Other than Nate entering his villain era, Jamie Tartt becoming a likable character has been one of the biggest surprises to come from Ted Lasso. This is because when someone walks into a room wearing a hat that says “ICON,” and acts as if they are the absolute best, immediately I'm seeing tons of red flags. That was 100% the case in Season 1 of Ted Lasso when we met Jamie Tartt for the first time. He was the ultimate f-boy, and incredibly unlikeable. However, in true Ted Lasso fashion, Phil Dunster’s character got a chance to redeem himself when he returned to Richmond, and now we can watch Ted Lasso Season 3 unfold, I find myself actually liking Jamie Tartt…which is a sentence I never thought I’d ever write.
Phil Dunster Explains Jamie Tartt's Evolution
Phil Dunster, who plays Jamie, described his character as a “hotshot striker,” who is quite “arrogant” when we first meet him on BBC The One Show. However, throughout Seasons 1 and 2, there has been slow character development going on, and now with Season 3 of Ted Lasso, it’s like our favorite pretty boy we love to hate is now a relatively nice boy. The actor continued to talk about Jamie’s evolution saying:
Ted’s mantra is to make these young men the best versions of themselves. And there’s a scene in Season 1 where Ted says to Jamie… ‘You’re so concerned about being one in a million, you forget that you’re just one of eleven in this team.’ And I think it’s that, sort of mentality that slowly, slowly chips away at Jamie.
Dunster went on to explain the Ted Lasso Effect, and that at times the characters didn’t want to like Ted, however, he slowly chips away at them, and eventually, everyone learns to love him, even Roy. The same thing is happening this season with Jamie, Roy Kent’s respect included, and it’s been so fun to watch.
The Three Moments That Made Me Realize I Like Jaime Tartt Now
Giving The Team The Sewer Pep Talk
The first moment happened after the trip to the sewers in Ted Lasso’s Season 3 premiere, when Jamie seems to have remembered the life lesson better than his entire team. While the crew is down in the dumps, both literally and figuratively, Jamie remembers what they learned, releases the tension in the locker room, and he tells his fellow footballers in his thick Mancunian accent:
Lads, remember it’s just poop-eh, let it flow.
There have been moments like this one earlier in the seasons, where Jamie shows that he took Ted’s advice to heart (like when he made the final pass in the Season 1 finale). However, the footballer uplifting his teammates and reminding them to be optimistic truly showed that Jamie is a new person.
Trying To Help Roy
In episode two, the team learns the devastating news that Keeley and Roy have broken up. Considering Jamie had confessed his love for Keeley in Season 2, you’d think he’d follow her and try to get her back. However, he doesn’t he chases Roy instead and tries to hug him. The Richmond coach is obviously not into the hug, however, the gesture is noted, despite Jamie calling Roy a “dusty old fart,” and kinda sorta appreciated. While it’s a funny moment overall, it also shows Jamie’s major growth.
Warning The Team About Zava
Then, in episode 3, we are officially introduced to Zava, a footballer who is somehow even more self-confident than Jamie. Throughout the episode the team is in awe of Zava’s talent, however, Jamie sees through it all, and he knows that their new star is a bit of a conceited player. What makes this a game-changing moment for Jamie, is that he recognizes the problems with Zava because he’s been the root of similar issues for the team. You know Dunster’s character turned a new leaf, because he doesn't get mad about being outshined, instead, he recognizes his problematic actions from the past in Zava, and he warns Ted, Roy and Coach Beard ending his speech with:
I weren’t being ironic, I was being hypocritical. That’s it.
He’s right, Jamie knows that Zava is acting in a similar self-obsessed way he did in Season 1, and he realizes that in the long run this could be an issue. While he still wants to be the shining star on the team, Jamie is trying to do what’s best for everyone too, which is admirable.
With each episode of Season 3, Jamie Tartt’s evolution becomes clearer, and now that he’s found it in himself to ask Roy for help it’s clear that this striker is on a mission of self-improvement for the greater good, not just himself. And I gotta say, I love that journey for him.
As more episodes of Ted Lasso continue to drop on the 2023 TV schedule, and Jamie starts training with Roy, I’m excited to see how he continues to grow into an actually likable human. I'm also curious to see if I'll get to the point where I love him so much I'd consider buying a Jamie Tartt AFC Richmond jersey.
You can stream new episodes of Ted Lasso every Wednesday with an Apple TV+ subscription.
