notes from Beard and Ted. The latter said he loved it, but suggests changing the title, saying "It's not about me. It never was", so Trent changes it to The Richmond Way. Rebecca welcomes Roy as the new manager of Richmond; Sam has finally been selected to play for Nigeria; Jamie reconnects with his father (Kieran O'Brien) and remains friends with Keeley and Roy; Keeley and Barbara (Katy Wix) reopen their PR firm, suggesting they could sponsor a Richmond women's team, which Rebecca gleefully accepts; Sharon (Sarah Niles) is hired as Richmond's Head of Mental Health and Roy decides to take sessions with her; Roy, Beard and Nate place the re-assembled "Believe" sign (mended by Nate with gold, as a nod to the Japanese art of Kintsugi) back in the locker room; and Beard marries a now-pregnant Jane in a pagan ritual at Stonehenge.

Ted arrives back in Kansas, and becomes the coach of Henry's soccer team, reminding Henry of his advice "Be a goldfish." As Henry goes back to play, Ted smiles, content.

Production
The episode was directed by Declan Lowney and written by co-creators Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis and Joe Kelly. This was Lowney's eighth directing credit, Hunt's eighth writing credit, and Sudeikis' eighth writing credit, and Kelly's tenth writing credit.

Writing
Jason Sudeikis has said that the episode and the season mark "the end of this story that we wanted to tell, that we were hoping to tell, that we loved to tell."

Music
In October 2021, Ed Sheeran announced that he would write a song for the season. The song was announced and released on the day of the episode as a tie-in, titled "A Beautiful Game".

Critical reviews


"So Long, Farewell" received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 73% approval rating for the episode, based on 15 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Ted Lasso's last hurrah is a steady (if somewhat uneventful) conclusion that asks viewers one final time to believe."

Manuel Betancourt of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B" and wrote, "I'd rather stay with the final image of the show: Ted staring at us in close-up, content with coaching his kid with the same enthusiasm and equanimity he brought to AFC Richmond: Be a goldfish. I may have struggled with this final season (a lot) but there remains something quite endearing about this simple dictum being leveraged within a sports comedy about men struggling to be better versions of themselves for themselves but also for each other. That's why it was never the Ted Lasso Way: It was always, as Trent admits in changing his title, the AFC Richmond Way." Rick Porter of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Ted Lasso spread itself thin in places this season, particularly as it regards Keeley and Nate. The finale, however, hit enough right notes to leave viewers with the warm feelings that it's trafficked in all along." Brian Lowry of CNN wrote, "All told, it was a very good and touching finish to a not-so-great season. And if it happened to be a trifle predictable, that still worked, mostly because it was hard to imagine Ted Lasso achieving its goals any other way."

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "Despite the many odd choices of what to show and what to elide, 'So Long, Farewell' trended more toward [the good version of the show] than the one on display for most of Season Three. [...] For the most part, it was the most emotionally satisfying chapter of a very weird, often hugely frustrating season. But the ambiguity about the future of the show also sapped some power from the episode." Stephen Rodrick of Variety wrote, "It was cocaine and booze that led the Gallaghers into gross indulgence. For AFC Richmond, it was a lack of discipline. In the end, Ted Lasso needed a better coach."

Keith Phipps of Vulture gave the episode a 3 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "It's a happy ending to a series that, at its best, took seriously what it meant to pursue happiness while showing kindness to others. Ted Lasso had its ups and downs, particularly in this third season, which essentially laid out Ted's fate in its opening moments then drew out the path toward that fate over a dozen episodes and took some characters along some truly peculiar sidetracks across some unusually long runtimes. But Ted Lasso will almost certainly be remembered for its best qualities, an unusual gift for heartwarming moments that felt earned rather than forced, and a central character defined as much by his willingness to admit his flaws as his infectious enthusiasm. Good effort. Nice hustle." Paul Dailly of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "'So Long, Farewell' marked the end of Ted Lasso in its current form, and it featured closure for all of the characters we've grown to love throughout the show's three-season run. There were tears, laughs, and moments of satisfaction, but there were also moments that didn't work as well as the creatives intended." Linda Holmes of NPR wrote, "Ted Lasso had a bit of a bumpy third season, and its final episode didn't undo all of those bumps. Nevertheless, the show pulled off some very nice moments that doubtless reminded viewers why they fell in love with it in the first place."

Christopher Orr of The New York Times wrote, "And so it ends, after three seasons of uplift and heartbreak, corner kicks and penalties, crummy dads and supportive moms, goofy aphorisms and movie references. But mostly uplift." Fletcher Peters of The Daily Beast wrote, "Ted Lasso Season 3 had its ups and many, many downs, but it definitely doesn't feel like the end. Ending on a milquetoast swan song for Ted would be going against his own words: It's never been about him. It's always been about Richmond. Let's crack open the rest of the team and see what stories are left to tell."

Meghan O'Keefe of Decider wrote, "The good news is the Ted Lasso Season 3 finale largely stuck its landing, offering the tender mix of comedy and catharsis that made the show a smash hit. The bad news is it might not be enough to pull a woefully uneven season of television together." Andrew Webster of The Verge wrote, "Despite an ending that seems ripped out of a rom-com, Ted Lasso is ultimately about friendship and the things that we can learn from other people. In that way, the finale was perfectly fitting: it shows how painful it can be when these relationships change but how necessary that change is for all of us. You just have to, you know, believe."