Apple TV+
In each new season of Ted Lasso, I’ve fallen in love with a new “best player” of the year. First there was Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), the “Baby Shark”-singing egomaniac who went on to star on a faux version of Love Island. Then, there was Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernández), Jamie’s replacement, known for killer headshots and an exceptionally positive attitude. Finally, last season, Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) was the belle of the ball, winning over sponsors to the extent that he was offered a huge deal to create a brand new African Football Club—which he politely declined to stay with Ted).
Now, Richmond AFC has a new star player in Zava (Maximilian Osinski). There have been three star players on this football team before Zava—though Jamie spent a bit of time playing for Manchester—and yet, it takes Zava to make the team truly great. Why? Why, now, is Sam no longer a player to watch? How come Jamie isn’t as good as he was in the second season? And what about star player Dani—did he never really shake himself out of “the yips”?
New Ted Lasso characters have usually proven to be delightful. Rebecca’s pal Sassy (Ellie Taylor) was a grand addition to the middle of Season 1, as was plucky Dani Rojas. Therapist Sharon (Sarah Niles) took some warming up to, but in the end, she proved to be a wonderful addition to spotlight Ted’s (Jason Sudeikis) struggles with anxiety. So when I heard that there would be a new footballer in the mix in this third and final season, I was elated to see Osinski in early previews (especially since he’s married to fellow Apple TV+ royalty, Severance’s Dichen Lachman).