SPOILER ALERT: This post spoils the Season 4 finale of Ted Lasso, titled “Being Alive.”
Another finale episode of Ted Lasso has hit the net, bringing its fourth season, which branched out into the women’s team storyline, to a close.
The episode kicks off with a funeral reception for AFC Richmond’s own Mae Green (Annette Badland), owner of the Crown & Anchor pub, at the very pub she helmed for years. The trio of lads who have been around since Season 1 of the soccer comedy, as well as the new trivia opponents who briefly provoked the Lady Greyhounds enough to get them landed in jail, are all at the pub, which is closed for a private event, to mourn Mae.
Ted (Jason Sudeikis), Michelle (Andrea Anders), Henry (Grant Feely) and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) are in attendance as well. Michelle questions Beard about his physical transformation, which has become noticeable throughout the season, from his husky-like blue eye contacts to his tan and gray hair, which brings up Mae’s favorite sheep, Doug, who had an ear tag like Beard’s dangly earrings.
The Lady Greyhounds are there as well, and Niamh Harrigan (Aisling Sharkey) challenges her teammates to split the G, which an older gentleman points out is a tradition that actually started in Britain, not Ireland. He then proceeds to chug just the right amount of Guinness to achieve the feat with the specific beer.
Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) toast to Mae before Higgins gets a call from HR. Keeley (Juno Temple), who we found out was pregnant in Episode 9, runs to her bathroom in a black dress to presumably hurl. Roy looks after her in his all-black suit. He, too, gets a call, but he declines to answer. It’s his ‘Prick Agent’ Patrick calling, which could mean something about his contract at Richmond ending or continuing.
Roy voices his concern that, because Keeley is pregnant and they are bringing new life into the world, Mae’s soul had to leave it. This tradition of sharing uncomfortable truths at a funeral stems from Season 2, in which Rebecca’s father died. Weirdness struck at that funeral as well. Keeley points out that things keep changing, like her body, and more.
Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent in ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 finale
Patrick, Roy’s agent, calls once more, and Roy finally picks up to learn that he’s been offered the head coaching job at Chelsea. He then takes his turn running to the bathroom to puke in the toilet.
Ted and Michelle check on Henry, who had grown close to Mae this season, and he wonders what will happen to the pub. As is the theme of the episode, Ted reaffirms that “big changes happen in bunches.” Henry then goes to play darts after sarcastically answering, “I know, I live in London now.”
Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds) framed the team selfie with Mae on the bus. Beard’s ex Jane (Phoebe Walsh) shows up to the private event that has closed the Crown & Anchor in a red dress and hat, calling Mae Meg. One of her rings gets caught on Beard’s earring, and she rips it out of his ear.
The Harrigan twins serenade the late Mae with “The Parting Glass,” even though Mae was not Irish. Higgins had something to tell Rebecca before that duet.
Henry leaves the pub, and Ted goes to check on him. “I just wish that she could help me with my homework again,” Henry says through tears. Henry then asks Ted how his dad died. Nana (Becky Ann Baker) told Henry that his grandfather fell and hit his head on some stairs, which Ted says is true.
Longtime viewers of the show know that that’s not what happened — Ted’s dad committed suicide. He and Beard unpack this later at the office. Here it might be noteworthy to mention that a new voice sang the show’s title theme for the season finale, written by Tom Howe and Mumford & Sons. Could the below be related?
We meet Lizzie’s (Faye Marsay) co-parent Ben (Simon Lipkin), a rocker man who doesn’t always show up for the mother of his two sons. He says he will try to get the kids the following day, when Lizzie will be part of the Lady Greyhounds’ final match of the season, but he’s a flake.
Back to that thing Higgins mentioned, he and Rebecca were summoned to a shareholders’ meeting, even though they don’t know who will show up, because it seems “Rupert” has bought out all the shares, meaning there are no real shareholders anymore.
L-R: Tanya Reynolds, Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt in ‘Ted Lasso’
Enter Keeley in some pink pajamas with a new video idea to sell out Nelson Road. It is the opposite of the black-and-white, very serious promo video from the beginning of the season. Keep your eyes peeled, because Nathan Shelley (Nick Mohammed) shows up in a blink and you’ll miss it moment, holding his baby daughter and watching the clip. His and Jade’s (Edyta Budnik) daughter’s name is Athena.
