This Ted Russo news may sting, but it makes sense. Season 3 of "Ted Russo" will mark the end of Ted's story. So says showrunner Bill Lawrence, who revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that this was the plan all along.

Spoiler alert: More details on "Ted Russo" Season 2 follow. Yes, the storyline so far for "Ted Russo" was planned from the beginning, when Lawrence and star and head writer Jason Sudeikis presented Apple with the idea for a three-season show about a headstrong American college football coach coaching a Premier League team. It seems to have been planned from the beginning.

In other words, yes, everyone (from Ted and Rebecca to Nate and Roy, perhaps) had their fate written from the beginning. Lawrence says, "When we started, we plotted the beginning, middle, and end of three seasons' worth of arcs. This story will end next year regardless, even if the show finds another story to continue."

And there's a big asterisk: "even if the show finds another story to continue." In other words, a spin-off seems likely. On that topic, Lawrence said, "I don't think anything is closed, but just respectfully, we're going to wait and see. ...... None of us are worried that Jason will find something he wants to do. And when he does, we will start talking about such things."

Aside from fans, who wants a spinoff, THR notes that "Apple and Warners, of course, want the show to continue beyond Season 3, as it is increasingly difficult to produce hits in an era of peak television with over 500 original scripts. We'd like to see it continue," he noted.

From the moment Ted Lasso and the AFC Richmond team were demoted in the Season 1 finale, it was clear that Lawrence and Co. had a three-act/season structure for the show.

In Season 1, the demotion and the departure of Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) brought Richmond down to its lowest point at the end. Season 2 showed Ted struggling with the memory of his father's suicide and Jamie being bullied by his father.

Season 3 seems to be about Richmond winning the Premier League trophy (which is part of the licensing agreement between the series and the EPL). Also, Nate (Nick Mohamed), a former ally-turned-villain, will be working with his enemy, West Ham owner Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head).

If Ted's previous statements about the importance of winning are to be believed, that is not the true end goal of the show (although I will root for Richmond if they win). The end of Ted Lasso's story is more likely to be about the path he has taken as a human being, his emotional journey as a man who left his family to cross the ocean and take a new job.

And if Ted's story is complete, what happens next in its spin-off series? My gut feeling is that fan favorite Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) could easily take over at Richmond or start coaching elsewhere. A series focusing on Rebecca Welton (Hannah Wadham) would also be a winner. She had her moments of success week in and week out, but definitely because she is a character that could make the show.

Other possible non-direct spin-offs would be a series with Sam Obisanya (Tohib Jimoh) running a new restaurant or Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) running a new PR firm.

In any case, "Ted Russo" fans should cherish season 3 as the last one. Because it just might be.