Major spoilers for Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 8 – “We’ll Never Have Paris” – ahead. Read with caution. If you aren’t caught up with the comedy, you can stream all the episodes, plus new ones every Wednesday, with an Apple TV+ subscription.
Over the course of the last few episodes of Ted Lasso, we’ve all been basking in the joy of the show, as our favorite characters rode bikes around Amsterdam, had big epiphanies and actually started playing football well. However, in Episode 8 the series brutally brought us back to the ground, and it reminded us that every person on the 2023 TV schedule hit comedy is a flawed human, including Roy Kent. I bring up this sad fact because as Keeley dealt with the ramifications of an intimate video of hers being leaked, Roy had a less-than-ideal and selfish reaction to the news, and I’m flustered by it.
The episode as a whole gets into a debate about who is to blame for videos or photos like this getting leaked, and if public figures should take extra precautions to protect and delete intimate content. This back-and-forth mostly gets discussed among the team, however, while these guys (with the exception of the newly likable Jamie) aren’t personally linked to the situation Roy is. So, he approaches Keeley, and how he addressed what happened was not great. In that moment, Brett Goldstein's character approached Juno Temple's character and said:
I heard about what happened, it’s fucking shit…I’m so sorry…You okay?
He started out strong there. He was handling it well, and he was clearly concerned for his ex. She then thanked him for asking, and asked how he was doing. This is when things get rough because, the AFC Richmond coach responded with:
Me, yeah, I’m good. [pauses for a moment to think] Who’s it for?...The video, who is it for? Shit, I’m sorry Keeley, I’m really sorry.
While you can tell he regrets what he said the second after the words came out of his mouth, it was still flustering. It almost felt out of character for the man who has proven time and time again how deeply caring he is, especially when it comes to the women in his life. One fan, @teelkay72 made their opinion on the matter clear, as they tweeted:
Roy would NEVER ask Keeley that question. I feel that is incredibly out of character and hurtful. What have they done to him. 😞
It really was disappointing to see Roy have such a tragic moment, especially when you compare it to Jamie’s reaction when he apologizes to Keeley at the end of the episode. The two juxtapose each other in a way that makes Jamie Tartt's character growth clear as day, while simultaneously pointing out that Roy is nowhere near perfect.
We’d all really come to love Roy, especially when it comes to his relationships with Jamie Tartt, Ted Lasso and of course Keeley. However, the scene grounded him, and reminded us, even if we didn’t want to be, that Roy Kent is struggling, and sometimes slips us. @Lassofiasco pointed this out on Twitter, by writing:
Guys Roy Kent wasn't poorly written or written out of character. He is a flawed human whose insecurities have shown to be his biggest obstacle. We've seen that in season 1 & 2. Now we are getting proof his insecurities harm more than himself and we see him realize in that scene.
They're right, this scene, while sad, was necessary, as it pointed out Roy's insecurities, and how he needs to help himself as much as he's helping the team. Hopefully, this sequence will help him grow during the final part of Season 3, and evolve into the man he knows he can be.
It’s always a bummer when your favorite character acts out of turn on a show, however, it also reminds us all that these fictional people have low moments too. I know that we’ve all come to love and adore Roy Kent, and just because he had a little selfish slip-up doesn't mean he's evil, or we should stop loving him. It's simply a sign that he’s flawed like the rest of us, and is still in the process of becoming the best person he can be.
