Spoilers for Season 3, Episode 9 – “La Locker Room Aux Folles” – of Ted Lasso ahead. If you haven’t caught up on the comedy series, you can stream it with an Apple TV+ subscription.
Roy Kent did the press conference. Roy Kent comforted Isaac. Roy Kent told the team they were doing a good job. Is it just me, or is Ted Lasso setting up Roy Kent as the new main character? Following Episode 9 of Ted Lasso’s third season, it really feels like the series is setting up Brett Goldstein’s character in a way that could eventually lead to him taking over AFC Richmond and leading both the football team and the hit series on the 2023 TV schedule.
It’s been made abundantly clear that we don’t know what is going to happen after Season 3. The cast of Ted Lasso won’t confirm if the show is ending or continuing, and because of this aversion to a fairly simple question, it seems possible that the show might continue. However, if it goes on it will likely go in a completely new direction.
Over the course of the show’s latest season, Roy’s story has been all about him growing personally and professionally into the best coach and friend he can be. This focus on his development, specifically when it comes to the coaching responsibilities he’s taken on, has me, and many others, thinking that if the show continues Goldstein may take over, while Jason Sudeikis’ titular character takes a step back, or even steps away from his role as head coach of AFC Richmond.
In episode 9, Ted, who has normally been at the center of most episodes is relegated to the sidelines, as TV Line pointed out in their episode recap. Jason Sudeikis’ character is present, and gives a heartfelt, though slightly cringy speech, after Colin comes out to the team, however, as the recap points out, the results of the episode would be the same without that moment. Ted Lasso is a supporting character in this case, and the episode belongs to Roy Kent and the team.
As the locker room sequence pans out, Roy is the one who not only breaks up Isaac’s fight with a fan, but he also comforts the captain after the regretful conflict. The scene where Goldstein’s character specifically comforts Isaac is a major moment that shows the coach has evolved to a point where he is capable of taking over the team, and helping these men be the best they can be both on and off the pitch.
After the team’s locker room moment, Roy is the one to do the press conference, not Ted. He speaks diplomatically about what happened with Isaac, telling a story in a very Lasso-like way. Also, like Ted, but in a very Roy Kent way, he starts to build rapport with the reporters, including “new Trent,” showing that he is perfectly capable of handling a room full of journalists, which is a major part of being a head coach.
Clearly, this episode was a major turning point for Roy, however, the groundwork has been laid throughout the season for him to potentially take over. This growth from new coach to great coach is best seen through the moments between Goldstein’s character and Phil Dunster’s Jamie Tartt. Roy has been taking time out of his personal life to train Jamie, which included them riding bikes together in Amsterdam, and it’s shown that the player-turned-coach has put his ego and grudges behind him, and he wants to do what is best for the team.
Despite Roy’s flustering moment with Keeley in episode 8, he’s shown major growth, primarily as a coach, and because of that, it seems like he’s being set up to play a bigger role on the team, possibly as the head coach. So, with Ted Lasso’s future still unknown, it feels like a possible path forward could be with Roy Kent leading both the team and the show, as both Ted and Jason Sudeikis potentially take a step back.
