Jodi Balfour's Jack Is Helping Us Get Over That Ted Lasso Breakup
This post contains spoilers for the fifth episode of "Ted Lasso" season 3.
The minute "For All Mankind" and "Bomb Girls" star Jodi Balfour appeared on screen in "Ted Lasso," I knew this show was heading somewhere fun. Actually, even before viewers saw financier Jack's face, soft sparks were already flying between her and Keeley (Juno Temple) when the pair shared an unorthodox, tampon-related meet-cute. A moment later, their face-to-face introduction featured approximately 500% more eager-but-shy smiles than any platonic work event ever should. Yeah, I thought, there's definitely something there.
Still, the fact that Keeley and Jack's shippy new dynamic gave way so quickly to a passionate hook-up is a surprise – if a welcome one. "Ted Lasso" has never explicitly stated that Keeley is into women, but it's no surprise given some of her flirty exchanges with Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) over the years, like when she gawks at her friend's nearly-leaked nudes. Her interest in Jack isn't a surprise — the attraction was clearly instant — but it is a pleasant surprise that "Ted Lasso" acted on it so quickly.
Up until the second the pair kissed in Keeley's office, I was expecting that their making eyes at one another was at best the start of a slow-burn will-they-won't-they, and at worst a tease that would eventually let down the show's queer fans. Instead, "Ted Lasso" gave us a smoldering new romance, carefree queer representation, and a distraction from the never-ending pain of thinking about Keeley and Roy's (Brett Goldstein) breakup.
An instant attraction
We don't actually know very much about Jack yet, and she may not be endgame material, but it's great to see one of the show's most lovable and supportive characters seek out pleasure after struggling through this season. So far, the latest episodes have seen Keeley deal with a nightmare friend-turned-employee and built-in cry breaks at work after Roy ended things, but we haven't seen her have much fun. The solution to Keeley's workaholic lifestyle, at least in the short term, could very well be to strike up a romance at work.
"Ted Lasso" has a long history of introducing new characters who don't actually get the ethos the main characters are going for. Its central ensemble operates from a place of borderline-cutesy radical kindness, and when people like Zava (Maximilian Osinski) or Edwin Akufo (Sam Richardson) wander in, their differing ideologies stick out like a sore thumb — and eventually lead to their exit. As cool as Jack is, her sudden appearance and the fact that she'll have to make tough business decisions that could impact Keeley make me wonder if she'll end up a part of this camp.
Still, there's no reason to expect the worst; for now, everything about Jack seems like a great fit for Keeley, even if only temporarily. The facts we have so far on Jack are scarce, but all positive. She likes compliment sandwiches, dated a birthday clown, and wears cool rich person turtlenecks. She's easy to talk to, effortlessly cool, and she comes from the world Keeley wants to be a part of. Sure, these also sound like reasons Keeley might list at a later date when describing how boring she is compared to powder keg Roy, but people need different types of love at different times, and this could be what Keeley needs now.
Finally, Keeley gets some joy back
On the off chance that Keeley truly severs ties with Roy for good, leaving the poor guy describing 4:00 a.m. bully-whippings to his terrified coworkers forever, Jodi Balfour's character could be the key to her next chapter: a spin-off series. Several members of the "Ted Lasso" cast and crew have mentioned the possibility of continuing the "Ted Lasso" world beyond this season's ending, which sounds like spin-off talk to me. /Film's Michael Boyle has already written about how Keeley's office plotline feels like a set-up for a spin-off, but not a particularly successful set-up at that. I totally agree, but if there's one secret ingredient missing that could make the whole thing work better, it's Balfour playing a cool queer love interest.
Keeley is one of the best characters in "Ted Lasso," and so far this season has left her heartbroken and stranded in an office far from her friends. Giving her a sweet, casual love interest — and casting a beloved queer actor like Balfour in the role — is the best thing "Ted Lasso" has done all season.
"Ted Lasso" streams new episodes Wednesdays on Apple TV+.