Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 6.Season 3 has been an interesting road for Ted Lasso all in all. The return of Ted Lasso has given special moments to various players, such as Colin Hughes (Billy Harris), a deeper dynamic between former rivals Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) and Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), and introduced the mythical legend known as Zava (Maximilian Osinski). While the title Ted (Jason Sudeikis) struggles to find his fight and Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) struggles with infertility, there is one character struggling to find a place this season – Keeley Jones (Temple of Juno).
AFC Richmond’s mustached gaffer may have given the club hope, but Keeley Jones brings sunshine to every room she walks into. In fact, her unwavering support and optimism rivals Ted’s at times. Unlike Ted, at 5’2”, she is not one to back down from any fight. She is not afraid to sit and have hard, uncomfortable conversations with the people she cares about. Keeley has her own strength that draws the people in her life – and by extension, the audience – in.
Keeley has always been a leading lady, and now at the beginning of the season, she is the CEO of her own public relations firm. Keeley brings her bright personality and unique perspective to a group of workers who don’t know how to let go. This, along with the news of her breakup with Roy, is a bold new chapter for Keeley. This is her chance to step out on her own in her stylish stilettos and get a chance to be seen outside of the context of a relationship with a footballer. Because of this, it is rather difficult to see Keeley struggling to find a place in the new season.
Keeley is experiencing growing pains with her new business
As mentioned, Keeley Jones is learning how to effectively manage a new public relations firm. Whether it’s company spending or office culture, her boisterous personality is always at odds with her strict CFO Barbara (Kate Wix). Outside of the knowledge of Barbara’s charming pastime of collecting snow globes, the two do not see eye to eye. Ted also had trouble bonding with his new team, but managed to start to overcome their suspicions a couple of episodes in. the rest of her staff.
This is made worse after Keeley hires her friend, model Shandy Fine (Ambreen Razia). Shandy represents the life Keeley Jones once lived. When we first met Keeley in the Ted Lasso pilot, she was a successful model dating a football star. She drew attention to herself with her high personality, without fear of saying something too sexual, and that she would get what she wanted. Over season 1, Keeley begins to want something more for herself, not just going through the same cycle. Keeley sees an opportunity to pay it forward to her friend now that she is in a position of power. As a CEO struggling to harmoniously connect the past and the present, this is a compelling story for Keeley.
Unfortunately, this aspect of Keeley’s statement falls flat at the moment as there doesn’t seem to be any commitment to it. Keeley reunites with Shandy only to shoot her a couple of episodes later. On the one hand, it is reasonable, and it is an important lesson for Keeley to learn what it means to be a responsible leader. However, this is how Shandy is demonized by vowing revenge and trashing her office with lamb poop. If Shandy isn’t ready to come back in the second half of the season, her send-off feels incomplete and a missed opportunity for Keeley to get some resolution this way.
‘Ted Lasso’ should not have moved Keeley from one relationship to another
At the beginning of the season, Keeley Jones is single and not quite ready to mingle. After Roy and Keeley announce their breakup to Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield), Keeley can be seen throughout the season looking long after her ex-boyfriend. She is also very protective of her ex, Jamie, when Shandy asks about him. Although at first it seems to suggest that the season is setting up a love triangle between her and her exes, Ted Lasso shifts focus to a new love interest for Keeley – her main investor, Jack Danvers (Jodi Balfour). Jack is introduced during Episode 4 “Big Week” after giving Keeley a tampon while she was in the bathroom. As soon as they meet in person, there is an instant spark between them. Before the next episode “Signs,” the two spend an afternoon cleaning up lamb poop and drinking vodka together, which leads to a steamy hookup in Keeley’s office.
It has been suggested since Season 1 that Keeley is bisexual based on some of the jokes towards Rebecca. Based on the reactions of Roy, Jamie, and Rebecca in Episode 6’s “Sunflowers”, it seems that the people who know her best already know and accept this about her. This kind of representation is welcome, especially as Ted Lasso brings more LGBT+ affirmation with Colin and Trent Crimm (James Lance). Unfortunately, it comes with the sting that Keeley has admitted that she is not completely over her break up with Roy. This kind of hook suggests something less permanent with Jack, paying tribute to Jack as a representation rather than a character to invest in. Speaking of investment, it is also a repetition to introduce another romantic relationship between someone and their favourites, such as Rebecca and midfielder Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) in Season 2. The power imbalance between Keeley and Jack has the potential to be more trouble than it’s worth.
Let the Light Shine on Keeley
At the core, the problem comes down to this – audiences are getting too many scenes of Keeley involving other people and not enough character moments. for her. Instead of relying on Keeley to stand on her own and spend time alone, season 3 introduces more people around her to keep her up. We don’t get the moments when it’s just Keeley. Yes, work and recovery from a breakup are part of her story, but that’s not just Keeley. Audiences have had moments of their own with Ted, Rebecca, Roy, and even Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) in his solo program, “Beard After Dark.” While the AFC Richmond team explores Amsterdam in “Sunflowers,” Keeley jets off to Norway off-screen with Jack. For a series that excels when audiences get introspective with its characters, it’s disappointing to see that not happen for a fan like Keeley Jones, especially if this is the last season.
