This article contains major spoilers for the latest episode of Ted Lasso.
The penultimate episode of Ted Lasso’s fourth season came with a touching farewell to one character.
On Wednesday, the new episode Mae Rides The Bus began streaming on Apple TV+, and as the title suggests, it marked a farewell to Mae Green, played by Annette Badland.
In the episode, The Crown & Anchor owner Mae is invited onto the Lady Greyhounds’ team bus to accompany them to an away game, before viewers discover towards the end of the story that she has died.
Speaking to Deadline ahead of the episode airing, Annette shared that she didn’t know when she signed up for season four that her character was to be killed off.
“I didn’t know till about, I suppose, maybe November,” she explained. “We were only an episode away filming that.”
Annette admitted: “I was shocked, but I’m very proud being in the show, and I admire Jason [Sudeikis].”
She enthused: “I’ve had a great time. I’m privileged to have been part of it, and I’ll just have to be in the stands, won’t I? And see how they progress.”
In fact, Annette already has theories for how she could still appear in future episodes, claiming Mae could serve as an angelic character, similar to the film It’s A Wonderful Life.
The former EastEnders star claimed: “[I can see Mae] popping up in someone’s conscience and tearing them off a strip or whatever. Or giving them information.”
Ted Lasso initially looked like it was done after its original three seasons, before Jason Sudeikis confirmed new episodes were in the works after a three-year absence.
A fifth season is yet to be confirmed by Apple TV+, but Jason previously made it clear that he had envisioned a three-season arc for Ted Lasso’s stint at the helm of the Lady Greyhounds.
