Colin coming out as gay was a huge moment for LGBTQ+ representation inTed Lasso,though something about how the Apple TV+ sports comedy handled his story didn’t quite sit right with me. Colin, played by Billy Harris, had been a staple ofTed Lassosince the pilot, so his coming out in episode 6 of season 3, “Sunflowers”, was a long time coming. Hints about Colin’s sexuality had been drip-fed to viewers since the show’s second season, and weren’t confirmed until season 3, episode 3, “4-5-1”. After such a buildup, some of the ways the show handled this incredibly personal story arc were, to say the least, disappointing.
Ted Lassoconfirmed Colin is gay at the start of “4-5-1”, but it’s not until the end of the episode that other characters discover his LGBTQ+ identity. This comes when Trent spies Colin kissing Michael (Sam Liu) outside the restaurantthe AFC Richmond playerswere all visiting. Colin was finally able to come out in “Sunflowers”, though the decision is somewhat forced upon him due to leaked photographs of him with other men. Colin finally opens up to the team during halftime of the match against Brighton & Hove Albion FC.However, while thisTed Lassostoryline should have been all about Colin, the focus was more on characters like Isaac (Kola Bokinni).
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Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, and Juno Temple, play some of the best characters in Apple’s Ted Lasso. But what else have the cast starred in?
Ted Lasso Sidelined Colin In His Coming Out Story
He Felt Like A Side Character During His Most Pivotal Moment
Colin coming out as gay could have been a benchmark for LGBTQ+representation inTed Lassoand other shows like it.Sports shows, whether comedy or drama, rarely address the struggle faced by gay athletes, and when they do, the storylines can often be mishandled. I’m not saying thatTed Lassoportrayed Colin or his sexuality negatively in any way - far from it. The entire team, from Ted (Jason Sudekis) himself through to the other AFC Richmond players, are incredibly supportive. However, I also couldn’t help but feel that Colin wasn’t the focus of his own journey, either.
Firstly,it’s clear thatTed Lassoonly elevated Colin to being a central character when his sexuality became apparent.While Billy Harris had been a fixture of the cast since the pilot, he was hardly given as much screen time as the likes of Ted or Roy (Brett Goldstein), for example. The sudden switch to focusing on Colin in season 3 was heavy-handed - and while it wasn’tquiteto the level that the show could be accused of sensationalism, it almost was.
In the grand scheme of things, Isaac’s feelings here should have been an afterthought.
However, this could have been forgiven by myself and many other viewers were it not for the fact that,once Colin’s sexuality was confirmed, the show seemed to spend more time on the reactions of other characters than it did him.Isaac struggled with what he perceived as Colin deceiving him, for example. In “Sunflowers”, Isaac’s internal conflict was given just as much time as Colin plucking up the courage to come out to the rest of the AFC Richmond players was. In the grand scheme of things, Isaac’s feelings here should have been an afterthought.
There was even just as much screentime given to Trent Crimm (James Lance), who was pivotal in helping Colin accept his own sexuality and the fact that he didn’t have to hide it. While confirming that Crimm was gay was also a great moment of character development, the sports journalist had been out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community for some time in his own life.
Having Colin share so much of the screen timeTed Lassogave his coming out arc with Crimm allowed for some great emotional development for the two, but it also created the sense that - much like with Isaac -Colin was a secondary character in what should have been the storyline that kept him as the central focus.
Ted Lasso Also Got A Lot Right About Colin Coming Out As Gay
The Show Captured His Emotional Struggles Near-Perfectly
While I did have some issues with the balance of narrative focus surrounding the LGBTQ+ storyline, I’m not saying that the show handled things badly.There was plenty thatTed Lassodid incredibly well during Colin’s journey towards accepting his sexuality and coming out to the rest of his AFC Richmond teammates.This was especially true when it came to showing the emotional weight of his decision and just how much courage it took him.
At no point didTed Lassodownplay this aspect of Colin coming out as gay, nor did it make light of his sexuality or the very real danger being open about his LGBTQ+ status presented to his career.
Homophobia has always been an issue in sports and athletics, but it takes on an especially toxic form when it comes to the world of soccer/football in the UK (which I can personally vouch for, being based there myself).The overriding emotion for Colin throughout the process of coming out was, without a doubt, fear. He was terrified of how both his teammates and the AFC Richmond fans would react - and this was played incredibly well by Billy Harris.
At no point didTed Lassodownplay this aspect of Colin coming out as gay, nor did it make light of his sexuality or the very real danger being open about his LGBTQ+ status presented to his career. The reaction of Ted and the rest of the AFC Richmond players was incredibly heartwarming, as was the moment Colin celebrated a win by kissing Michael in the stands several episodes later.
These scenes were incredibly cathartic for many viewers who had similar personal experiences to Colin - and the show maximized the effect of them with how palpable it made the tension and anxiety Colin was feeling in the build-up to him coming out in season 3’s “4-5-1”.
Ted Lasso Has Fumbled Other LGBTQ+ Storylines
Keeley’s Sexuality Didn’t Make Much Sense
Ted Lassomay have missed the mark in some ways with Colin’s coming out story (despite getting a lot right too), but it’s not the first time it’s struggled with how to handle gay characters. The other prominent example is, of course, Keeley (Juno Temple). Keeley first appears inTed Lassoseason 1 as the girlfriend of Jamie (Phil Dunster). However, she soon leaves him and beginsa relationship with Roy(Brett Goldstein).
However, later on in the show,Keeley is revealed to be bisexual, and starts a relationship with Jack (Jodi Balfour) in season 2.Unlike Colin, there were almost no hints that Keeley was bisexual aside from a few jokes she’d made here and there. The moment she and Jack became a couple felt like it came completely out of nowhere. Many fans commented on this, and felt that its portrayal of same-sex relationships between women was sensationalized and catered to the male gaze.
Unlike with Colin, there was no time given to any worries Keeley may have had about her sexuality.This felt incredibly unrealistic. Even though she wasn’t a player herself, Keeley still moved in the hypermasculine and toxicly homophobic world of soccer/football in the UK. She had many vested business interests in AFC Richmond that required her to be on good terms with the players and management, and was a well-known figure to the UK press. All in all, while Colin coming out was portrayed well in many ways byTed Lasso(even if it didn’t focus enough on Colin himself), the same can’t be said when it comes to Keeley.
Ted Lasso
Cast
Ted Lasso is an American football coach who moves to England, hired to manage a struggling soccer team, despite having no experience. With cynical players and a doubtful town, Ted will have to convince them that he’s fit for the job.
