Ted Lasso co-creator Brendan Hunt thinks criticism about Nate's villain turn is great. Developed by Hunt, Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, and Joe Kelly, Ted Lasso follows its titular character as he is unexpectedly recruited to coach a Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond, despite being an American college football coach and having no experience with soccer. Ted Lasso season 1 premiered on Apple TV+ in 2020 to critical acclaim and became the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy Award history. The sports dramedy's second season was released last year, and Ted Lasso season 3 is currently in production. The series stars Sudeikis, Hunt, Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Sarah Niles, and Nick Mohammed.

Mohammed plays Richmond's kit manager turned assistant coach Nate, who revealed himself to be a villain in Ted Lasso season 2. In the season 2 finale, Nate has a sudden blowup at Ted (Sudeikis) during a match and abandons Richmond to join West Ham United's coaching staff. This betrayal of Ted and the team surprised many viewers who couldn't believe the shy kit manager from season 1 could launch such a personal attack on Ted and betray the team so suddenly. Still, others pointed out many moments from Ted Lasso season 2 that hinted at Nate's villainous turn.

Related: Ted Lasso: Keeley Leaving AFC Richmond Is Most Important Story (Not Nate)

In anticipation of Ted Lasso season 3, Hunt considers Nate's villain turn in a recent interview with THR. The Ted Lasso co-creator responds to viewers who felt Nate's behavior change was too sudden, calling their reactions great because it means they care about the characters. He also has something to say about those who think it doesn't make sense. Read Hunt's full response below:

"In terms of would people pick up on it, the Nate bread crumbs, we knew they were there, but we can’t control whether or not people see them. As people were going along and were like, “What’s happening to Nate?!” Well, it’s been happening to him since season one. People having reactions to it, that’s great, because it means people give a shit. For people to be mad or think we’re doing something that’s not earned, well, I don’t agree, but off you go. But I think we were dropping hints — we were worried we were dropping hints that were too revealing, but for a lot of people it was the other way."

Ted Lasso Nate & Ted

One of the reasons viewers may have missed Nate's villainous shift in Ted Lasso season 2 is that the show has consistently shown Ted's positive influence on the other characters. Considering Ted was filling a mentor role in Nate's life in place of his hard-to-please father, it would be natural to assume that Nate's personality would also improve. However, Hunt's comments prove that his slide into a selfish villain was planned from season 1 and that every overlooked instance of Nate's poor behavior was actually a sign of a larger problem. Anyone who missed the signs may want to rewatch Ted Lasso from the beginning to understand Hunt's response.

Now that Nate has fully established himself as a rival to AFC Richmond, it seems likely that he will be the main antagonist of Ted Lasso season 3. What remains to be seen is whether Nate will get a redemption arc like Rebecca (Waddingham) and Jamie (Dunster) did. There is also the question of how Nate's betrayal will affect Ted. Fans will have to wait for the answers to both these questions when Ted Lasso season 3 is released on Apple TV+.

Next: How Ted Lasso Season 3 Can Continue Rebecca’s Confession Trend

Source: THR