Editor’s note: Below are spoilers for Episode 9, Season 3 of Ted Lasso.
Ted Lasso introduced quite a lot of storyline and characters in the third season. One of these new characters was Jack (Jody Balfour), who entered the picture as Keely’s boss (Juno Temple). Eventually, these working relationships become a real thing outside of the office. Although this narrative added a new dynamic Ted Lasso and Jack brought something new from Keely, the way her character is developed, especially in episodes 8 and 9, cancels out the benevolence that Jack created. In particular, the way she dealt with the Keely leak looks a lot worse after what we learned in episode 9.
Jack’s actions towards the leak were brutal
The leak itself was something too real in the worst sense of the word. The way Keely has been in the background of her own story speaks volumes about what the victims of the leaks are facing. Jack’s reaction, both her boss and her friend, demonstrates the unfortunate reaction of those around the victim. Not only did Jack fail to speak to Keely in person in a work setting, but she also sent her assistant to deliver a pre-written statement in which Keely would plead guilty. It was an ugly direction taken by Jack, but it speaks to the character’s true inner workings.
If that’s not enough, Jack hasn’t finished making Keely feel ashamed of something beyond her control. The way she belittled her, wanting her to admit her guilt was hard to watch. Keely stood up for herself, saying she has no regrets about sending the photos. However, this goes unaddressed as Jack is so short-sighted that he can’t seem to figure out that Keely is the victim and not the problem. Seeing her just get up and leave without caring about Keely was a devastating blow to a relationship that had so much potential. It also showed a stark contrast between Keely’s two former lovers, Jamie (Phil Dunster) and Roy (Brett Goldstein), interacted with her after learning that she was part of the leak.
Keely’s ghost Jack makes him sting even more
Jack’s first reaction was bad. This cannot be denied. That being said, Ted Lasso had room to make the two work if Jack came back in episode 9 and admitted that she was wrong in her answer and listened to Keely. We know that Keely is pretty open-minded and can take flaws (she’s done it with both Jamie and Roy), but Jack not even coming back after walking out the door makes the leak even worse than it already was.
Keely was not only the victim of a leak, but Jack also shamed her. While none of what happened was her own fault, Jack couldn’t see it that way, and it didn’t take him long to see it from Keely’s point of view. While some parts of Episode 8 may have dragged on too long, which detracted from the main storyline a bit (like the drawn-out locker room scene), Ted Lasso was able to show how those affected by the leaks suffer more backlash. other than anything a photo can do.
All we get from Jack in Episode 9 is, well, nothing. A text from her is all that viewers and Keely get from her. Hearing Keely read the message definitely left a bitter taste in our mouths: “She says she’s in Argentina… for the next couple of months.” It’s clear what happened here, and resorting to Keely’s phantoms because of what happened with the leaks is a serious punch in the gut, as is Higgins (Jeremy Swift) responded after she finished reading, “Oops.”
If that’s really what Jack needs, and with just one episode and a lot of storylines left on the table, it could very well be, then she’s leaving on the lowest of the low notes. The leak at that point was bad. Keely was a victim, but Jack saw the guilty side of her. She never sought to understand it from her own point of view. For this, Jack is considered one of Ted Lasso’s most obnoxious characters, having so much potential. It’s unfortunate that things went this way, but Keely has better options, and we already know that two of them handled the leak much better than Jack.
Ted Lasso will release the third season finale on May 17 on Apple TV.
Source: Collider
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