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One of the beautiful things about Ted Lasso is that it has always given its supporting characters room to breathe and the space to develop. From Dani Rojas falling back in love with football after accidentally killing AFC Richmond’s greyhound mascot Earl to Sam speaking out against the team’s sponsor Dubai Air, the show has always been great at giving these characters a time to shine. It hasn’t just been about Ted, Rebecca, Beard, and the main group for a while.
This has remained the case with season three which is putting the spotlight on young footballer Colin (Billy Harris) and journalist Trent Crimm (James Lance). One of the season’s best moments came in the tender episode set in Amsterdam, titled Sunflowers, as Colin snuck off to visit a gay bar in the city. In an earlier episode we discovered that Colin was gay, with sly reporter Trent then finding out for himself as he spotted the footballer kissing his boyfriend Michael.
Trent Crimm's transformation
Understandably there were concerns about how this storyline would be handled and whether Trent would out Colin to the public - he did used to be a tabloid reporter after all so it was a legitimate worry. However, instead the opposite happened as Trent revealed to the footballer that he was only following him to offer some guidance, words of advice, as he too is gay. This reveal came as a surprise to Colin, many fans, and actor Lance who spoke to GamesRadar+ about it. However, he admitted it was unexpected not because he never saw Trent as a gay man, but because scenes like this are rare to see:
“I was thrilled to have this moment in Amsterdam with Billy as Colin - it was fantastic! The story that they are putting out there, the idea that Trent is ever so quietly supporting and caring for this younger guy, it’s a beautiful thing. He has become this gentle mentor in the background which feels quite unusual to see. But, I love that.”
It’s the next step in the evolution of Trent Crimm though, who throughout the three seasons has quietly been going through quite the transformation. First introduced as a skeptical reporter working for The Independent who is always hunting for a tantalizing scoop, Trent has since softened having been won over by the likes of Ted - hell, he’s even put his newspaper days behind him and is now working for AFC Richmond, writing a book about the club.
With every episode it feels like we are seeing a new side to the beloved Trent, from opening up to Colin to becoming vulnerable at the club as Roy instructs the team to ostracize the writer. Lance teases that this is just the beginning though and we still have many layers to uncover: “Really it’s an actor’s dream being able to peel off these layers, discovering other facets of the character which are indicative of his journey - and I’ve got a few more to go, the best is yet to come!
"It is his own persona that gets blown up really!"
James Lance
"But this character does go through quite the transformation - when we first meet him he’s a cynical old wolf who is jaded, a bit bored in his job, and ready to shoot Ted down. However, in fact the opposite happens and it is his own persona that gets blown up really. He goes on this journey that is wonderful to follow.”
Becoming the best version of Colin
We will have to wait and see what Lance means by ‘the best is yet to come’ but with Trent recently developing this newly formed bond with Colin, our bet is that this will really change things for the pair. Colin actor Harris is keen to emphasize that it already has had an impact on his character, with that scene in Amsterdam being a crucial turning point. He thinks that having Trent as his mentor will help Colin become the best version of himself: “It has changed things and it’s nice. I do believe that Trent is probably the first person within football who Colin has really spoken to about this. To have Trent in the world of AFC Richmond will only benefit Colin as he isn’t necessarily looking for guidance, he wanted someone to talk to when he’s feeling anxious. He’s quite an anxious character and you can see in the locker room that he’s not necessarily living to his full potential. I think Trent will help him get there.”
During that key scene we see Colin and Trent discuss the challenges of living in the public eye, with the footballer also admitting that he feels unable to come out to anyone at AFC Richmond. However, what’s interesting is that Colin isn’t just concerned about being accepted by his teammates, he’s also worried about the pressure that will naturally come with being a publicly out footballer. As the character states himself, “I don’t want to be a spokesperson.” Harris feels that for Colin, being able to live his life is more important than the act of coming out itself, with the footballer not necessarily seeing reason to open up to his team unless he really has to.
"What’s important is that it should simply be how he wants to do it."
Billy Harris
As the actor explained: “He’s living two lives right now and I think the most important thing is that he needs to be able to live his normal life, regardless of whether he wants to make a big deal out of it or not - and that’s true for everyone. That will help him make his progression through life. How he does it throughout the series, you might get to see that, but what’s important is that it should simply be how he wants to do it.”
Whilst Harris there doesn’t confirm that we will see the continuation of this storyline this season - he only teases that we “might” see it - the show’s creators have repeatedly stated that these final episodes will conclude a three-season arc that was planned from the beginning, which surely then includes both Colin and Trent’s stories. With only five episodes left to go, we will soon see what’s next for this new, cherished duo.
Ted Lasso airs every Wednesday on streaming service AppleTV+. Check out the release schedule.
