Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, Brendan Hunt, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster
Written By: Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein
Directed By: Declan Lowney, MJ Delaney, Matt Lipsey, Erica Dunton, Tom Marshall
Studio: Warner Home Entertainment
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The feel-good, soccer-centric series from Apple TV arrives on physical media with Ted Lasso: The Richmond Way, available on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray. While this is not technically a “complete” series, given the recent announcement of a new season, the set includes the first 3 seasons and gives fans the chance to own the show without relying on a streaming subscription.

For those that have been living in a cave for the last 5 years, Ted Lasso follows American football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), who is hired to manage Premier League soccer club AFC Richmond in London. Surrounding Ted is a memorable ensemble: club owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), grumpy veteran player Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), cocky superstar Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), Ted’s loyal right-hand man Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), Director of Football Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), model & marketer Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), and former kit man turned assistant coach Nate Shelley (Nick Mohammed), among many others. Ted gets the team from laughing stock to a team to root for.

Season One is largely about Ted’s infectious optimism slowly winning over the team and the people around him. By the end of Season 1, everybody was smitten with Ted, one way or another. The character arcs are satisfying, and the show could have easily worked as a limited series if it had ended with that season.

Season 2 explores deeper and emotional territory, focusing on mental health and therapy. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, depending on the episode. The Christmas episode was a highlight but that polarizing Coach Beard episode was a lowlight in my opinion. Season 3 closes a bunch of arcs that have been festering for the 2 seasons. Some things are left open, which is nice and hopeful for fans wanting another season or spin-off.

I must have seen Season 1 at least 3 or 4 times because it’s the season where you’d want to watch it with someone who hasn’t seen it. “What do you mean you haven’t seen Ted Lasso yet?” It’s just a fantastic season and arc for all the characters. It could have worked as a limited series if it ended after that. That season is still the strongest because it gave people a sense of optimism during a crappy time in real life. When the series started to see Ted suffer through his own turmoil, I disliked the direction a little bit.

Nate’s character arc is one of the more controversial aspects of the series. Watching someone go from being universally rooting for to being strongly disliked in such a short span was a bit of a shock. Leave it to Ted to let him back into “Diamond Dogs” with Season 3. While Season Three successfully closes many long-running storylines, it also feels less centered on Ted himself, shifting focus to the ensemble. Still, despite some unevenness, all three seasons remain a joy to watch.

From a technical standpoint of the set, this set looks fantastic. The 4K benefits greatly from the absence of streaming compression, delivering vibrant color and visuals. Streaming Apple TV always delivers in that area as well but it’s nice to have on disc as well. Unfortunately, there are no bonus features included, which is disappointing given the popularity of the show. A digital copy would have also been nice, though its Apple TV series that kind of explains lack of extras.

If you’re looking to own Ted Lasso on physical media, this is the definitive way to do it. The 4K UHD version is the clear choice over Blu-ray, offering the best possible presentation of an already excellent series.

(Sent by AV Entertainment for review)

Features:
None

Video:
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1

Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)

Subtitles:
English SDH

Bottom Line: A great TV series, with Season 1 being the best of the series.
Running Time: 1453 mins
Rating: NR
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: