Despite the grinch-like complaints of some, Ted Lasso‘s focus on character growth and relationships is one of its finest accomplishments. And for many fans of the show, this is most true when it comes to the blossoming friendship between Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), something that played a major part in this week’s episode.
The pair began the series effectively as enemies, with Roy the outgoing, legendary player and captain who was losing his touch on the field, and Jamie the talented starlet who thought he didn’t have to work as hard as everyone else. They repeatedly butted heads throughout the opening season, almost getting into physical altercations, but soon their relationship settled into something with less animosity.
Part of this was down to Jamie’s ex on the show, Keeley (Juno Temple), beginning to date Roy, and Jamie briefly leaving Richmond. That was a major turning point in Jamie’s growth as a character, where he finally began to see himself as more of a team player, rather than the star who needed to be the center of attention. The gruff, unemotional Roy, however, has taken a little longer to come around, even as Keeley helped him to come out of his shell. When his character retired and became a member of the Richmond coaching staff, at first his and Jamie’s relationship remained frosty, if not hostile. However, as this season has puttered along, the pair have been spending increasing amounts of time together, driven by Jamie’s desire to improve his game, and Roy’s ability to coach the best out of him.
Now, thanks to the wisdom of Roy’s niece and fan favorite Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield), the pair is all but confirmed to be BFFs, even if they continue to deny it. The hilarious scene in which the colleagues turned friends realized just how close they are took place at a fake holiday event called “Uncle Day,” in which Phoebe celebrates her favorite uncle (not the most imaginative name, considering how much the writers on the show love puns). In season one, there was zero chance this sort of thing would have happened, yet such is the excellency of character growth on Ted Lasso that this felt entirely like an entirely realistic move for Roy to make.
By inviting Jamie (and nobody else) to “Uncle Day,” Phoebe managed to make the bromantic partners blush as they began to understand just how important they are to each other’s lives. When you add in the fact that Jamie brought along a thoughtful gift to this made-up holiday, you can see why fans are so over the moon with just how beautifully Roy and Jamie’s relationship has developed. However, it’s just one of many sweet moments between the pair this season, which include Roy offering to personally train Jamie, and Jamie teaching his coach how to ride a bike. And, in keeping with the show’s realism and commitment to the British notion of “taking the piss,” Jamie had to slightly ruin the delightful time the pair shared by pointing out that he thought Roy’s sister was “fit”.
Fans of the show will be happy to know, in real life, the pair get along excellently. In an interview for Apply TV, Dunster was emphatic about his love for Goldstein, and his respect for him as both a performer and writer:
It was a total joy. All of it was brilliant. I was really excited to film Jamie having this sort of step forward, or at least us having more of a view into his life and his mental process. And being able to do that with Brett was so good. Not just because I love him, like a deep deep love, [I] romantically love him. It was so helpful that he knows this show intimately. He’s a writer on it, he is a story exec on it. He’s been with it since right near its inception. And so it’s really helpful to sort of speak to him as well as speaking to Jason [Sudeikis] and Joe [Kelly] who were there to bolster that.
As the third (and most likely final) season rolls to an end, we’re sure to see more of the two together, with their story arc offering plenty of the good times and positive vibes that the Apple TV show is known for, and we’re sure fans are more than happy to gobble it all up.