NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
Ted Lasso fans have been left in a void since the show ended in May of 2023. The cast and crew have spoken out many times about the story being told as a three-season arc. However, with a show as wildly popular as it is and with characters seemingly having more stories to tell, there’s reason to go on. Rumors are swirling of a Season 4, so where could they go should they choose to continue?
There’s so much to explore with everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed coach, Roy Kent. As he deals with living a life outside of the sport he played for so long, he’s forced to deal with life beyond the pitch. When we last saw Roy, he was entering the office of Dr. Sharon in search of the help he needed. Not only is he struggling as a former player with his place in the world, but there’s also the Roy and Keeley heartbreak that now lacks closure.
The greatest part of Roy’s story is often overshadowed by his tough and no-nonsense demeanor. His tough-as-nails persona on the field started to show cracks towards the end of the series and that’s not a bad thing. If Ted Lasso picks back up in season 4 then there is huge potential for the softer side of Roy Kent.
Throughout the entire series, Roy seems to have his way with the female gender. He’s a role model to his niece, Phoebe. We see the evolution of his relationship with Keeley and how he can be sweet and sensitive. There’s his yoga mom’s club that sits around drinking wine and watching Jamies reality tv show. He seems to have a connection with his sister as well as a close relationship. He coaches the girl’s soccer team while away from Richmond. He even catches the eye of Phoebe’school teacher. So much of Roy’s character is written around the women in his life that it should be explored.
How do they explore Roy’s story a bit deeper if we get a season 4?
There’s an obvious route to go with Roy going forward and a not-so-obvious one. The easy route would be taking over Richmond now that Ted is back home, exploring his relationship with Keeley, and dealing with the pressure of everyone looking to him for answers. While it wouldn’t hurt his character, it wouldn’t develop the depth of his personality at all.
The better path forward would be to explore Roy’s history and how he became this tough but softy. Ted Lasso has explored the idea of death a few times with both Ted and Rebecca so they don’t want to go to that well too much. Yet, there’s still a way to show his struggle.
While it hasn’t come up in the past, what if Roy spent his life taking care of a sick relative, be it a mother or grandmother or whichever? Maybe it’s why his sister became a nurse. Could he have the tough exterior knowing he’d both have to be strong for them and thus excel at his career to take care of them? Is it why he’s so hard on everyone else and especially himself? There’s something in his past that has brought out this hardened version of Roy that needs follow-up.
Looking beyond his past, there’s also a great setup for the future of Roy Kent as well. If the show steers away from the Keeley story and leans into the Ms. Bowen story. Shippers might be mad, but there’s a better story here. There’s an obvious connection between the two and there’s even a chance to include closure with Keeley. If you go back to early seasons there’s groundwork to be built on as well. Remember all the nicknames she was given? The sense that she might have to have thick skin as well is there.
Should the series go forward, they should lean into the relationships Roy seems to have with the women in his life. He shouldn’t be the obvious choice to take over for Ted but build the female Richmond club. Have Keeley give her blessing as he explores a relationship with Ms. Bowen as Keeley was the one to help him heal. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and say he’s going to turn into a total softy. Yet there’s enough mystery surrounding Roy’s past to explain the man he’s become. Accepting his leadership role, his role model status, and protector and provider role are key characteristics of his hardened exterior. People gravitate to Roy Kent and he has to accept his fate.
