‘Ted Lasso’ co-creator brushes off that obvious ‘Star Wars’ nod

Apple TV Plus’s Emmy-sweeping series Ted Lasso has finally kicked off its third season and allowing audiences to catch up with all of the show’s fan-favorite, reviled, or disgraced characters – one of whom is none other than Nate, who defected to West Ham United in the season two finale. 

The season three premiere saw an exchange take place between Nate and Rupert Mannion, Rebecca’s villainous ex-husband and West Ham boss. The conversation went down in Rupert’s office, which was oddly reminiscent of Emperor Palpatine’s throne room in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.

The visual similarity is so uncanny, that Ted Lasso co-creator (and Coach Beard actor) Brendan Hunt was asked about it in a recent interview with TV Line. It turns out, however, that fans may have been reading a little too far into it, and jokingly brushes off the similarity as a happy accident: 

“It doesn’t suggest anything at all. How dare you! Hey man, that was just an office we found at London Stadium. Apparently, when they were doing the Olympics, they wanted to put something together like that. Thank you for noticing that office. Paul Cripps, our production designer, has been doing stellar work from season one. But that office may be his crowning achievement. Like, I would just hang out in that room when we weren’t even shooting. It’s f–king great!”

So there we have it – folks who have been drawing parallels between Palpatine and Rupert, and Nate and Darth Vader, may not have quite been on the money with how the plot will develop. Given Ted Lasso more often than not ends up being quite a wholesome show, perhaps Nate will be redeemed yet – we’ll have to wait and see.

New episodes of Ted Lasso season three are landing every Wednesday on Apple TV Plus.