‘Rooster’ Is an Old-Fashioned, Optimistic Sitcom
Rooster is the story of Greg Russo (Steve Carell), a famous author known for his series of adventure novels about the protagonist “Rooster,” an impossibly charming private investigator. Although Greg’s work has never been respected as “great literature,” he is invited by President Walter Mann (John C. McGinley) of Ludlow College to give a speech about writing; it’s not the type of job that Greg would usually take on, but he wants to return to Ludlow because it's where his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive), works as an arts professor. Rooster puts a new spin on the “college comedy” because Greg is an outsider who finds himself outmatched in an evolving world of higher education. Greg’s awkwardness might lead to some humorous situations, but he also has a fair amount of wisdom that the Ludlow staff, students, and personnel are in need of.
A staple of Lawrence’s work that makes Rooster so effective is that every character is flawed in one way or another. Greg has always been somewhat sheepish about the debatable quality of his writing, which often presents a womanizing, supremely intelligent male protagonist who clearly serves as wish fulfillment; Greg doesn’t just face criticism from the student body because of his outdated writing style, but deals with the personal embarrassment of being divorced from his ex-wife Beth (Connie Britton), who has outmatched his success. Greg’s anxieties revolve around whether he passed along the right lessons and provided the right expectations for his daughter, as Katie’s husband, professor Archie Bates (Phil Dunster), left her after having an affair with grad student Sunny (Lauren Tsai). Neither Sunny nor Katie is at fault, even if they both face roadblocks in their career advancements, while Greg’s frustrations come from the fact that this isn’t an issue that he can “solve,” despite his professional success.
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Rooster is a great star vehicle for Carell, who has been able to combine his years of experience on sitcoms with the more mature performances he’s been giving in the last decade. Although he's recently played against type on The Morning Show and The Four Seasons, it's great to see Carell back in a role where he is allowed to be charming and self-deprecating. That being said, Greg isn't the sole focal point of the series, as his purpose is to initiate a change of culture reflected by everyone who works at Ludlow. Even if Greg ends up making some blunders in his attempts to appear progressive, he's also a professor who is personally invested in his class and specifically goes out of his way to mentor a struggling literary student named Tommy (Maximo Solas).
HBO's 'Rooster' Has a Layered, Well-Cast Ensemble
Rooster also succeeds as a well-rounded ensemble comedy because the supporting characters are fleshed out beyond mere caricatures. Danielle Deadwyler gives a fantastic performance as Dylan Shepard, an English professor who has proven to be the true backbone of Ludlow; while Deadwyler might be best known for her more serious roles in Till and The Piano Lesson, she is excellent as the one character in the Ludlow administration who seems to actually understand the students. McGinley, another veteran of Lawrence’s shows, plays a fun not-quite-mentor to Greg, and also proves to be more than the antiquated, stuffy educational leader he could have been. While Walter can occasionally be abrasive, he’s also responsible for giving opportunities to those who deserve them; a twist at the end of Season 1 suggests he'll have an even more nuanced role moving forward.
Rooster is the type of show that can grow in Season 2, and the first season ended in a place where each character was refocused on a new goal. Even if there are conflicts, Rooster is a series about people who are trying to better understand and forgive one another, even if it seems challenging to start anew later in life. While it might not be as flashy or outrageous as any of HBO's current comedies, Rooster is worthy of a place in its library because of its strong characterization and willingness to embrace optimism.
Image via HBO
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