Spoilers for Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 10 “International Break” Ahead!
Our long emotional nightmare is over, Ted Lasso fans! Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) are finally back together. The latest episode of the Emmy-winning Apple TV+ hit crescendoed with a shattered Keeley stumbling upon her ex leaving her a note apologizing for his behavior and proclaiming his love. Then comes the hilarious reveal that Keeley immediately took Roy back when Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) discovers him coming down from upstairs in a state of partial undress.
Roy and Keeley are back on, people! This is not a drill! At least one Ted Lasso romantic ‘ship is sailing straight into the waters of a happily ever after and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
So how did this miraculous romantic reunion occur? How did Roy woo Keeley back? What did a tie-died red and orange and yellow t-shirt have to do with this big change? And why did Ted Lasso’s star couple break up in the first place? Here’s everything you need to know about Roy and Keeley’s breakup and reunion on Ted Lasso…
Ted Lasso Season 3 has been tough on the Roy Kent /Keeley Jones fans of the world. The season opened with the devastating reveal that Roy and Keeley had in fact split up after the events of Season 2. Even worse? Roy was the one who dumped Keeley. The gruff football coach found himself feeling useless as the former WAG’s professional life began soaring. He dealt with his own insecurities by breaking up with his beloved. It was a move that his own niece Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield) called “stupid” and series star/writer/EP Brett Goldstein told us he agreed.
“As a fan, I love Roy and Keeley. I am devastated. I’m with Phoebe all the way,” Goldstein told Decider. “Awful. Horrendous. Devastating. No, thank you.”
It seems that Roy finally figured out what an imbecile he was in Ted Lasso Season 2 Episode 10 “International Break.” And it might have been Phoebe herself, or at least Phoebe’s handiwork, who got Roy to shift his thinking and admit he messed up.
Early on in this week’s Ted Lasso, Roy attends a very special party for “Uncle’s Day,” a holiday in which Phoebe fetes her beloved Uncle Roy. While it’s the first time we’ve seen Phoebe since the Ted Lasso Season 3 premiere — a choice Decider’s own Nicole Gallucci took righteous umbrage with! — it’s clear she’s been plugged in with her uncle this whole time. So much so, she invites Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) to attend Uncle’s Day since she believes Jamie is Roy’s best friend.
Phoebe gifts Roy a bright tie-dyed t-shirt, which she explains spells out his name: “Red-Orange-Yellow.” Roy grits his way through a thank you and later shocks everyone by wearing the shirt first to Richmond and then to Phoebe’s school. The shift in wardrobe has a clear effect on how other people see Roy. Jokes aside, Phoebe’s flirty teacher Ms. Bowen (Ruth Bradley) — whose name is Leann, not LIZA! — tells Roy that he looks lighter than he did in Season 2. She makes an awkward note of enjoying cleaning up messes and says she hopes whatever was bothering him didn’t mess him up too much. Her flirtation actually backfires big time because in that moment Roy realizes he was the mess and that he wrecked things with Keeley.
Keeley, meanwhile, is in a world of pain. Not only are she and Jack (Jodi Balfour) done, but Jack doesn’t do Keeley the favor of warning her that the VC board that funds KJPR is pulling the plug on the publicity firm immediately. Keeley gets some advice (and liquor and food) from Mae (Annette Badland), but otherwise is licking her wounds.
Roy visits Keeley’s house with the intention of leaving a letter there for her, but she catches him in the midst of this plan. She opens the letter, but tells Roy to read it aloud since she can’t make sense of his admittedly cramped and insane scrawl. Roy apologizes to Keeley for potentially making her feel less than incredible, takes full blame for the breakup, and declares his love.
The next time we see Keeley, Rebecca has come round for much-needed girl talk. When Rebecca hears about Jack’s VC board pulling KJPR’s funding, she offers to invest in the business. She then tells Keeley that Rupert (Anthony Head) tried to kiss her at the Akufo (Sam Richardson) meeting. Keeley scoffs that someone would have to be at their lowest to take back an ex right as a half-dressed Roy descends the stairs behind her. Rebecca sees this and immediately understands Roy and Keeley are back on.
So sure, Keeley was probably eager to climb out of her depressive spiral, but Roy did the work atoning for his mistakes and declaring his love. And it was Phoebe who shifted her uncle’s perspective by giving him that tie-dyed t-shirt. (In fact, we see him wear another one before the end of the episode.)
Roy and Keeley are back on! Now, Ted Lasso better make sure to never break them up again!