Colin coming out as gay was a huge moment for LGBTQ+ representation in Ted Lasso, although something about how the Apple TV+ sports comedy handled its story didn’t sit well with me. Colin, played by Billy Harris, was a reference in Ted Lasso since the pilot, so its release in Season 3, Episode 6, “Sunflowers,” has been a long time coming. Hints about Colin’s sexuality have been conveyed to viewers since the show’s second season and were not confirmed until season three, episode 3, “4-5-1.” After so much development, some of the ways the show handled this incredibly personal story arc were disappointing, to say the least.
Ted Lasso confirmed that Colin is gay at the beginning of “4-5-1”, but it is only at the end of the episode that other characters discover his LGBTQ+ identity. This happens when Trent spies Colin kissing Michael (Sam Liu) outside the restaurant that all the AFC Richmond players were visiting. Colin finally managed to come out in “Sunflowers”, although the decision was somewhat forced on him due to leaked photos of him with other men. Colin finally opens for the team at half-time in the match against Brighton & Hove Albion FC. However, in the meantime Ted Lasso the plot was supposed to be all about Colin, the focus was more on characters like Isaac (Kola Bokinni).
Ted Lasso left Colin out in his coming out story
He felt like a secondary character during his most important moment
Colin coming out as gay could have been a reference to LGBTQ+ representation in Ted Lasso and other similar programs. Sports shows, whether comedy or drama, rarely address the struggle faced by gay athletes, and when they do, the stories can often be handled poorly. I’m not saying that Ted Lasso portrayed Colin or his sexuality in a negative light – far from it. The entire team, from Ted himself (Jason Sudekis) to the other AFC Richmond players, is incredibly supportive. However, I also couldn’t help but feel that Colin wasn’t the focus of his journey either.
Firstly, it is clear that Ted Lasso it only elevated Colin to a central character when his sexuality became apparent. While Billy Harris has been a constant presence in the cast since the pilot, he’s hardly had as much screen time as Ted or Roy (Brett Goldstein), for example. The sudden shift to focusing on Colin in Season 3 was heavy – and although it wasn’t quite to the point where the program 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 me and many other viewers if it weren’t for the fact that, Once Colin’s sexuality was confirmed, the series seemed to spend more time on the other characters’ reactions than on him. Isaac struggled with what he perceived as Colin deceiving him, for example. In “Sunflowers”, Isaac’s internal conflict took as much time as Colin had the courage to come out to the rest of the AFC Richmond players. In the grand scheme of things, Isaac’s feelings here should have been an afterthought.
There was equal screentime given to Trent Crimm (James Lance), who was instrumental in helping Colin come to terms with his own sexuality and the fact that he didn’t need to hide it. While confirming that Crimm was gay was also a huge character development moment, the sports journalist had already been a member of the LGBTQ+ community for some time in his life.
Having Colin share much of the screen time Ted Lasso gave his coming out arc with Crimm allowed for a lot of emotional development for both of them, but also created the sense that – just 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 her emotional struggles almost perfectly
While I had some issues with the balance of narrative focus around the LGBTQ+ storyline, I’m not saying the series handled things poorly. There was a lot that Ted Lasso did incredibly well during Colin’s journey to accept his sexuality and come out to the rest of his AFC Richmond teammates. This was especially true when it came to showing the emotional weight of her decision and how much courage it took.
At no time Ted Lasso downplayed this aspect of Colin coming out as gay, nor did it make light of his sexuality or the real danger of being open about his LGBTQ+ status presented to his career.
Homophobia has always been a problem in sports and athletics, but it takes an especially toxic form when it comes to the world of football in the UK (which I can personally vouch for, having been based there). The predominant emotion for Colin throughout the coming out process was, without a doubt, fear. He was scared of how his teammates and the AFC Richmond fans would react – and this was played incredibly well by Billy Harris.
At no time Ted Lasso downplayed this aspect of Colin coming out as gay, nor did it make light of his sexuality or the real danger of being open about his LGBTQ+ status presented to his career. The reaction from Ted and the rest of the AFC Richmond players was incredibly emotional, as was the moment Colin celebrated the victory by kissing Michael in the stands several episodes later.
These scenes were incredibly cathartic for many viewers who had similar personal experiences to Colin’s – and the show maximized their effect with how palpable it made the tension and anxiety Colin was feeling in the lead-up to his Season 3 debut. -5-1”.
Ted Lasso fumbled other LGBTQ+ stories
Keeley’s sexuality didn’t make much sense
Ted Lasso may have missed the mark in some ways with Colin’s coming out story (although it got a lot right too), but it’s not the first time he’s had difficulty dealing with gay characters. The other prominent example is, of course, Keeley (Juno Temple). Keeley first appears in Ted Lasso 1st season as Jamie’s (Phil Dunster) girlfriend. However, she soon leaves him and begins a relationship with Roy (Brett Goldstein).
However, later in the show, Keeley is bisexual and begins a relationship with Jack (Jodi Balfour) in season 2. Unlike Colin, there was almost no indication that Keeley was bisexual, other than a few jokes she made here and there. The moment she and Jack became a couple seemed to come out of nowhere. Many fans commented on this and felt that the portrayal of same-sex relationships between women was sensationalist and catered to the male gaze.
Unlike Colin, there was no time for any concerns Keeley might have had about her sexuality. This seemed incredibly unrealistic. Even though she wasn’t a player, Keeley still navigated the hyper-masculine, toxically homophobic world of football in the UK. She had many vested business interests in AFC Richmond, which required her to have good relationships with players and management, and was a well-known figure in the UK press. In short, although Colin’s departure was well portrayed in many ways by Ted Lasso (even if it didn’t focus enough on Colin himself), the same can’t be said when it comes to Keeley.