‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 Completely Misunderstands One of Its Best Characters

Published Aug 25, 2026, 5:22 PM EDT Taylor Vollman is a contributor at Collider. She has long quipped, “T.V. is my name, TV is my game.” Fortuitous initials aside, at the heart of a tired joke is a simple truth — she has a lifelong passion for television. And along with it, an affinity for movies, music and pop culture. In a childhood time capsule, she had listed Friends, PB&J Otter, and Days of Our Lives among her favorite shows. But her tastes have not narrowed with age. Her viewing habits span TV Land classics, network hits, buzzy reality shows and streamer critical darlings. Hoping to merge this passion with her love of writing, Taylor earned a bachelor’s in media arts and design with a minor in film studies from James Madison University. After working in marketing for years, she wanted to sharpen her skills and went on to graduate with a master’s in journalism from Georgetown University. Taylor has since pursued entertainment writing and reporting. Ted Lasso is back but not everyone is better than ever. Returning after a 3-year hiatus, Jason Sudeikis reprises the titular role to help AFC Richmond launch their women’s program. The Apple TV series was co-created by Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Bill Lawrence, and Joe Kelly. Originally a fish-out-of-water tale, the show followed Ted and his loyal sidekick Coach Beard (Hunt) move to England to coach a premier league soccer team despite being American football coaches. The Season 3 finale served as a potential conclusion to the series, setting the characters on positive paths. Beard struggled with leaving, instead deciding to stay in England to be with his on- and off-again girlfriend Jane. In the final montage, the couple were shown marrying in Stonehenge and expecting a baby. But some viewers are accusing the comedy of flanderizing Beard in the newest season. Coach Beard Was Originally a Foil for Ted Lasso Image via Apple TV Throughout the initial run, Beard’s stoicism served as a foil for Ted’s chatty demeanor and over-the-top optimism. With a book always in hand, he used his few words to offer biting commentary, share his Encyclopedic knowledge, correct Ted’s misconceptions about soccer, and lament his turbulent romantic life. But Season 4 reintroduced Beard in a state of upheaval. This new version of Beard has isolated himself from the rest of the AFC Richmond coaching staff, dons a beard reminiscent of Tom Hanks in Cast Away, and is seemingly separated from Jane with no mention of a child. Named after Ned Flanders in The Simpsons, TV Tropes coined the term “Flanderization” to describe the process of a character being defined by one or two exaggerated traits over time. While only a few episodes have aired, Beard has seemingly been reduced to his relationship with Ted. Beard’s scenes have centered on his longing looks at Ted, secretly watching Ted’s press conferences, clandestine rendezvouses with Ted in the pub, and recreating Ted’s face out of office supplies on his desk. Brendan Hunt Says Coach Beard Is ‘Defined by His Proximity’ to Ted Lasso While it seems like the character has been stripped of his autonomy and rich interiority, this new direction comes at the hands of its creators. Hunt shut down the potential for a Beard spin-off during a June 2023 appearance on the Kyle Meredith With… podcast. As he explained, “Beard is the only character who is truly defined by his proximity to another character.” The other character in question clearly being Ted. Beard’s loyalty to Ted is not unfounded. In Season 3, he explains to Nathan “Nate” Shelley (Nick Mohammed) that Ted was his former college football teammate who took him in after being released from jail. After Beard stole his car, Ted even forgave him and helped ensure he wouldn’t return to jail. It was his own redemption arc that allowed Beard to forgive Nate for betraying the team and welcome him back into the AFC Richmond family. Coach Beard Has Developed Relationships With Other Characters Image via Apple TV But it is not just his relationship with Ted or Nate. For viewers, Beard can also be defined by his role as an assistant coach to the players, his working relationship with player-turned-coach Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), his camaraderie with AFC Richmond fans, and of course, his tumultuous romance with Jane. But Season 4 of Ted Lasso has positioned Ted and Beard as more than friends, rather a couple of sorts. Roy is the current manager of the AFC Richmond men’s team. He discussed his concern over losing Beard with his ex-girlfriend, Keeley Jones (Juno Temple). While touching on their potential rekindling as well, she offered the wisdom, “I think keeping two people apart who belong together is bad not just for them, but for everybody.” Roy released Beard to the women’s team, whose reunion with Ted included literal jumps of joy. Ted Lasso’s signature coaching duo are clearly iconic, but their relationship is not the only interesting aspect of Beard’s character. The increasingly complicated character being reduced to simply an extension of Ted is a disservice. The series still has time to course correct, hopefully his recent haircut is just the first step in returning to form.