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During the pilot episode of the wildly successful Apple TV comedy Ted Lasso, the introduction of soccer star Jamie Tartt proves to be less than promising. He interrupts his new coach’s speech to leave and go get waxed. As season one of the show progresses, the audience learns a few things about Jamie: he bullies the kit man Nate and encourages others to do so as well; he’s a selfish player who only cares about his own success on the field, he’s rude to his teammates, and he’s more arrogant than Narcissus.
But during the second half of season one, Jamie reveals layers of himself that make the audience look at him differently. Jamie’s father left him after his parents got a divorce, came back into his life after he found fame in the soccer world, and instilled the notion of dominance and selfishness at all costs into Jamie’s head. For a bit, it looks like he’s going to make a heel turn and become the player and person Ted Lasso has been trying to get him to be all season. But then his loan with Richmond ends, and Man City scoops him up, leading to Jamie’s departure from the team and any hope of his redemption gone, at least at first.
Season two of the Emmy-winning comedy brought a lot of memorable moments, strong episodes, and enrichment of their characters. One of AFC Richmond’s star players’ redemption arc proves to be one of the best and well crafted narrative threads of the entire season; when it comes to Jamie Tartt realizing the error of his ways, apologizing for past and present mistakes, making amends and working every day on improving himself on and off the pitch, Ted Lasso scores on all fronts.
What Makes A Redemption Arc Work?
When it comes to the recipe for a strong redemption arc, four components must be present in order to have the arc come out fully baked and satisfying for the story and the audience alike:
- The character must acknowledge that their behavior was wrong.
- They must provide a genuine apology to those they’ve hurt.
- They must attempt to make amends to those they’ve hurt.
- They must work on being a better person every single day. Redemption doesn’t begin and end after a half-hearted apology or after one nice gesture.
Redemption arcs don’t begin and end with one nice gesture or a heroic sacrifice. Sure, it’s cool to see a bad guy put themselves in harm’s way for a story’s hero, but when there’s no buildup, no narrative clues for the audience to chew on. Moreover, there is often no acknowledgment from the characters or the narrative that the bad guy isn’t fully redeemed because of one grand gesture; it all rings hollow.
It’s why Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Steve Harrington from Stranger Things are some of the most beloved characters by viewers. Both of them realized they’d made mistakes, they apologized to those they hurt, and they not only patched things up with others, but they continued to grow and change into kinder, more considerate, and selfless people. Their journeys contained these four components, and the narrative gave both of them the room to become the lovable hero many audience members always knew they were capable of being. Ted Lasso manages to do the same with Jamie Tartt, and it makes both the story and the character better for it.
Jamie Tartt Acknowledges The Error Of His Ways
Jamie’s first step on his journey to redemption occurs when he recognizes his past behavior as wrong. It only took him going on a Love Island-esque reality show and realizing he has no idea what his future looks like to reach this point. This decision comes as a surprise. The last time audiences saw Jamie Tartt in season one; he was playing for Man City, a rival team in the match that determines if Richmond will stay in the Premier League or get relegated to the lower Champions league. Ted’s lessons of selflessness finally get through to him, and he passes the ball to a teammate in the last few seconds of the match, leading to a goal and Richmond’s relegation. But when season two begins, he isn’t anywhere near a soccer field. Instead, he’s on TV and aimless.
Seeing a character like Jamie, someone usually reassured and confident in their own abilities, questioning his past choices and what he’s doing with his life sets up his journey vehemently. Every character on the show has flaws and moments of self-doubt. Ted Lasso giving Jamie the screen time to display his own not only helps the audience better sympathize with him, but also plants the seed of hope that he can and wants to change for the better. It allows Jamie to reflect on his life choices-both in and out of the locker room and how he can begin to make the right ones.
After getting voted off the show, Jamie swallows his pride and confides in his former coach Ted. He reveals how much he’s been struggling since both Ted and the audience last saw him. Admitting how lost he is in life and only going on the reality show to push his abusive father’s buttons lets audiences see Jamie in a profoundly vulnerable position. Jamie tells Ted he doesn’t just want to return to Richmond but that he needs the team. He needs the life he once took for granted back, despite all the mistakes he made. At first, Ted declines, thinking it would be a bad idea due to all the bridges Jamie burned months ago.
