*Some Roy/Keeley-related spoilers.*
Yep, another romantic Relationship Spotlight—in recent years, there’s been a definite uptick in the sort of ships that appeal to me. Ted Lasso is full of great characters who are all terrific on their own and in near endless combinations with one another, but Keeley and Roy are two of my favorites. A delightful Odd Couple that really works, partners who talk and listen to each other, there’s just so much to love about this pairing.
Reason one: they challenge each other. These two start out with fairly combative chemistry, which is certainly popular for good reason. Keeley is dating Jamie, Roy’s least favorite person by a long shot, and that (along with his overall anger about most things in life) colors his early interactions with her. But she takes the grumpy wind out of his sails, refusing to be intimidated and making fun of his hard-man routine. Over the course of the first season, they begin to circle around each other, and each gives the other what for when they’re being out of line, whether that’s Keeley involving Roy in a fight between her and Jamie or Roy taking his bad mood out on Keeley when he’s really mad about something else. Both characters have a lot going for them already but they grow under one another’s influence.
Reason two: they get each other. So many major beats in Keeley and Roy’s romantic storyline are fun and offbeat, but it really works for them. I love that, when a paparazzo snaps a photo of them out together, Roy threatens him, takes his sim card, and offers it to Keeley as “photos of their date.” I love that they plan to have “sexy Christmas” together, but both adjust their plans when Roy winds up having to watch his niece Phoebe, without either making a big thing of that. I love that, when Roy finally understands that he’s been smothering Keeley with a bit too much attention, he makes an apology playlist and gets out of her hair so she can enjoy a nice long bath.
Reason three: they’re there for each other. When Roy reaches his breaking point with his bad knee and realizes he’s going to have to retire from football, Keeley seeks him out alone in the locker room and sits with him as he mourns the end of his career. As Keeley starts making a name for herself in PR, Roy is nothing but encouraging, reassuring her through uncertain moments and putting up with stuff he hates (like photo shoots) for the sake of boosting her even further.
Reason four: they’re just so much fun. When they officially get together, in the press room, the way Keeley “poses” as members of various press outlets to question Roy and make sure he’s really ready for this relationship is too adorable. I love that Keeley is turned on by Roy’s vulnerability and that Roy can’t help exclaiming aloud when he reads The Da Vinci Code, much to her annoyance. They often feel like a cross between best friends and partners in crime, which is what I love to see in a couple. So often on TV, we see couples who 1) are constantly duking it out to be the one who’s “right,” 2) seem to actively aggravate each other, or 3) don’t seem like they’d be able to come up with anything to do together, other than have sex. With Keeley and Roy, every episode with them as a couple shows you just how much they like each other and how they know each day is better with the other in it.
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