Ted Lasso
No it wasn’t forced because those stories went somewhere and didn’t feel like they were thrown in the plot. Sam and Rebecca’s storyline, Colin’s storyline, never went anywhere…The way it was put together had nothing to do with the plot of the show. Same with Keelys’ random fling. Just off and had no purpose.
You’re really off base on your opinion of my opinion. Think outside the box. I’m fine with those relationships. Not fine with them being just being put out there to signal
So, in your opinion, none of those characters gained any growth from their experience. This is where I think your thinking is off here.
Keely's random fling is totally in character. What she had before hadn't really worked up until that time so she went for something different, something way outside of her comfort zone. She had a tendency to be "all-in" to a relationship within moments of it starting instead of the slower, steadier approach we saw immediately afterward. Keely experienced some really wrenching growth between the rise and fall of her relationship with Roy, then the rise and fall of her business, and the rise and fall of her relationship with Jack where she was made to feel way "less than". Talk about whiplash. What we see now is someone who is much more measured and has had a positive influence on Barbara who has "seen the light" where Jack doesn't value people in the same way.
Sam and Rebecca? The relevance of their relationship (and now what appears to be a deep friendship) was meaningful on many levels. It helped Sam to see what was really important and understand that he was accepted outside of the Nigerian soccer community. It helped him to parse the difference between doing something that he loves over the turf of where he does what he does. It helped Rebecca to see that she didn't have to accept the kind of treatment delivered to her by guys like Rupert, that nice guys existed and she deserved to be treated the way Sam treated her. It also touched on workplace relationships and demonstrated the right thing to do given the circumstances. As for interracial relationships, you find those to be quite a bit more common in Europe, so presenting that here was a cap tip to something we should all be more accepting of. Not everything needs an episode(s) long treatment when a statement or two will suffice.
Colin? Here we have a closeted gay man who is afraid to come out or be caught because he thinks everyone around him will reject him and be cruel in doing so. He thinks his value as a footballer will be diminished. In order to hide, he forgoes any really serious relationships thinking that flings would be easier to get away with. Once Trent outs him and Trent (he really does have fabulous hair) is outed we see a friendship develop that could evolve into something longer and more meaningful. We also see that the person who was most hurt by Colin when he came out was Isaac and it wasn't because Colin was gay, it was because Isaac felt that Colin had lied to him and betrayed him by not being truthful about who he was. The rest of the team, when it was announced, could give two shirts
which is exactly how this should be.
I have a daughter who is gay and I knew well before she came out that she was. When she did come out, my former wife's family and former wife (her Mom) rejected her in horrible and cruel ways. Their entire closed-minded state couldn't begin to comprehend that one of their own was......
gasp...a lesbian. When we discussed all of this further, my daughter was afraid to be rejected by
everyone including family, teammates, classmates, and her closest friends who were not gay.
All in all, you seem to be missing a lot of contexts if you do not think that these characters furthered the overall arc of the "plot of the show" unless you are missing what the plot of the show is.
UPDATE: In all fairness, I should mention my daughter's Mom and some of the family (not all) have come a very long way in their acceptance of my daughter and others who are gay. They may not be 100% on board, but after allowing the conversation to happen they are much more understanding and even embrace some of what it means to be her and be an ally for her
and others. It has been amazing to observe.