Ted Lasso Season 2: Why Roy Didn’t Care Nate Kissed Keeley

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for the Ted Lasso season 2 finale!

Nate Shelley confessed to Roy Kent about previously kissing Roy’s girlfriend Keeley Jones in the Ted Lasso season 2 finale, but Roy’s unconcerned reaction made a lot of sense. Besides Nate making a move, Keeley also dealt with more romantic turmoil during the season after former flame Jamie Tartt confessed his love. Despite the interest from other men, Keeley remained committed to her relationship with Roy, while he had to choose how to react to both colleagues’ inappropriate actions toward his girlfriend.

Ted Lasso season 2’s finale, titled “Inverting the Pyramid of Success,” was tasked with concluding several worrisome storylines, including Sam’s future with the AFC Richmond organization, Nate’s motivations in leaking Ted’s mental health struggles, and of course, the fate of Roy and Keeley. Though the couple’s love for one another remained strong, an obvious rift grew by the end of season 2. Interestingly, their relationship struggles overlapped with Nate’s villainous transformation in a unique way.

Throughout Ted Lasso season 2, Nate struggled with his confidence before turning to Keeley and AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton for a lesson in getting what he deserved. As a proven voice as a coach for the football club and the self-proclaimed “wonder kid,” that newfound confidence soon went to Nate’s head. Not only did his thirst for power grow, but his behavior and attitude also started to change. After Nate berated Will, the kitman, for his suit comments, Nate turned to Keeley. She took Nate suit shopping, but he ended up responding to her kind gesture by kissing her before quickly realizing he was out of line. Keeley wasted no time telling Roy about the event, but it took Nate a little longer to confess. When he did in the season 2 finale, Roy didn’t seem to care at all, suggesting it was no big deal. Nate was shocked by the reaction, suggesting Roy should want to punch or head-butt Nate for kissing Keeley. Though Roy had time to process since Keeley informed him, the real reason for Roy’s lackadaisical response was due to the fact that he has never viewed Nate as a threat, especially compared to someone like Jamie.

Despite being an assistant coach on a professional team, Roy most likely still thinks of Nate as the harmless kitman. He respects Nate and is open to Nate’s football-related opinions, but it’s obvious the former kitman has never been on the same level regarding dating and relationships. In Roy’s mind, the person he was worried about was always Jamie, who already had the charm and allure to win over Keeley based on their past. With Nate’s lack of relationships and lingering confidence issues, Roy probably never even considered Nate as a rival for a romantic prospect.

Ultimately, Roy let both Jamie and Nate off the hook, taking the high road since he obviously had trust in Keeley and appreciated the truth from all parties. That said, Roy’s lack of concern for Keeley and Nate’s kiss helped send the latter down a dark path. It seemed like this was a major factor in Nate’s villainous outburst aimed at Ted, claiming he wasn’t receiving the attention and credit he always deserved. A portion of that truth bomb clearly stemmed from the kiss, more specifically, the fact that nobody would take his interest in Keeley seriously. Despite Nate’s work with his confidence, Roy confirmed that maybe Nate hasn’t evolved as he thought.

By the time Ted Lasso season 3 rolls around, the kiss between Nate and Keeley will be an afterthought, but the tension between Nate and the coaching staff is far from over. The season 2 finale confirmed that Nate left AFC Richmond to joined Rupert’s team, West Ham United, as a coach. He will likely be on the outs with Ted due to their last known encounter. Though Roy may not hold a personal grudge, Nate may still harbor disrespect for Roy’s reaction to the kiss situation, giving him more motivation to make his former team miserable.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1746 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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