Ted Lasso’s Most Unlikely Friendship May Now Be Its Most Important Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt started out barely able to share a room without trading insults. Somewhere between the shouting, brutal training sessions and grudging moments of honesty, that hostility became one of the show’s funniest — and unexpectedly most moving — relationships.

When Ted Lasso returns for Season 4 this August, it won’t just be bringing AFC Richmond back to the pitch — it’ll also introduce the Lady Greyhounds, ushering in a brand-new chapter for the beloved Apple TV comedy. With new faces set to take center stage, there’s no better time to look back at the relationships that made the original three seasons so special.

Romance has always been a defining part of the series, from Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) will-they-won’t-they dynamic to Keeley (Juno Temple) navigating multiple romances and Colin’s (Billy Harris) deeply personal journey. But as memorable as those love stories are, Ted Lasso‘s greatest relationship was never romantic. Instead, the show’s most rewarding arc belonged to one unlikely bromance that transformed from bitter rivalry into one of television’s most heartfelt friendships.

Roy and Jamie Hated Each Other in ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 1

When Ted Lasso and his trusted assistant Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) arrive in the United Kingdom to coach AFC Richmond, they meet two very prominent members of the struggling soccer team. The first is the bullish Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) — a once-legendary star of the sport whose age and career’s worth of injuries finally catch up to him. The second is the cocky Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), who’s become the new star player on the team despite his braggadocious attitude and constant bullying of select team members and staff.

So we have a former legend who’s past his prime and a rising star who’s unimaginably arrogant. The makings of a classic sports rivalry practically writes itself, and Roy and Jamie constantly butt heads throughout the entire season. Roy is very much framed as the underdog while Jamie is the jock-esque bully, and that becomes especially true when Roy develops romantic feelings for Jamie’s then-girlfriend, Keeley. After Keeley finds out that Jamie has been unfaithful, she breaks up with the hothead and starts a relationship with the gruff yet kindhearted Roy.

Ted takes notice of Roy’s cavalier attitude and tries his best to rectify it, but before he can reach a breakthrough with the arrogant team member, Jamie is traded to another team in Manchester City.

Roy and Jamie Tolerated Each Other in ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 2

Season 2 of Ted Lasso represents a significant transition period for Roy and Jamie. Roy has officially left AFC Richmond behind by retiring, deciding that he’s not physically capable of competing in the sport any longer. Instead, he’s now coaching the youth soccer team of his young beloved niece, but this does little to satiate Roy’s desire to still be involved with the game of football. He then decides to take on a job as a sports broadcaster, but his signature brand of honesty and foul mouth makes that position not a great fit. Instead, he finds his way back to AFC Richmond, this time not as a player, but as an assistant coach for Ted.

Meanwhile, Jamie is seemingly living the high life, being a contestant on a dating show that’s clearly a parody of Love Island. When Jamie is the first contestant to be voted off the show and embarrassed in front of national television, the football player realizes that his bad-boy attitude is no longer popular among his fanbase, which has also led him to get kicked off the team he got traded to. With nowhere else to turn to, Jamie finds his way back to Ted and convinces him to let him come back to play for AFC Richmond, despite treating him and the rest of the team like dirt.

Suffice it to say, most of the team’s members and employees aren’t thrilled at Jamie’s return, especially Roy. It takes quite a lot of time, but Jamie ultimately proves to Roy and his teammates that he’s changed and matured, working to mend the bridges with the people he tormented and bullied. Roy even sees the reason behind Jamie’s past behavior when he meets Jamie’s father — an unbelievably selfish and cruel man who has been abusing his son for who knows how long. After Jamie finally delivers a well-earned punch to his father, Roy is quick to put their differences aside and comforts the upset player. We see how their relationship really evolves when Jamie confesses to Roy that he told Keeley that he’s still in love with her — instead of going ballistic on Jamie, Roy forgives him. Roy does give Jamie a solid strike after the team gets promoted but quickly hugs him as they celebrate their big win.

Roy and Jamie Become Close Friends in ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3

By Season 3, Roy and Jamie are still following the same career paths, but both are continuing to evolve as people. Roy, in particular, is going through a dramatic change in his own life, as he and Keeley have officially decided to break up, supposedly due to their incredibly busy schedules. Jamie, meanwhile, is going through a personal crisis of his own when legendary player Zava (Maximilian Osinski) joins the team and suddenly overshadows him as the star player of AFC Richmond. Both of these events mark a key turning point in their lives, but it also allows Roy and Jamie to go from teammates who tolerate each other to friends who actually like each other.

Once Zava joins the team and becomes the primary source for the team’s win streak, Jamie desperately wants to prove that he’s a better player than the pretentious new transfer. Roy senses that Jamie is self-conscious about his playing ability, and offers to train Jamie to become a better player. This requires getting up at an absurdly early hour and going for long runs in the dark, but this does put Jamie on a path to becoming a much better player. While the rest of the team takes a break to explore Amsterdam, Jamie continues his training with Roy, but even he’s able to convince his mentor to unwind and take a bit of a break. They’ve already been warming up to each other quite a bit, but after Jamie teaches Roy a few tricks himself, such as the seemingly basic task of riding a bike, it’s abundantly clear that they’ve officially gone from bitter rivals to reluctant teammates to possibly even best friends.

With Ted Lasso preparing to introduce the Lady Greyhounds in Season 4, the series is entering a new era filled with fresh relationships and dynamics. Still, Roy and Jamie’s journey from bitter rivals to genuine friends will be difficult to top.

Ted Lasso Seasons 1–3 are available to stream on Apple TV, with Season 4 premiering August 4.