Yes, Mae Green dies in Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 9. “Mae Rides the Bus” never shows the pub owner dying on screen, so the final scene initially leaves a small opening for doubt. Annette Badland, who plays Mae, has now confirmed that the character “passes” and will not return from the dead.
Spoiler warning: This article explains the ending of Season 4, Episode 9 and discusses what Mae’s death means for the finale.
What happens to Mae in Episode 9?
Mae joins Ted and the Lady Greyhounds on their trip to Bristol for a match that could secure promotion. The outing is special because Mae has spent years supporting Richmond from the Crown & Anchor. This time, she gets to travel with the team and deliver an emotional locker-room speech.
During the match, Mae leaves the quieter hospitality area and joins the supporters in the stands. She wants to be in the middle of the celebration, not watching politely from a box. Richmond scores four goals and wins, giving Mae one of the happiest days of her life.
The mood changes after Mae collapses in the crowd. The episode does not turn her death into a medical scene. Instead, Rebecca receives the news and walks into the locker room, where Ted understands that something terrible has happened. The episode ends before the characters explain it aloud.
Is Mae definitely dead?
There is no fake-out. In an interview with TV Insider, Badland says Jason Sudeikis personally told her how Mae’s story would end. She recalls hearing the words “and she passes” as he talked her through the episode. When she jokingly asked whether Mae could return as an angel, the answer was effectively no.
Badland also explains why the death remains off screen. Ted Lasso is not a medical drama, and Mae’s collapse happens while the rest of life continues around her. Leaving her in a moment of joy is more consistent with the character than showing an ambulance or an extended hospital sequence.
Apple lists “Mae Rides the Bus” as the 42-minute ninth episode of Season 4, released in the United States on September 30, 2026.
Why Mae’s final day matters
Mae has always represented Richmond’s local identity. The Crown & Anchor is where supporters argue, celebrate, complain, and return the following week. She is not a coach or an owner, but she helps define what the club means outside the stadium.
Her final episode expands that role. Mae supports the newly formed women’s team, refuses the passive comfort of the box, and chooses to stand with the fans. Badland describes it as possibly Mae’s best day. The character sees the Lady Greyhounds win a crucial match and fully participates in the community she helped build.
That is why the ending is sad without being purely bleak. Mae does not die isolated from Richmond. She dies after watching its next chapter succeed.
What does Mae’s death set up for the finale?
Badland says her conversation with Sudeikis led to changes in Episode 10. She does not reveal those changes, but says Mae will remain present in some form even though she is no longer physically there. That points toward a funeral, memorial, pub gathering, or another acknowledgment of her influence, but those possibilities remain speculation until the finale airs.
The death also gives the final episode a personal loss to place beside the team’s sporting success. Richmond has achieved an important victory, yet the people closest to the club must process it without one of their oldest supporters. The show can use that contrast to return to one of its central ideas: winning matters, but the relationships built around the game matter more.
Who plays Mae Green?
Mae is played by British actor Annette Badland. She has appeared in all four seasons and has been part of the show since its first year. Her other television work includes EastEnders, Doctor Who, Outlander, and Midsomer Murders.
Episode 9 also ends with a tribute to Anthony Head, the late actor who played Rupert Mannion. That dedication honors a real member of the Ted Lasso cast. It is separate from Mae’s fictional death, although placing both farewells in the same episode makes the ending especially emotional.
Mae’s death is therefore confirmed, not an intentionally unresolved cliffhanger. The remaining question is how the finale will honor the woman who made the Crown & Anchor feel like Richmond’s second home.