Jamie accepts his fate, and by doing so, he’s given time to ponder his past behavior. The look of shame and melancholy that washes over his face at Ted’s rejection is both a testament to Phil Dunster, the actor who plays Jamie, and his talent, but also to the narrative to flip a switch in Jamie’s mind. This is the turning point for him; his past cruelty led to present-day consequences. It matches the somber tone of the scene set by the dark wooden interior of the pub and the soft, weak yellow lights affixed to the walls. Then the episode does what Ted Lasso does best- it organically subverts viewers’ expectations. It shows Jamie walking back onto the Richmond practice field to join the team and being greeted by his teammates’ shocked, angry, and irritated stares. Jamie coming back to the team despite the players’ reluctance is one moment that could’ve been handled better in terms of writing. Ted never gets shown talking to the team about Jamie’s return. Nevertheless, now that’s he’s back with the Greyhounds. With step one of a successful redemption arc complete, he takes the next step: providing genuine, albeit overdue, apologies, where he acknowledges the errors of his ways externally.
Jamie Apologizes
When Jamie does apologize to his teammates, his apology isn’t accepted-it’s flat-out rejected. In episode three of the season, Jamie’s back on AFC Richmond, and his return gets met with rightful hostility and annoyance by his teammates. Not only did Jamie get them relegated, but he made the locker room a toxic place, especially for fellow teammate Sam Obisanya. He was a poor coworker and an even worse person. His teammates-and the show itself- haven’t forgotten how Jamie made them feel, and they don’t want him back on the squad. By not getting immediate forgiveness from those he hurt, Jamie’s apology attempt feels realistic and sets the stakes for the next part of his arc. When the team gets dressed for practice in episode three, Jamie’s sitting alone-in fact; he spends most of this episode alone, an intentional choice on the show’s part to display his disconnection with the team. One apology can never erase years of hurt, and Jamie learns this the hard way.
Nevertheless, his apology proves to be only the beginning of what he’s willing to do in order to get back in his teammates’ good graces. He puts in the work. He stands up to Led Tasso (Ted’s impersonation and alter ego of a hardened, demanding coach) during practice, allowing the team to end their training early and earning thanks from a few teammates, and begins therapy after a push from his ex-girlfriend. While the audience doesn’t get any glimpses into his sessions, it’s worth noting that Jamie doesn’t fight it or even have any negative things to say about therapy. He even seems to enjoy the idea of it, as it’s an excuse to talk about himself. Jamie’s olive branch may have been snapped in half by the teammates he extended it to, but he refuses to give up in his quest for their forgiveness and his own redemption.
Apologizing is often the bare minimum for a person to do to those they’ve wronged. It’s a nice gesture, especially when it’s backed by genuine remorse. But as the saying goes, “the best apology is changed behavior.” Jamie’s penitent words soon bleed into actions that not only prove the sincerity of his apology but that he’s willing to change his behavior for the better each and every day. He shows both Richmond and the audience that he meant every word of his apology and that he won’t stop working until that apology is accepted.
Jamie Makes Amends
Jamie’s first big step in making amends with those he’s hurt lies in his decision to back teammate Sam’s protest against the team’s main sponsor, Dubai Air. After Sam lands a photo shoot promoting the company, his father informs him that Cerithium Oil owns Dubai Air. Cerithium Oil dumped oil in Sam’s home country Nigeria and refuses to clean it up.
Sam bravely takes a stand against Cerithium Oil by not only backing out of being the face of Dubai Air and losing out on thousands of dollars but by staging an on-field protest. He covers the Dubai Air logo on his jersey with black tape and gives his teammates a heartfelt and passionate speech about why. His fellow Nigerian teammates join him, and one of the first players to ask for the tape is Jamie Tartt. After Jamie covers his logo, the rest of the team does the same, and AFC Richmond stands together with Sam and their Nigerian teammates in solidarity and support. Finally, in episode eight, Sam and the audience learn Ceritihium Oil leaves Nigeria for good, all thanks to Sam.
After Richmond loses the match, Jamie leads a toast to Sam. The teammates embrace, and what follows is Jamie and Sam forming a slow but surely blooming friendship. Jamie leans on Sam’s shoulder when the team’s just hanging around, he becomes invested in Sam’s romantic journey on a dating app, and he passes to Sam on the field more in a single episode than in all of season one combined. The show displays their growing trust in one another subtly, through actions instead of words. Joining Sam’s protest wasn’t Jamie looking for a quick way to get Sam to forgive him. He did it because he wanted to help out his teammate and stand in solidarity with him. Jamie doing this begins his journey of making the right choices, the choices his season one self never would’ve made.
