Favorite Characters: Keeley Jones (Ted Lasso)

*Keeley-related spoilers.*

The last time I talked about Ted Lasso, I was focusing on Jamie, a character who shot onto my Favorite Characters list during his development in season 3. Unfortunately, the recent season wasn’t nearly as strong for Keeley, which made her scenes frustrating to watch. On balance, though, those issues don’t take away from my love for the character at her best—her presence makes me appreciate the show even more!

In the pilot, we’re introduced to Keeley as Jamie’s girlfriend. She’s a model, and maybe an influencer, and something of a professional “footballer’s girlfriend”—she explains to Ted in an early episode that she’s “sort of famous for being almost famous.” Our very first impression of her is all sex appeal and excess, and you might make the mistake of thinking that she’s more of a trophy than a person.

However, Keeley very quickly distinguishes herself from the sort of static trope who only exists for the sake of a male character. She’s outspoken and a quick study, making insightful observations about other characters with a disarming frankness. When she and Ted are photographed in what appears to be a compromising position, she rattles off several wordplay-laced prospective tabloid headlines, informing Ted, “I’m cute as a button and can rhyme my arse off.” She decides that she’s not going to be intimidated by Rebecca, ingratiating herself into the frosty club owner’s life with her scatterbrained energy and bluntness. And when Jamie plays some ego-stroking games at her expense, she dumps him, even though it scares her a little to make such a big move.

Keeley is smart, kind, and confident. She doesn’t suffer fools, but she doesn’t look for slights around every corner. After breaking things off with Jamie, Rebecca gives her a job doing some marketing work for the team, and she flourishes. With her knack for branding and talent for thinking on her toes, Keeley does well in her new job, showing just how capable she is. She demonstrated that she was fully her own person even she was a footballer’s girlfriend, but now, her talent and initiative are on display for everyone to see.

This is part of the reason why, as she and Roy circle around each other and finally get together near the end of season 2, it never feels like Keeley is subsumed into the relationship. She doesn’t become a character “for Roy” any more than she was for Jamie; she continues to succeed in her career, gaining outside acclaim for her accomplishments, and her delightful friendship with Rebecca remains a big part of her life. And in her relationship with Roy, she doesn’t apologize for her sexual history, is open about her turn-ons, and handles conflicts by talking about them.

This is a Favorite Characters post, so I don’t want to talk much about Keeley’s story in season 3 here—I’ll get into that more on another day. Suffice it to say, when I think about Keeley Jones, I’m forever and always going to be thinking about seasons 1 and 2.