Ted Lasso Season 3 Doesn’t Know How to Handle Big Problems

However, in the third season, he publicly releases his disapproval of immigration laws, supported by a political figure. This leads to virtual stalking by others who also vandalize his Ola restaurant. The vandalism is a direct attack not only on Tohiba Jimo’s character, but on immigrants in general. Ola’s brings Nigerian immigrants a taste of home while also sharing their culture with all who live in London. This problem is contained in one episode and has no solution other than the team renovating the restaurant. Immigration policy is a major political issue around the world, and immigrants are often harassed because of controversy. This particular topic requires more discussion during the season if Ted Lasso wants to make it a serious problem.

LGBTQ+ storylines leave a lot to be desired

Sam was the center of attention in seasons 1 and 2, so in season 3 they decided to shift more attention to someone who was never in the spotlight: Colin. At the start of the show’s final season, it is revealed that Colin has been hiding his sexuality from his team and the world at large. So far, viewers have seen Colin as he presented himself to others, so it’s nice to see real to him. But because of the other plots, Colin’s sexuality was often relegated to the background, and then included whenever it had any remote significance.

There were useful moments associated with the queer arc, such as the connection between him and Trent Krimm, who also turned out to be gay. But towards the end of the season, Colin doesn’t seem to be any closer to coming out than he was at the beginning. Instead of feeling comfortable enough to go out on his own, Isaac inappropriately whips out his phone and reveals his secret. This approach destroys the integrity of the whole thing, because it is more like a forced coming-out story.

It’s a pity that Colin had the opportunity to get close to Trent, but not Keely Jones, who is in charge of the team’s PR. Keely is openly bisexual and begins a relationship with a woman named Jack (Jody Balfour) after her breakup with Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein). She could give him great support both personally and professionally, and in return he could repay the same when a conflict arose in her relationship. Jack revealed the power dynamics in her relationship with Keely, both her boss and a man of much greater wealth. For example, she bombarded Kili with love, showering her with expensive gifts and depriving her of her voice by speaking for her.

Keely’s leak storyline deserves to be more than just a footnote

As if Jack was no longer on thin ice for Keely and Ted Lasso fans in general, she then humiliates Keely for being a sexy woman after her explicit video is leaked to the public. Instead of being a supportive friend, she encourages Keely to apologize to the public and express regret for even making such a video. Although at first Jack’s approach to the situation is to keep her and Keely’s social image, she scolds Keely for making the video in the first place and ends the relationship for lack of remorse, openly shaming Keely.

Since this is Keely’s only bizarre relationship on the show, it’s upsetting that they are portrayed as her worst on-screen romance. Even the once-arrogant Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) had room to grow to become a better partner than Jack. Besides, as a woman, Jack must have better understanding than Roy and Jamie, the stigmatization of female sexuality. Another problem is that, other than Jack’s request for an apology, no action is taken to respond to the leaks. Keely discusses that he does not regret making the video throughout the episode, but does not offer a response to publicly state those feelings. Instead, she says nothing and is mostly met with apologies.

If anything, this plot is more like a return to rekindling her relationship with Jamie Tartt. At the end of the episode, he reveals that he has been hacked and is therefore responsible for the leak of the video, and then the scene ends with them embracing. It doesn’t quite reflect women’s empowerment, and instead the focus is back on supporting the team rather than diving into the subject of female sexuality. On top of that, the only dialogue we have about the leak is between the men in the locker room, which leads to a discussion about everyone but Keely.

Depiction of these issues is important, but only on a superficial level.

The inclusion of these storylines in Ted Lasso overall commendable, but the execution leaves much to be desired. These topics are of great importance and are not specific to one country. The series is set in London and therefore focuses on politics in the United Kingdom, but the same issues are constantly present in daily political discussions in the United States as well. This is what happens all over the world. Immigration policy is a hot topic, and discussions often lead to whole groups of people becoming interested in each other.

Like the topic of immigration, discussions about sexuality and sex positivity also work with other women and the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout history, being gay has been illegal even into the 20th century, and the HIV/AIDS crisis has exacerbated the stigmatization of homosexuality. Like female sexuality Ted Lasso does not reveal this stigma enough to show Why Colin is so scared. Overall, these story arcs still generate important discussions around the world, but their portrayal does not elicit sympathy from the audience.