Is Apple TV+ Teasing a Ted Lasso Spinoff?

Apple TV+’s comedy Ted Lasso – the beloved critical hit that helped bolster the streaming platform in its earlier days – aired its Season 3 finale less than a week ago, and fans are already trying to figure out if it’s truly the end of AFC Richmond. And Apple TV+, with several coy tweets and some unclear messaging, isn’t exactly helping.

The most recent update to whet fans’ appetites? A tweet from Apple TV+ with a photo of Roy (Brett Goldstein), Nate (Nick Mohammed), and Beard (Brendan Hunt), all together with the caption reading: “Smells like potential.” That would seem to hint at some kind of spinoff or continuation of the story, but Apple TV+ isn’t confirming that one way or another. IGN has reached out to Apple TV+ for comment about today’s tweet.

Speculation has long run rampant over whether Season 3 would be the end for the core Ted Lasso series, and executive producer and star Jason Sudeikis said in an interview with Deadline back in March that it was the end of the story “we wanted to tell, that we were hoping to tell, that we loved to tell.”

“The fact that folks will want more and are curious beyond more than what they don’t even know yet — that being Season 3 — it’s flattering,” he went on. “Maybe by May 31, once all 12 episodes of the season [have been released], they’re like, ‘Man, you know what, we get it, we’re fine. We don’t need anymore, we got it.’ But until that time comes, I will appreciate the curiosity beyond what we’ve come up with so far.”

Hunt, too, stoked rumors, saying just days before Season 3 premiered, “It’s not necessarily the end of the series. It’s just likely the end of this story because we always saw it as a three-part thing. We never even knew for sure we’d be able to tell all three parts — and suddenly, here we are. So, there will be some type of closure to this beat but closure is not necessarily the end.”

On top of that, Apple TV+ labeled the last episode of Ted Lasso the “season finale,” not the “series finale” and just after the final episode aired, they tweeted out “Believed.,” which carries significant meaning in the show. All of this only led to more confusion on if this would be the final episode in the series.

These developments, combined with today’s apparent tease, have raised fans’ hopes that the show may go on in one way or another.

Warning: Spoilers for the Season 3 finale of Ted Lasso below.

As speculation has continued to swirl, some fans tweeted screenshots of Ted’s note to Trent Crimm (James Lance) asking him to change the book title he’s been working on to reflect the team, not him.

In addition, the “season finale” hinted there are still a few loose ends. Near the of the episode, Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) approaches Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) about a women’s team and it ends with both of them in love with the idea. And in one of the last scenes, Ted is having a conversation with Beard about how he feels a little guilty about leaving because they were so close to winning it all, and maybe he should stay.

But as of right now, nothing has been confirmed from Apple on if they intend to move forward with another season of Ted Lasso or a spinoff. But it’s looking like a possibility more and more, especially for a show that told their fans to “believe.”

For more Ted Lasso news, check out our Ted Lasso Season 3 premiere review, where Amelia Emberwing wrote, “The performances are still great, the writing still shines, the shots are still prettier than a comedy needs to be, but I want the laughs, and I hope to see them return way before we see any real resolution to the multiple strained storylines across Season 3.”

Luis Joshua Gutierrez is a freelance writer who loves games. You can reach him at @ImLuisGutierrez on Twitter.