Spoiler alert: This story contains details from the penultimate episode of Season 4 of “Ted Lasso.”
The Lady Greyhounds have gained a fan in the sky.
Dedicated Richmond fan and pub owner Mae Green (Annette Badland) dies in the latest episode of “Ted Lasso” (now streaming on Apple TV). In the installment, titled “Mae Rides The Bus,” Ted (Jason Sudeikis) invites Mae to join the team for the jaunt to the “season-defining” away game against Bristol City WFC. Mae accepts, and on board, requests “the full experience” and poses for a photo with the players.
In the visitor’s locker room, Ted encourages Mae to address the women before their match, and she shares her childhood aspirations of being on the field.
“Growing up, all I wanted to do was be a footballer,
but women weren’t allowed to play, officially,” Mae says, admitting she lacked the opportunity and talent. “I had a right foot like a rosebush. But my left, even worse. But you girls are different. You’re talented. You belong on that pitch. And I love to see it. So go out there and make an old lady happy.”
Mae opts to take in the game in the stands, instead of the suite, and tells her seatmate she needs “to sit down, recharge for the second half.” During the game the Greyhounds come from behind, besting Bristol 4-2. But shortly after the team’s victory, Mae suffers an emergency.
Greyhound owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) is informed of her passing and pulls Ted from a celebratory locker room to deliver the heartbreaking news. Ted hangs his head before the screen goes dark.
Badland, 76, shared in an interview with Deadline that she learned of her character’s fate not too long before filming the episode.
“I was shocked, but I’m very proud being in the show, and I admire Jason,” she told the outlet. “I don’t know when I’ll die. You just don’t know. So, being told that it was going to happen quite close to it being filmed, you just have to go. ‘Well, that’s [that].”
When telling her about the episode, Badland says Sudeikis “started at the beginning [with] ‘I invite her to come, and blah blah, and she won’t drive, and then she comes to the grounds and she goes in the bus,’ and I’m going, ‘Oh wow, this is…’ and then ‘She passes.’ (Gulps.) But hopefully that’s what will happen for the audience too.”
The episode is dedicated to the “memory of Anthony Head,” who portrayed Rebecca’s ex-husband, Rupert Mannion, in the series’ first three seasons. Head, who also appeared in the series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” died months ago from "complications due to pneumonia," his daughters, Emily and Daisy Head, confirmed to BBC in June. He was 72.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Ted Lasso' Season 4 episode ends with major shocker for pub owner Mae
