Ted Lasso's Phil Dunster Is Firmly Against A Jamie & Keeley Romantic Reunion
Over the course of the popular Apple TV+ series' run, "Ted Lasso" fan favorite Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) has sparked up a romance with three different characters. First, there was Jamie (Phil Dunster), then an arrogant football star with a knack for saying the most dickish thing possible in any given situation. Then, there was Roy (Brett Goldstein), the grumpy teddy bear of a man whose harsh exterior barely hid a gooey center. After Keeley and Roy broke up (for reasons that still seem vague and minor, I might add), Keeley had a brief but passionate fling with Jack (Jodi Balfour), a colleague who quickly revealed herself to be a judgemental jerk.
The path to happiness for Keeley has been bumpy, sometimes frustratingly so, but when "Ted Lasso" ended its third and presumably final season with Keeley alone, it felt right — or at least, more right than any one choice might have felt in that moment. After a weirdly regressive throwaway plot, Keeley, Roy, and Jamie ended up friends again, spotted hanging out in the show's final montage, but the spark between them had apparently cooled. A "Ted Lasso" spinoff or continuation seems likely, and if it does happen, we might see more for Keeley and her paramours. According to Dunster, though, it would make the most sense for Jamie and Keeley to just stay friends.
Keeley and Jamie's bond is 'lasting and realistic'
The actor spoke to GamesRadar about his character's arc in season 3, and revealed that he thinks Keeley and Jamie work better together in their current iteration — as a sort of surprisingly lovely mentor relationship — than they did as a couple. "There's always a desire for there to be intimate relationships between characters on-screen as we like that straightforward pay-off," Dunster told the outlet. "But this forms a more lasting and realistic example of what somebody can teach someone else." Over the seasons, Jamie has transformed from a total tool to the show's biggest sweetheart, and Keeley's guidance as an ex, a friend, and a PR person has helped him.
"Keeley has always been able to teach Jamie from a place of love — he can get it wrong but that's okay, that's just what happens," Dunster said. "I think we all have a platonic relationship in our lives that has taught us things we didn't know about ourselves and it never led to anything deeper than that." While I've personally been frustrated by the way "Ted Lasso" does sometimes buy into fairy tale romance endings, I appreciate that Keeley and Jamie didn't get that. Plus, love is complex sometimes, and the cute constellation of Keeley, Jamie, and Roy is as lovable as a combination of two of them.
He think Tedbecca are better as friends, too
Dunster praises the show's willingness to portray relationships that could be romantic but aren't. "I think it's wonderful that we see those relationships in the show — such as with Ted and Rebecca too," he told GamesRadar. Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) actually seemed like they might end up together up until the last few scenes of the series, when viewers see that Rebecca came to the airport to see Ted off — as a best friend. Earlier in the episode, "Ted Lasso" writers directly played with our expectations for a Ted and Rebecca romance, featuring a cold open that made it look like Ted and Rebecca might have slept together (with Coach Beard, no less!).
Dunster raises some great points about Jamie and Keeley, explaining that she taught him "such an important lesson" in appreciating himself. Though the latest season of the show was a lot less consistent than its first two outings, Jamie's character just kept getting better, reckoning with his deep need to impress his disappointing father and opening up about the pressure he feels as an athlete and a son. It's unclear as of publication time whether "Ted Lasso" will continue as a spin-off or with a Ted-free fourth season, but I hope that whatever comes next, Jamie and Keeley get to be a part of it — as friends, first and foremost.
"Ted Lasso" is streaming in its entirety on Apple TV+.