Jamie Tartt returns to Ted Lasso for one episode, and gets Voltaire wrong to better effect

Right, so Ted Lasso is back for Season 4 on Apple TV, and things are looking a bit different… but also, not really? If you thought the original run was a bit sentimental and occasionally went off the rails, well, you’re not alone. This fourth series has carried on with that energy – changing things up in some places, completely sticking to the script in others. Let’s be honest, it’s still not perfect, but that’s all part of the charm (or frustration, depending on your view).

Lately, there’s been a fair amount of chatter about Jamie Tartt, mainly around who, if anyone, could possibly fill his boots now. Unsurprisingly, nobody’s pulled it off so far. But just when everyone seemed to have given up on a proper replacement, Phil Dunster finally swung by for a guest spot – that’s right, Jamie himself crops up in Season 4, Episode 6 (‘Don’t Jump Around Much Anymore’), and the internet collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Who doesn’t love a chaotic Jamie appearance?

Jamie’s Big Moment

Now, the real meat of the episode isn’t just Jamie being his usual ridiculous self – though we definitely get plenty of that – but rather a chat between him and Rebecca that actually stops and makes a point. Remember back in Season 3, when Rebecca had her whole future vaguely spelled out by a psychic, only to stumble into an Amsterdam romance with Matthijs and his daughter? Well, that looked like her lovely happy ending, didn’t it? Unfortunately, Season 4 swiftly walks all that back, with Episode 5 (‘Riches of Embarrassment’) blowing up the fantasy. Because, why make it easy for her?

Just as things are looking a bit grim, Matthijs pops up again out of nowhere in Episode 6, right as the New Year’s rolling in. But not before Rebecca gets some surprisingly meaningful life advice from Jamie Tartt, of all people. When she’s lamenting mucking things up with Matthijs, Jamie pipes up with some unexpected wisdom after she confesses feeling like she’s ruined something brilliant simply because it wasn’t perfect.

Here’s what Jamie tells Rebecca directly:

Sometimes, perfect is the opposite of good.

Now, Jamie’s not exactly a student of philosophy – he’s mangling Voltaire, really – but honestly, it works. Voltaire’s idea was "the best is the enemy of the good," but Jamie’s accidental remix is actually just as clever, if not more fitting for the messiness of Ted Lasso at this point. Frankly, if you’re annoyed by Season 4 not being ‘perfect’, Jamie’s accidentally nailed the point.

Changing the Game

There’s a noticeable undercurrent this series about things not being the way they used to be. Some are grumbling that it’d all be fine if Ted was still running the men’s side, or that maybe the show should’ve just ended after three seasons. But if nothing changed, well, we’d just be slogging through the same matches with the same faces. Instead, Season 4 jumps ship entirely and follows Richmond’s new women’s team, switching up massive chunks of the cast for new additions – which, naturally, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s at least a change of pace.

Ted Lasso now focuses on Richmond’s women’s squad, shifting from its familiar men’s team format after three full seasons.

There’s an interesting twist in how the show now handles the realities of women’s football – and this is genuinely under-discussed in UK telly, for my money. The blokes from the men’s team were already household names, with their agent dramas and whatnot, but most of the women’s lot aren’t big stars – many have to juggle football with other jobs, which gives you stories you never saw with Roy or Jamie before. Take Lizzie: she’s a mum, and half her time is spent working out childcare just so she can make training. That’s a fresh angle, and Season 4’s not shied away from it.

The facilities for the Lady Greyhounds are another eye-opener – ‘state of the art’ here means ‘barely enough showers to go around’, and even Rebecca and Keeley were so focused on signing players that they forgot the team didn’t really have anywhere decent to get changed. Then you’ve got Alice, who’s basically set up as the series villain for the year, mainly because she’s sick of the women on the team (herself included) not being taken seriously, even though she’s easily one of the best in the league.

Look, as with every season of Ted Lasso, there are misses and there are redeeming moments. Season 4’s been shooting for a balance between revisiting old favourites and setting up a new era – it’s mostly managed, and there’s still room for it to bed in. Whatever your stance on the changes, at least it’s not standing still. If you thought the Christmas episode back in Season 2 was a write-off, well, this week’s managed to give even that a little bit of redemption.