‘Ted Lasso’ Star Annette Badland Breaks Down Mae’s Best (and Last) Day Out With the Greyhounds

In the world of Ted Lasso, no one revels in a win more than Mae (Annette Badland), especially when it comes to the newly launched women’s team, known as the Lady Greyhounds, and such was the case in the latest episode, “Mae Rides the Bus.” Warning: Spoilers for Ted Lasso Season 4 Episode 9!

As fans follow along, the away game that sends the team to Bristol, where Mae accompanies Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and crew on the aforementioned bus, turns out to be a major victory for A.F.C. Richmond. Despite a rough start, the women pull through with four scoring goals, beating their competition.

Opting to watch from the fan pit, Mae gives up her seat to enjoy the rowdiness of the crowd, but when the fourth goal is scored, she is nowhere to be seen, having collapsed. Ultimately, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) is informed about Mae’s medical event, and the final moments of the episode follow her walking into the locker room to find Ted and share the news.

It’s a devastating loss, and one that Badland hasn’t even brought herself to watch yet. “I haven’t seen it,” she tells TV Insider. “I don’t watch my own work very much anyway, and it’s far too fresh. Maybe in a year or so I’ll peek from behind my hand and have a look, but it’s far too new for me.”

Below, Badland opens up about Mae’s surprise ending, her pep talk for the team, and cheering from the stands.

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What was your reaction to learning Mae’s story would end like it does? How do you feel about it? 

Annette Badland: Jason came to my dressing room and told me himself. I’d made a joke because Chip [Hamilton] came to say, “Oh, Jason would like a word with you,” and I said, “Oh, I’ll come to his trailer.” And Chip said, “No, he’ll come to you.” And I joked with the two kids that were filming that day and said, “Oh, Jason wants to see me. You might not see me again.” Little did I know [Laughs]. And he came to my room, talked me through the episode, but he did it in the form of the storyline. So when he said, “And she passes,” I’d gone through because I was thinking, oh, this is great. She gets to go on the bus, and she’s at the game, and she does the locker room and talk to the girls, so I was devastated. And immediately out of my mouth, I said, “Can she come back as an angel?” [Laughs]. But we talked it through, and he was great from that conversation. He actually altered some things in Episode 10 from what we discussed, but there was no coming back from the dead, I don’t think.

No, but that makes it so much more impactful. 

I absolutely agree, and I really think the audience knows that it’s genuine. It’s not a product. It’s not something developed to tick a box. It’s what Jason wants to say about the world of human beings, and I think that is terrific.

Despite the tragedy of losing Mae, would you categorize it as a happy ending for her getting to see such a big victory for the Lady Greyhounds?

She was having one of the best days ever, you know? Things being fulfilled, and the female football as well as, you know, her immediate engagement with them. But that is happening and couldn’t happen for her, and how difficult it is for women, and her as an older woman, still being accepted and involved… Her last day was probably her best. She was certainly very, very happy.

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Would you say part of that had to do with the fact that she gave up her box seat to join other fans in the crowd?

She doesn’t want to sit with all the stuffed shirts, you know? They have to behave themselves and be involved in that. She wants to just party and relish it, and she would feel constrained, and she’s strong enough to go. I know I don’t want to do that. It’s much more fun where I’m going.

Do you think Mae selected the fan she sent up to the box to specifically annoy Rebecca?

Possibly…

We don’t see Mae die onscreen. How did you feel about the way the show handles her death reveal? 

Yeah, I think it’s more realistic, other things are happening. That’s what happens: People are dying or being born, and the rest of life is going on. And you’re incidental, and it’s not a medical drama [where] they suddenly turned up in an ambulance and started pumping my chest, or whatever. I think it’s much more elegant to leave her in that very happy place, in that very fulfilled moment.

Do you think she saw the Greyhounds score that fourth goal?

Maybe that’s what did it for her.

What’s your favorite memory from filming this episode? 

All of the scenes, of course, were a huge gift to her. I enjoyed being in the stands, I suppose, like her, those silly dancing scenes and the camaraderie of that.  I was pleased for her, that Mae was having such a good time. Cause she’d pull her socks up and get on with stuff. She goes out all guns blazing, really, and fulfilling her life is just tremendous, just wonderful.

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Mae has some really sweet scenes with Henry this season. How did you enjoy building that bond in Season 4?

I loved working with Grant [Feely], he’s a tremendous young man. And I personally don’t think Mae has grandchildren. So to have that connection with someone and to be giving them some idea about the world because she wouldn’t just be teaching him how to wear a tea towel…
To have that life, a different life in the pub upstairs, I think she would be very moved by that and very happy to have them there. She teases Ted about the cost of things, but there would be no need to pay, really. She’d be very happy to house them.

You mentioned that Mae’s loss forced some changes in Episode 10. Can you tease how it may impact everyone in the finale?

She is there as a presence, if not a full-bodied human being. So yeah, there’s still things to be revealed.

Ted Lasso, Season 4, Wednesdays, Apple TV