Team captain Lizzie is missing in the locker room before the final match. Nate the Great then shows up to say hi to the coaches before their big day. Turns out he’s coaching the Polish national football team — with two other people. Roy interrupts this life update to summon the Diamond Dogs for advice about his predicament. This brings Ted, Beard, Higgins, and Nate to act silly in front of Alice, who takes Ted’s suggestion to act like a cat. Roy reveals Keeley’s pregnancy, and how he’s worried about being a good dad. The Diamond Dogs have some great nuggets of fatherly advice. Beard reveals that Jane faked a pregnancy for 11 months. Alice might drop the biggest piece of wisdom at all: “Don’t disappear when you feel inadequate.”
Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn), who we haven’t seen in a few episodes, calls Rebecca, apologizing that he can’t be there for the meeting. Higgins reveals the Milk sisters have sold their shares, and Zelda Southport (Tracey Ullman) gasps, doing a terrible job of hiding that she now owns those shares.
Shannon is in the starting lineup of this final match. Ted gives a simple speech to the women, thanking them. He nods to Mae, who hopefully has good Wi-Fi at the pubs up in heaven. Nelson Road Stadium has been sold out for this last women’s match. Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernández), Isaac McAdoo (Kola Bokinni), Jan Mas (David Elsendoorn), Stephen Manas (Richard Montflaur), Thierry Zoreaux (Moe Jeudy-Lamour), Colin Hughes (Billy Harris), Moe Bumbercatch (Moe Hasim) and Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) are in the audience with Roy, clapping for the ladies.
Roy asks Sam if he ever questioned leaving Richmond for Man U, and Sam quotes The Wizard of Oz, citing Dorothy and saying that “Sometimes you have to leave to know where home truly is.” This saying ties in with the Wizard of Oz layers in Season 4’s first episode when Keeley, Rebecca and Higgins visit Ted in Kansas City. Turns out Sam was actually citing his Aunt Dorothy, but a story for another time. Keeley gets to watch the game until she yells at the ref.
Just as Annette Badland teased to Deadline, Mae’s shares come in clutch from beyond the grave at the Bi-Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, only attended by the three lads from the pub. Zelda, in a black-and-white Cruella de Vil coat, admits that she bought all the shares, making her owner of AFC Richmond with a controlling interest of over 50% of the shares. Her goal all along was to own a men’s Premier League team to make men listen to her.
Ted tells Henry the truth about his grandfather’s death. Back at the Shareholders’ meeting, Rebecca and Higgins fake scream at each other and reveal that the Milk sisters didn’t actually sell their shares to Zelda after all. Turns out, Hugo Riddles (Alex Blake) —the HR who called Higgins — teamed up with Rebecca and Higgins, but the math isn’t mathing because now it is 49%-49%. Elaine Pinter (Helen Schlesinger) of Pinter & Sons zooms in to speak on behalf of former client Mae Green to tell Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. La Fleur and Mr. Primrose (the three pub lads) that they’ve become owners and proprietors of the Crown & Anchor pub.
Ms. Green’s 2% ownership stake in AFC Richmond goes to Rebecca, as she declared in her will. This puts Rebecca back at 51%.
Roy approaches Rebecca to tell her about his decision to go to Chelsea. She does not take it well at first, mocking him and his eyebrows. Roy then mocks her right back. They share a very sweet hug, and she earns her nickname from Roy and Keeley’s future child, Auntie Supreme.
Ted asks Rebecca if he can chat with her about the newly opened manager position. Cut to Beard, who is reading how Emma Stone is starring in Jane’s play at the West End, with Richard Schiff starring as the Bearded Coach. Matthijs shows up, points out Beard’s lack of blue contacts, and makes fun of the guinea pig left behind on his head.
Rebecca says “Fuck it, marry me” to Matthijs after she’s had a revelation while munching on one of Ted’s biscuits. He says yes!
Juno Temple as Keeley Jones in ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4
Annette Badland’s voice narrates the end of the episode, with Isaac giving Beard a precious haircut, handed an electric razor by Will the Kitman (Charlie Hiscock).
Roy packs up his office, and he finds an envelope with his name on it, containing a note from Ted that says he’s going to be a great dad. Ted gives him an army man like Henry gave Ted when Ted first moved across the pond. Keeley comes to walk him out of his office wearing ruby red heels.
Alice starts a sticky note countdown of 112 days until the first game of the next season for the Lady Greyhounds. Turns out she’s the one who’s been lowering Ted’s chair this whole time. Ted gives her a going-away present, which seems to be a whistle in a red box, meaning she has been promoted to Head Coach of the Lady Greyhounds. Beard shows up, rocking a buzz cut, wondering if he missed it. A plaque outside their office declares Alice Chilton Manager of the AFC Richmond Women’s team. Willis Beard and Ted Lasso are Assistant Managers.
