Apple TV+
Keeley (Juno Temple) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) used to be my favorite characters on Ted Lasso. Not only were they both unique, stellar, larger-than-life ladies with distinct senses of humor and passion for their careers—they were friends. And good friends, at that! They cared about each other’s lives beyond just boy drama. Rebecca encouraged Keeley’s career growth, while Keeley broke Rebecca out of her shell. In a sea of testosterone and sweaty footballers, Keeley and Rebecca consistently proved that feminine figures can exist—and flourish—in the Premier League.
Luckily, in Season 3 of Ted Lasso, nothing has changed about Rebecca and Keeley’s friendship. They still check in on one another constantly—like in this most recent episode, “The Strings That Bind Us,” in which the pair go out for cocktails. No one can deny their commitment to one another as companions. But they’ve run out of things to talk about other than their love lives, a sign of weak writing for these otherwise strong female characters.
Both Rebecca and Keeley have been drowning because of their romantic entanglements—Rebecca more literally, after falling off a bridge in last week’s episode and being saved by a handsome Dutchman—which is leading to a drought of appearances from them on the football field. Ted has ceased visiting Rebecca’s office to gift her those buttery biscuits. Keeley never pops into the greasy, sweaty locker room to boss a bunch of footballers into a PR stunt, like she once did. The pair have been isolated from the rest of the story, pigeonholed into their dating drama as opposed to any of the main plots.