'Ted Lasso' Can Fix It All With This Potential Romance

Ted Lasso should let Jamie, Roy, and Keeley kiss.

With only one episode left in the third (possibly final) season, expectations are lukewarm about the series managing to land a satisfying ending. The back half of the season has dedicated each episode to specific cast members, giving them their big moments before somewhat forgetting about them in subsequent installments. Last week, Phil Dunster’s outing took the spotlight, with Jamie’s story (blissfully) dominating the majority of the runtime. While it may seem fitting to move on to other storylines, especially considering the need to wrap up Ted’s arc, there’s hope that the show will continue to utilize Dunster as the season’s MVP and provide closure to a relationship that has been in flux all year.

Roy and Jamie denied being best friends, while Keeley didn’t directly respond to Roy’s desire for something more than friendship. An easy solution would be to place them in a well-deserved throuple, as their connection goes beyond simple friendships.

While some may view this suggestion as a joke, there are passionate supporters of this trio. Their narrative trajectory has brought them together, transforming them from enemies to reluctant best friends. Jamie and Roy’s dynamic has been one of the best-developed relationships in the series. Additionally, Juno Temple has undeniable chemistry with the entire cast, and she, Dunster, and Brett Goldstein create palpable sparks between them, whether in a romantic or non-romantic context. This season has offered them significant growth moments, such as Roy’s willingness to help Jamie despite their complicated history, or Jamie’s display of accountability by apologizing to Keeley for the leaked photo incident.

While the show has struggled to fully develop its characters beyond their basic structure, the trio in question has exhibited depth and growth. They have shown that their growth is most significant when experienced together, rather than through separate plotlines like Keeley’s fleeting romantic entanglements. Episodes like “Sunflowers” and “Mom City” stand out as highlights because they depict the strongest dynamics on the show, allowing these relationships to flourish and break free from their established confines.

Furthermore, the chemistry among the three characters is undeniable. Even if their relationship remains platonic—-which is likely considering the nature of the show—-it would still carry significant emotional weight due to the challenges they have overcome to become genuine friends. The portrayal of platonic friendships on screen, particularly among adults whose lives are enriched by these connections as much as by romantic ones, holds great importance. Being welcomed into such an intimate inner circle of platonic intimacy carries deep meaning. To its credit, Ted Lasso has explored non-romantic relationships with great success, except for some occasional missteps with Keeley and Roy.

When contemplating the show’s most compelling and multi-layered relationships, Ted and Beard immediately come to mind, further solidified in the recent episode. Similarly, Roy and Jamie, who were once adversaries in season one, now confide in and find solace in each other. Roy’s visit to Jamie’s childhood bedroom, where Jamie’s poster from his Chelsea glory days still hangs alongside Keeley’s modeling photo, adds an extra delightful layer to their connection.

Additionally, the friendship between Keeley and Rebecca is one of the best-developed relationships on the show and likely the most significant connection Rebecca will experience, much to the disappointment of Ted and Rebecca shippers. Ted Lasso demonstrates an innate understanding of shifting dynamics in locker rooms and how even adult children respond to their parents or parental figures.

At this point, it’s unlikely that the show will fully explore the not-so-subtle hints of a romantic relationship between Ted and Rebecca. Despite the undeniable and romantically charged chemistry between Hannah Waddingham and Jason Sudeikis, any attempt to pursue that direction with only one episode remaining would feel rushed.

So why not introduce the idea of a throuple instead? There have been limited examples of polyamorous relationships depicted on screen that go beyond humor or mere titillation. In recent years, the queerplatonic polyamory in The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself stands out. Ted Lasso has the opportunity to set itself apart as a modern and distinct show, separate from its comedic peers.

Introducing a throuple consisting of Jamie, Roy, and Keeley could salvage the weaker aspects of the season. At the very least, it would provide a genuinely interesting and surprising plot development for some of the most beloved characters on the show. While Ted Lasso often aims to please the majority of viewers while signaling its deeper values, we don’t watch it solely for those reasons. It is, at its best moments, a television manifestation of a hug —- a show that offers warmth and comfort. By allowing this fresh relationship development that has been the foundation of many remarkable moments, from Keeley comforting Roy at the end of his career in season one to Roy supporting Jamie in “Man City” and most recently in “Mom City,” Ted Lasso would surpass expectations.

It would also be incredibly gratifying. There are very few fictional relationships I root for as passionately as this one.