SLUG: A Deep Dive

Header: Couple Goals

DEK: We’re breaking down the show’s romantic relationships, from the good, to the bad, to the ugly. By Jon Moskowitz

The Good:

Roy and Keeley

From the start, we just knew Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) were going to get together. Keeley and Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) are cute, in a sort of Posh-and-Becks way, but it is in her interactions with Roy—especially that parking lot scene in Episode 3 of Season 1—that Keeley’s fierce intelligence really starts to show itself. She chips away at Roy’s hard-man act and gives him the perspective to show his more tender side, and he gives her the support to grow into her best self. Season 2 ended on an uncertain note concerning these two: will Keeley’s new career leave any space for their relationship? But it’s a nice gender bend on an age-old romantic dilemma. The show’s co-creator Bill Lawrence told The Hollywood Reporter that the couple have a rocky road ahead of them in Season 3. “I think it’s really important for us that even though it’s been idealized a little bit, everything regardless of which way it’s going to go has bumps and speed bumps,” he said. “The happiest couples in my life are still couples that had amazing splits, issues and had to overcome something. Other couples that were disastrous just fell apart. I can’t tell you which it’s going to be.”

Rebecca and Ted

While not romantic (by the end of season 2, anyway), Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) and Rebecca Welton’s (Hannah Waddingham) relationship is arguably the most important in the entire show, with Sudeikis telling Gold Derby that the pair are “soulmates.” Ted’s stubborn positivity has helped Rebecca evolve from a scheming, resentful ex-wife to the caring, engaged leader of the entire Richmond organization. She has more than once rescued Ted from the anxiety that lurks behind his hopeful facade. “It’s social conditioning [that] a lead woman and the lead man are going to end up together,” Waddingham told People. “Far deeper is the beauty of sometimes a platonic relationship, where you will be the last one at the person’s bedside, even if you haven’t slept with them. There may be more longevity in that.”

Higgins and Julie

Easily the most stable, long-lasting and mutually supportive relationship in the show, Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift) and his wife, Julie (Mary Roscoe) have been married for nearly 30 years and raised five children. They actually seem to still take delight in each other’s presence, with Higgins setting The Rolling Stones’ “She’s a Rainbow” as Julie’s ringtone in his phone. That puts their relationship squarely in the “good” category. The fact that Swift and Roscoe are a real-life married couple only makes their characters’ connection seem that much more special.

Rebecca and Sam

Though it would trigger alarms in HR departments around the world, there is something so sweet about the surprise romance between Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) and Sam Obisaya (Toheeb Jimoh) that we can overlook the employer/employee power dynamic and huge difference in their ages. It’s lovely to see Rebecca get her groove back, and Sam’s quiet confidence is hella sexy. Even when Rebecca puts things on pause, you can tell Sam isn’t worried. He knows they have a good thing going. “We do get into Sam’s love life a little bit this season and it will be very interesting for people to see how that all unfolds and where it goes,” Jimoh told Deadline about Season 3. “You’ll see what his relationship with Rebecca is like and what it turns into. It will be really interesting, no matter what side of the fence you’re on, whether you’re a TedBecca fan or SamBecca fan. There’s going to be a really interesting resolution for all the characters.”

Ted and Sassy

We’re not sure if they actually qualify as a couple, or more of a hook-up, but there’s undeniably chemistry between Ted and Rebecca’s BFF, Flo “Sassy” Collins (Ellie Taylor). Maybe it’s not so strange: Ted is perpetually optimistic, and, in her way, so is Sassy. Or, for another perspective, Rebecca’s mother (Harriet Walter) noted that “Florence does like wounded birds, doesn’t she?” Their relationship seems like a good thing, but with Sassy back in Season 3, it remains to be seen whether they have a future together, or merely some happy memories to look back on.

The Bad:

Jamie and Keeley

Some might disagree with putting this relationship in the “bad” column. After all, Jamie’s transformation from arrogant prima donna to slightly-less-arrogant team player was largely due to Keeley’s influence. But let’s not forget how shallow they were as a couple. A hot young football star and a hot young Internet-famous model? That’s a match made in media heaven. Keeley eventually dumps Jamie when she realizes he’s just in it for the image. He comes to realize what he lost upon his return to Richmond in Season 2. Jamie’s personal growth culminates in him confessing his love for Keeley and admitting, “I finally think I’m becoming the best version of myself, the kind of man that you always knew that I could be.”

Beard and Jane

Most fans seem to dislike this pairing, and it’s not hard to see why. We know Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), and we love him, but from what we’ve seen and heard of Jane Payne (Phoebe Walsh, who is also the show’s executive story editor), she is a bit of a tyrant (remember when he slept in the office because she threw his keys in the river?). So when they keep breaking up and getting back together, naturally we side with Beard. A good relationship shouldn’t involve so many games. Then again, they did meet while playing chess… Higgins tries to advise Beard after their latest reconciliation, asking him, “You’re a great man. Does Jane make you greater?” After a long pause, Beard envelops him in a hug.

The Ugly: 

Rupert and Rebecca

Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head) might be the only completely unsympathetic character in the series, so it’s no surprise that his relationship with ex-wife Rebecca is epically bad. We never actually get to witness it in its full, toxic prime, as they are already divorced when the series starts, but the few times Rupert does swoop in to cause trouble, you can see the trauma in Rebecca’s eyes. The ugliness of their relationship is, in a sense, the starting point of the entire series: it prompts Rebecca to plot revenge by sinking the club, which is why she brings Ted Lasso over from America in the first place. There’s a reason the darts game scene from season 1 is one of the most popular in the series: Rupert is such a terrible bully that it’s truly satisfying when Ted puts him in his place.