What’s also notable about this decision is how tumultuous Sam and Jamie’s relationship once was. In season one, Jamie insults Sam’s playing abilities, doesn’t check on Sam or help him up when he gets hurt during a game, and doesn’t chip in for Sam’s birthday gift. In episode two of this season, Sam even tells Ted that no teammate ever made him feel as bad as Jamie did. The narrative gives space for Sam to be angry with Jamie and take time before the former comes around to forgive the latter. Seeing Sam and Jamie embrace at the end of this episode and them slowly becoming closer and leaning on the other person more on and off the pitch shows the audience that Jamie’s willing to change and make amends-even to those he’s hurt most.
Jamie Continues To Grow And Change For The Better
Jamie may be on the right path now, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to stumble every once and while. While Jamie partakes in more team events, passes the ball on the field, and continues to treat those at Richmond with respect and kindness, he has lapses in judgment and even makes a few mistakes, most notably when it comes to his ex-girlfriend and Richmond’s PR head Keeley. Keeley broke up with him back in season one, citing his lack of accountability as the reason. Despite this, they remain on good terms for the entirety of the show. Now happily in a relationship with Roy Kent, Jamie’s former teammate and rival, Keeley and Jamie remain friends.
But in episode ten of the season, Jamie tells Keeley that, while he knows she’s with Roy and that it’s a crummy thing to do, he confesses his love for her. Telling someone in a relationship that you love them, especially if they’re your ex, is questionable at best and selfish at worst. This move comes as a surprise in the narrative, as there are only two more episodes of the season. After Keeley tells Roy what happened, Roy confronts Jamie in the laundry room at Richmond. Jamie immediately apologizes, acknowledges that what he did was wrong, reiterates that he respects Keeley, Roy, and their relationship and that he won’t ever do something like that again.
Jamie confessing to Keeley could’ve played out in the typical, formulaic love-triangle fashion many other shows have succumbed to. ButTed Lasso remains committed to subverting tropes. The show takes a cliche moment and turns it on its head. This moment leads to Jamie giving another genuine apology, proving he not only knows how to admit when he’s wrong but that he’s willing to do so. This confession coming so late into season two reminds audiences that Jamie and his growth may be on an upward trajectory, but like anyone else, he’s still human. His storyline may follow the formula for a successful redemption arc, but the writers know flaws can take months or even years to completely root out.
A character making a mistake or two or even five doesn’t negate their redemption arc. It makes them realistic. Like most things in life, growth isn’t linear. People, both fictional and real, will mess up. What matters is if they take accountability, apologize, and change afterward. Jamie Tartt continues to show he’s willing to take those steps, no matter how difficult they may be. Ted Lasso remains committed to giving Jamie the space to grow, even after he slips up. Having a character continue to actively work on their self-improvement strengthens any redemption arc, especially Jamie’s. A character choosing day in and day out to do the right thing, to be a better person than who they were a day before, only highlights the commitment they’ve made to their own betterment-even if they don’t always get it right.
Jamie’s Past Behavior Gets Explained, But Not Excused
In episode eight of season two, ‘Man City,’ the audience gets a painful and unflinching look into who made the old Jamie Tartt who he was. Jamie’s father comes into the locker room after Richmond’s ugly loss to Manchester City, Jamie’s former team. Mr. Tartt proceeds to emotionally, verbally, and physically abuse and berate his son-in front of the entire Richmond team and coaching staff. Jamie’s abuse at the hands and words of his father gets put on display for his entire team to see, and it’s impossible for them and viewers alike to look away from the horror unfolding on screen. Even though Jamie initially stands his ground and asks his father not to speak to him that way, it’s a battle he won’t win.
When Jamie punches his father in retaliation, it’s not a moment of triumph. There’s no sweeping score or a high-angled shot of Jamie looking victorious; instead, he’s terrified, completely rooted to the spot even as his father threatens to escalate the fight and gets thrown out of the locker room. Dead silence fills the space as a tight shot of Jamie’s wide, scared eyes cuts away to his former rival Roy Kent walking over and embracing Jamie. When Jamie’s sobs overpower the music that kicked in seconds before, it’s impactful because standing up to an abuser isn’t pretty. It’s a petrifying, arduous task that doesn’t always leave one feeling victorious. Even though Jamie now has a support system to lean on after a confrontation with his abuser, he isn’t magically okay, and the trauma from his childhood and this scene still needs the time and space it deserves to be unpacked.
