As consumers of media, we tend to be creatures of habit, programmed to follow our weekly and daily routines like clockwork. There’s a rigidity to the way we digest content, developing patterns with an aversion toward any disruption that might alter or in any way complicate our viewing experience. In that vein, fans of Ted Lasso were predictably up in arms, blowing their tops at the news that Tuesday night’s season finale will drop three hours later than anticipated.
All previous episodes dropped at 6pm PT. Why the change?
— tv+news · all things tv+ (@ATVPlusNews) May 30, 2023
Unnecessary and not cool to change release time of the last episode. We had a watch party planned.
— Jacob Heil (@HeilJacob) May 30, 2023
https://twitter.com/alrac85/status/1663588213053587460
Horrible decision to change the release time on the final day. Lots of unhappy fans out there.
— Henry Molski (@HankMolski) May 30, 2023
Not great. Ruining a lot of watch parties here. Announce this a week ago or something if this were happening. Just brutal.
— Moments of Lasso (@tedlassomoments) May 30, 2023
This is SO unprofessional to change the drop time on the season finale and to NOT TELL US until the day of?? Any idea how many people have planned watch parties and CANNOT watch it that late? I really hope that is a typo.
— Caity Cat (@Caitycat_meow) May 30, 2023
Episodes are usually available to stream on Apple TV+ by 9 PM ET, but obviously that won’t be the case this week, instead going live at 12 AM ET Wednesday morning. It’s a tough beat for East Coasters, who will either have to stay up until midnight Tuesday or wait until the following day to see how Season 3 concludes. At an hour and 15 minutes, Tuesday’s finale will be the longest episode of the series to date.
Apple TV+ must have its reasons for the change, though viewers would have appreciated a heads up, with Tuesday’s delayed start throwing a serious wrench in any watch parties scheduled by fans eager to see how Season 3 resolves its various plot lines and character arcs.
There’s a strong likelihood that this will be the series’ final episode, with Emmy winner Jason Sudeikis noncommittal about the show’s future beyond this season. “This was the story we wanted to tell,” Sudeikis expressed to Rich Eisen in an interview earlier this month. “It feels a little bit like talking about next season when you’re in the playoffs.”
Though reviews for this season have been more critical than in years past, Ted Lasso, through its syrupy sweetness and empathetic worldview, has built a cult following of loyal fans, resonating with audiences seeking a change of pace from the cynicism and melodrama so prevalent in today’s television. It’s also served as an entry point for Americans less familiar with international soccer, particularly the Premier League. The show has taken home plenty of hardware throughout its three-year run, culminating in two Golden Globes and seven Primetime Emmy awards.
