“Ted Rathbos” is (almost) officially back, and it's time to believe again

Deadline reports that Apple TV Plus has exercised its contract options with several cast members: Hannah Wadham, who played AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Walton; Brett Goldstein, who played player-turned-coach Roy Kent and Jeremy Swift, who played Leslie Higgins, AFC Richmond's director of football operations

Of course, anyone who has seen the show would find it impossible to go through things without these three, especially Wadham and Goldstein But you may have noticed that a few names are missing there

Yes, “Ted Lasso” Season 4 is still missing a few key players from its roster, which, despite some erroneous reports, has not yet been officially confirmed Namely It is missing Ted Lasso, famously played by Jason Sudeikis

Before you panic, there is a good reason for this, and it is not that Sudeikis does not want to be involved in this project Unlike Wadham, Goldstein, and Swift, who have options for a fourth season in their contracts, Sudeikis does not The same goes for lead actress Juno Temple, who plays feisty fashion model-turned-businesswoman Keely Jones

Apple also needs to get back to the negotiating table to recall star/show co-creator Brendan Hunt, who played the eccentric bearded coach

The good news is that these stars have indicated a willingness to return, at least in some form In fact, this is not the first time in recent months that “Ted Rathbos” has hinted at the possibility of returning for a fourth season

Unfortunately, Phil Dunster, who played AFC Richmond star Jamie Tartt, is unlikely to return to the show, as “Deadline” is working with the Prime Video show “The Devil's Hour” and the Apple TV Plus show “Surface Deadline reported that his contract was not renewed, presumably due to scheduling conflicts with his Prime Video show “The Devil's Hour” and his Apple TV Plus show “Surface

At least three stars are returning, and it appears that others may return as well, with only one not out so far Most “Ted Rathbos” fans will be pleased

I am, however, a little concerned It's not that I don't want to believe in the possibility of a Season 4, but I felt the show ended the right way, at least for Russo, played by Sudeikis At least for Lasso, played by Sudeikis He is finally back home, at peace with the emotional demons of his past, and able to be with his family And even though he wasn't a particularly good soccer coach, he was about to lead AFC Richmond to the Premier League championship His story arc felt complete

Nevertheless, there are some characters that could be explored further In particular, Hunt's Coach Baird and Goldstein's Roy Kent still have a ways to go as characters, and given their soccer coaching prowess, it would make sense if they ultimately brought Richmond to Premier League glory Lasso would have done a better job of making them better people, his greatest asset as a coach, but it would be they who would actually succeed based on their technical expertise

Now I fear that job will be undone Given Sudeikis' level of creative control, I hope he doesn't give in to the memo from Apple and force Lasso back into the story for that reason If he does come back as Coach Lasso, rather than as a producer or occasional guest star, I would like to believe it is because the character has more of a story to tell

The good news is that “Ted Russo” Season 4 has (almost certainly) become inevitable, and I intend to find out