Showing a broader scope of his father’s abuse in the latter half of season two proves to be a strong narrative choice. At this point in the story, both the characters and the audience have forgiven Jamie. His abusive father isn’t tossed into the story in order to slap a Band-Aid over all of the mistakes Jamie’s made. The seeds of his toxic and traumatizing homelife planted themselves all the way back in season one, where Jamie’s father gets mentioned twice. First, when Jamie admits to his team art a curse-breaking ceremony that his father only came back into his life once he became a famous soccer star and instilled the toxic mindset that anything less than dominant behavior on and off the field wouldn’t be tolerated. The only other time we’ve seen Mr. Tartt was in the season one finale when he criticizes Jamie for passing the ball instead of taking the winning goal for himself and then pushes and throws a cleat at his son.
By waiting to pull back the full curtain on the monster Mr. Tartt is after Jamie’s redemption arc has already taken off, it provides an explanation as to why Jamie used to be such a bad teammate and questionable person, but not an excuse. At this point in the season, Jamie’s rejected everything his father instilled into his head about being a selfish player and cruel person. Instead, he’s kinder to others; he passes the ball frequently and cares about his teammates on and off the field. He’s changed so much from the arrogant jerk we first met in the pilot episode. That arrogant jerk may have been molded and shaped by an abusive father, but Ted Lasso doesn’t use that as a get-out-of-jail-free card for Jamie Tartt. He still had to put in the time and effort to earn the forgiveness of others. It does, however, reflect why his gradual transformation is all the more remarkable. Despite his father’s emotional and physical abuse, Jamie breaks the cycle by choosing to be a better person and teammate, thanks to the people around him and his own determination.
Jamie Starts To Think Of Others First
Much like in season one, the latest season finale of Ted Lasso shows Jamie Tartt helping to score the winning goal through his selflessness. While he makes the extra pass that leads to a winning goal in season one, season two shows him giving up the chance to be the hero in order to help a teammate gain emotional closure. In episode one, Dani Rojas, one of Richmond’s star players, accidentally kills the team’s live greyhound mascot with his penalty kick. Dani struggles with the guilt he feels for the dog’s death for the entirety of the episode, and for the rest of the season, he doesn’t take any penalty kicks.
Until Jamie gets illegally slide tackled in the last few minutes of the game-deciding of Richmond gets promoted back to the Premier League or not. If Jamie makes the penalty kick, they will. As Jamie, who hasn’t missed a penalty kick all season, lines up to take the shot, he turns around and calls Dani’s name, instead choosing to let his teammate take the shot, which Dani buries in the back of the net after smiling at the team’s new mascot. Jamie chooses to give up a moment of glory for himself in order to help his teammate move on and get past a mental block. This moment encompasses just how far Jamie has come since season one. He cares more about his team’s collective success rather than his own, and if that means letting a teammate kick the winning goal instead of him for their own well-being, then so be it.
Jamie allowing Dani have the glory also serves as a nice callback to when Dani first came to Richmond in episode six of season one, where Jamie feels threatened by the new star player. He’s blatantly rude to Dani at first and even refuses to high-five him. When he loses to Dani in a friendly competition, he only resents the new player even more. Now, Jamie’s giving him the chance to be the hero without a second thought. Dani’s closure and mental health matter more to Jamie than his chance to be the hero. Jamie’s thinking of others first provides a sharp contrast to his old, selfish ways, and it only helps highlight the strength of his redemption arc. It’s not enough to say that a character changes; it needs to be shown. From joining Sam’s protest to apologizing to Roy, Jamie giving Dani the penalty kick puts the cherry on top of a season’s worth of growth and development. Jamie’s redemption arc doesn’t just benefit him and his own emotional maturity; it helps the entire team succeed and bond before, during, and after matches.
Jamie Tartt’s Journey Isn’t Over
As of today, Ted Lasso remains slated only to be three seasons, a choice on the part of the creators. With two seasons down and one to go, Jamie Tartt has twelve more episodes to continue his journey into becoming the man Ted, Keeley, and the audience always wanted him to be. Knowing that Jamie still has a full season of development left leaves the door open for even more possibilities for where his character arc can go. He still owes former kit man-turned coach Nate a proper apology for his cruel treatment of him, and he still has room for continued maturity and growth.
The road to Jamie’s redemption wasn’t a smooth one. Both the character and the narrative took their time developing and playing out over the course of season two. From apologies to changed behavior and everything in between, Jamie Tartt put in the time and effort into earning his redemption arc. He didn’t just do one nice thing and call it a day. Instead, he owned up to his past, and his future both on and off the pitch has never looked brighter. Jamie isn’t quite at the finish line in terms of character growth, but he doesn’t need to be. He has plenty of time- a whole season three’s worth-to continue to become the man his coach, ex-girlfriend, and the audience knows he can be.
