What’s a show without one of its most integral characters? Well, we’re about to find out once another season of Ted Lasso is officially greenlit.
No, we aren’t talking about Jason Sudeikis but Phil Dunster, who plays Jamie Tartt. According to Deadline, Dunster’s option has not been picked up for the next season, presumably due to scheduling conflicts with other projects.
We hear one of the Ted Lasso OGs, Phil Dunster (Jamie Tartt), has not been picked up, presumably due to a conflict with another series; he is on both Prime Video’s The Devil’s Hour and Apple’s Surface.
Puck News’ Matthew Belloni confirmed Monday that Dunster is not expected to return for Season 4. On his The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast for The Ringer, Belloni shared that this is due to the scheduling conflicts that Deadline alluded to, not because Dunster is uninterested in reprising his role as Tartt.
A little TED LASSO news: Phil Dunster, who plays Jamie Tartt, is not expected to return for Season 4. He’s got conflicts with other shows. Discussing today on The Town, sign up here!… https://t.co/ckwvYCdCbJ
— Matthew Belloni (@MattBelloni) August 26, 2024
Belloni later amended his reporting, clarifying that it would be as a series regular but noting that nothing prevents Dunster from returning to pop in for a guest spot or two if a Season 4 were to take place, which had been rumored over the weekend.
To be clear, I mean as a series regular. Maybe he pops in for a guest spot or two.
— Matthew Belloni (@MattBelloni) August 26, 2024
What got the ball rolling was Deadline’s reporting that three of the original cast members, Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Walton), Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) and Jeremy Swift (Leslie Higgins), recently had their options picked up by Warner Bros. Television.
That, in turn, led to rampant speculation about another season in which cast members would be included. The reporting from Deadline follows on the heels of co-creator Bill Lawrence putting the onus of the show’s future in the hands of Sudeikis. And as we know, Apple wants more Ted Lasso, even if the show seemingly ended on a note, where they conclude the storytelling chapter in the AFC Richmond universe.
Tartt’s character arc was a remarkable journey. From the spoiled, entitled superstar of Season 1, he emerged as a more grounded and mature player. Returning to Richmond, he seemed to have found his footing. He atoned for his past transgressions, forged stronger connections with his teammates and coaches, and gracefully stepped aside from his role as the team’s primary goal scorer, becoming a valuable facilitator.
If this is the end of the road for Dunster’s Jamie Tartt, it’s a bittersweet farewell to a beloved character but one that leaves a lasting impression. Although we did think Season 3 was the official farewell, and look how that turned out.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.