As we make our way through the third (and possibly final) season of the smash AppleTV+ show Ted Lasso, things are starting to get very complicated. In fact, you could argue that things are getting too confusing because there are simply way too many storylines happening at once and the show is starting to stray away from the formula that made the Jason Sudeikis comedy such a success over its first two seasons. Between all the different love stories and romantic escapades going on involving Keeley (Juno Temple), Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Nathan (Nick Mohammed) to the revelation that both Richmond footy, Colin (Billy Harris) and journalist Trent Crimm (James Lance) are gay, it feels like Ted Lasso has gotten too sappy. And even though the show has always used a lovable ensemble cast, this season is way too busy with the myriad of disconnected storylines. And if this is the final season of the show, it begs the question — how are the showrunners going to dovetail the myriad of storylines together by the finale now that we're almost halfway through the season?

Does Keeley's New Romantic Storyline Work?

Juno Temple as Keeley and Jodi Balfour as Jack in Ted Lasso Season 3
Image via Apple+

Keeley Jones has had relationships with both Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) and Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) during the show's run. We're not against a third relationship, but her new burgeoning interest in Jack Danvers (Jodi Balfour) seems a bit rushed and out of left field — not to mention a bit problematic given Jack's position. She is a terrific character, and we love her hard Cockney accent and quirky idiosyncrasies, but the show is better when she is around the Richmond aspect of things and having hilarious misadventures with Rebecca and Flo "Sassy" Collins (Ellie Taylor). Their relationship is the backbone of the show outside the locker room and hitting the streets of London. We also miss her antics with ex-boyfriends on the team and exchanges with the lovable Higgins (Jeremy Swift) and Ted. We'd love to see her spend less time in an office dealing with an uptight assistant and surprise relationship and back with the core gang. Her storyline this season feels disconnected from the rest of the characters and limits the aspects of her character that we want to see more of.

RELATED: 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Needs to Stick to Half-Hour Episodes

Let Rebecca Stick to On Deal with Potential Motherhood

Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca holding up the green matchbook in 'Ted Lasso'
Image via AppleTV+

Rebecca is another fantastic character and a big part of the show's success, but between the random encounter with a charming man in Amsterdam and the strange journey she is on that was instigated by a psychic, the only time we see her around Ted and the guys on the team is when she is losing her mind over their losing streak or reprimanding Ted. Not that she shouldn't be upset, but that isn't all she should be with regard to her coach and his players. Some of the best moments of the first two seasons were of her, Ted, and Higgins (once again) dropping one-liners in her office every morning and just shooting the breeze. We're not saying Rebecca should only be one thing, but her story feels scattered between her romantic encounters and dealing with potential motherhood, and the fear of relegation. Rebecca's storyline with motherhood feels strong, so why not focus on it? We don't necessarily need to build a story around how it happens with a new character.

Now, Even Nate Has a Girlfriend!

Nick Mohammed as Nate in 'Ted Lasso', training with the West Ham team
Image via Apple TV+

Hey, great for Nate! The kit man turned head coach for West Ham is exciting development for Nate and turning him into a villain of sorts is a nice twist. But did we need to add another layer to his story by giving him a romantic relationship? Between him, Kelley, and Rebecca, everyone is starting out on a new journey this season, and sometimes it feels like it's too much. There's nothing wrong with Nate having a love interest, but it feels like we're adding more to an already bloated season. We want them to have lives away from the pitch, but we don't want them wandering too far away from the formula that made us love the show in the first place. Nate felt so important when the season first kicked off but now feels like he's become an afterthought.

Colin and Trent's Stories are Great but Getting Buried

In Ted Lasso, Colin kisses his boyfriend before heading out
Image via Apple TV+

The secrecy around the coming out of Colin and Trent revealing that he is also gay is an intriguing and wholesome storyline in Season 3. It would have worked well as a more major subplot to the season. But it feels like an add-on to the various different storylines happening this season. Conversations about queer players in sports, not just football, are eternally relevant. Unfortunately, in today's social climate, coming out in sports is still a somewhat polarizing issue which is why it makes for an interesting topic. The secrecy and cloak-and-dagger actions that Colin has to resort to in hiding who he truly is adds an element of suspense and drama that Ted Lasso hasn't addressed until this season. Considering how weighty this subject is, it should be given more screentime.

Get Back to What Made Ted Lasso So Much Fun

Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt, Toheeb Jimoh as Sam Obisanya, and Cristo Fernández as Dani Rojas in Season 3 of Ted Lasso
Image via Apple TV+

Somewhere along the way, it feels like Ted Lasso has forgotten that this is a show about football. Yes, of course, the sport has been the vehicle for the interpersonal relationships and storylines that are at the heart of the series, but we care about Richmond AFC. We don't want them to ignore the romantic elements, but let's also get back to some of what we loved about the first two seasons. Building on the established relationships we've seen in the series would have been more rewarding than starting new ones. This would mean that we would be able to build on characters like Sam Obinsanya (Toheeb Jimoh) who is arguably the show's unsung MVP and deserves a spinoff. In other words, let's get the band back together a little bit and cut back on the ever-expanding solo storylines taking over Season 3.