Ted Lasso's Series Finale Drops The Ball On The Green Match Book

Contains spoilers for "Ted Lasso" Season 3 finale, "So Long, Farewell"

We don't want to kill the vibe, as that's just not the Lasso way. We want to relish in the sweet sending-off of our heartwarming hero. Be that as it may, even after bidding "So Long, Farewell" in the finale of "Ted Lasso," there was something noticeably absent from the show's closing chapter. Something that stopped it from being a perfect shot on goal and instead sent it flying off the post. We're referring to that little green matchbook that had been haunting Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and ended up being a big load of nothing.

What was the point, guys? Like, honestly. Masterclass in misdirection it may be, but the biggest gripe with the third season of "Ted Lasso" was that after following that little green match book for most of it, it was, as Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) would say, pretty poopeh. It felt like another tease joining many that hinted Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and his boss had a romantic future. That a lightbulb moment would spark from the set of matches that had appeared on more than one occasion (including in Ted's pocket) and would come into play before the final credits rolled. In the end, all of that was for naught, and it was an old flame from Amsterdam that swept her off her feet. Isn't that sweet? Isn't it heartwarming? Well, certainly — but it also felt absolutely unearned.

Seeing Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) find love was great — it's the tactics the show used to tease she'd find it elsewhere that undercut it all. One of the biggest signifiers of this was the matchbook. A tiny totem hinting, along with Ted's army men, that something was always there. The chance of Tedbecca might actually be a real thing, and plenty "Ted Lasso" fan theories were right. It wasn't just that, though. It was in their little chats, or Ted's texting timed just right with Rebecca's Bantr with Sam (Toheeb Jimoh). Unfortunately, all this ended up being just one big shell game the show was playing with us, ending with the twist of Ted waking up at Rebecca's house. It was a cherry on top of a massive bit of trolling, but why did we need any of it if it wasn't going to happen?

Not every sitcom has to have its leads get together in the end. Friends can be friend (except for Ross and Rachel on "Friends"). Plenty of comedy duos have worked just staying platonic. Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation" did fine staying pals, as did Will and Grace on, well, you know, their show. That's what Ted and Rebecca have always had, and the show worked brilliantly with it. If only they'd changed game tactics near the end of the series, who Rebecca ended up with would've been so much more rewarding. 

Let's be honest; no one had the Amsterdam stranger returning as a spot on their "Ted Lasso" bingo card. It was a revelation that came out of nowhere and felt in this world of pure-hearted people just way too far-fetched and a borderline afterthought. Here is where the show should've spent time building up and briefly hinting at what was waiting for Rebecca to make it that much more rewarding. 

The show didn't need to dance around the "will-they/won't-they" of Ted if this was how things were going to end. Instead, having the boss of AFC Richmond take charge of her situation was much more Rebecca's style. Just a few girl talks with Keeley (Juno Temple) about the one that got away, or her iconic laptop shutting before glimpses of her screen would've made the return of the man from Amsterdam far more worthwhile than what we got. That would still have been something fans could've gotten behind because, after all this time, it would've meant she was finally going to be happy, and Ted, as a friend, would be there to see it happen. In the end, a show so adamant for us to "believe" made Rebecca's happy ending hard to do just that. Well, you can't win them all, right?