Jamie Tartt from Ted Lasso is one of those characters fans love to hate. While he initially comes across as self-absorbed and arrogant, it's obvious that something would happen on the show to humble him and make him a better person. Perhaps what fans never expected, however, was to learn more about why Jamie is the way he is.
Jamie also isn't the most academic person, and sometimes, his lack of intelligence combined with his narcissism and inability to express his emotions effectively leads to some of the most hilarious quotes from the show.
Jamie On The Deceased
"I Ain't Used To Being Around Dead People. It Did Something To Me, Emotionally, You Know?"
This is in reference to Jamie having declared his love for Keeley, confirming that he had never gotten over her and that he saw her as the "one that got away." When confessing to Roy about this revelation, Jamie said this as an excuse for his behavior.
It is true that people can sometimes act oddly in situations like funerals. Jamie understood that he was feeling the way he was because he was uncomfortable in this situation. But he also finally recognized that he was getting emotional over a woman when he had typically only ever sought them out for physical relationships.
The Best Jamie
"I Finally Think That I'm Becoming The Best Version Of Myself."
While pouring his heart out to Keeley, Jamie revealed that he had finally felt like he became a better person. He also finally believed that he was deserving of her love.
It was a rare moment for Jamie, who didn't often open up to anyone about his feelings to the point that he is a low-key villain on Ted Lasso. This showed tremendous growth from the character, even if his words did completely throw Keeley for a loop.
Jamie On George Harrison
"The Second That I found Out That George Harrison Died, I Realized That I Had To Stop Waiting For Life To Begin."
Jamie was serious when having this conversation after his exit from a reality dating show. When the interviewer puzzlingly pointed out that George Harrison died 20 years ago, which meant Jamie would have been just a child at the time, he replied "Yes, but I only just found out."
It was a comment that hilariously brought to light not only Jamie's silly nature but his belief that he was being somewhat prophetic when using a reference that didn't make much sense. He could have easily picked another influential figure who had passed away more recently to get his point across.
Yoda, They Are
"Old People Are So Wise. They're Like Tall Yodas."
Jamie's point of reference for a wise person is Star Wars' Yoda. It makes sense as Yoda was indeed very intelligent and had lived long enough to provide sage advice.
But Jamie's comparison shows his lack of life experience, as he didn't have a real person to equate with how age and wisdom often intersect. With that said, Jamie had one of the best character evolutions on Ted Lasso, and part of his charm was delivering with these unintentionally hilarious one-liners.
Can't Buy Ted Love
"What Better Thing To Spend Money On Than Love?"
Jamie was very materialistic and often believed that he could buy people's love. In his eyes, giving people gifts was a way of expressing that he cared about them, or at least was a way of getting people to care about him.
During a conversation with Ted about trying to get back into the team member's good graces, Jamie suggested buying everyone PlayStation 5s. When Ted expressed that this could be construed as his attempt at buying their affection, Jamie genuinely thought there was nothing wrong with that.
Get Jamie's Tats
"Wait, Wait, Wait. Get My Tats. Get That One. It's Very Important To Me. Chinese For 'Arm.'"
While having tattoos with Chinese lettering or sayings in another language is pretty common, usually there's a deep meaning behind them. It might be a quote or word that means something to the person, a name, or even just an inspirational word.
But when Jamie was doing a press conference for his new role as brand ambassador of Darsteiner beer, he asked that the camerapersons got his tattoos in the shot, he revealed that the meaning behind one was simply "arm." It's so simply yet totally in Jamie's wheelhouse to do something like get a tattoo that had no emotional connection to him.
Jamie Is The Best
"Coach, I'm Me. Why Would I Want To Be Anything Else?"
This quote — one of the best quotes on Ted Lasso, period — popped up early on in the series and was a perfect way to demonstrate Jamie's arrogance. When Ted asked him if he would rather be a lion or a panda, his reply was this line. While it did demonstrate a bit of narcissism, Ted hit the nail on the head when he replied that the response was actually very "psychologically healthy."
Indeed, while it might appear as though Jamie is quite confident based on what he said, fans who continued to watch the show realized the root of Jamie's actions and behavior. And they stemmed from his verbally abusive father who talked Jamie down any chance he got.
Jamie On That American Rodeo Clown
"It's Nice To Have A Real Manager Like Pep, Instead Of That American Rodeo Clown."
When Ted first arrived in England to coach AFC Richmond, he didn't exactly get a warm welcome from the players. One of the most vocal dissenters was Jamie, who made it clear that he was not happy about having Ted as a coach.
While he eventually warmed to the man, Jamie ended up leaving the team and playing for a rival. During an on-camera interview, he spoke these words of his former coach, clearly deeply upset in believing that Ted orchestrated to get him to leave. And he used hurtful words to get his point across, as he was prone to do.
Jamie's Name, But Bigger
"Will, Do You Think You Could Take Me Name Off Me Shirt And Then Put It Back On But Bigger?" (Season 2, Episode 7, "Headspace")
Leave it to Jamie to have such an inflated ego that he believed his name should appear even larger on the back of his shirt than the other players.
While he was indeed very good, and Jamie was arguably one of the best soccer players on Ted Lasso, his arrogance about it rubbed people the wrong way. Jamie did eventually, however, learn to be a team player.
Secret Santa
"The E-mail Said 'Secret Santa.' I Didn't Wanna Ruin The Surprise, Did I?"
Even though this was spoken at a time when Jamie was trying to redeem himself, he had been so self-absorbed for so long that he didn't really know how to be cordial around others, nor how to be giving and loving.
Ted ended up giving Jamie a bottle of liquor so he could use it as a last-minute Secret Santa gift. Jamie, not knowing anything about the tradition, didn't realize he was supposed to buy something thoughtful for someone else.