Steve Carell Faces a Shocking Twist in Sneak Peek at HBO’s New 'Shrinking' Replacement [Exclusive]

2 weeks ago 10

Steve Carell in 'Rooster' wears circular glasses and a brown jacket

Published Mar 13, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Britta DeVore is a Senior Author for Collider who has been known to dabble with Reality News as well.

Have you seen stories about 'Chucky,' 'Scream,' 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 'The Boys,' 'Vanderpump Rules,' or any of 'The Real Housewives' franchises? That's probably a Britta DeVore-curated piece of art, and it sounds like you have great taste.

When she isn't sitting behind her laptop bringing readers her hot takes on upcoming projects or keeping the dream alive in the Senior News team, Britta can usually be found outside hiking or inside behind her drum set. She currently plays in two bands, Kid Midnight and Watergate, both based in Brooklyn. An obsessive traveler, Britta loves long road trips to the South West and has a soft spot in her heart for canyons, rivers, and forests.

She also has a tiny cat named Athena that she loves more than anything else in the world and is always happy for new brewery recs.

After just one episode, Steve Carell’s Greg Russo is already well over his head in HBO’s Rooster. What started as a stopover in a quiet college town to talk about his titular beloved detective novel series, as well as a check-in with his daughter, quickly turned into an absolute mess of a time for the star author. In the show’s debut installment, audiences followed along with Greg as he tried to be a shoulder to cry on for his daughter Katie (Charly Clive) after she was left by her husband, Archie (Phil Dunster), for a grad student. But, things quickly took a turn for the criminal when, at the tail end of the episode, Katie tossed one of Archie’s prized literary collections into the fireplace and inadvertently (maybe!) burned down the house. Today, ahead of the second episode, which streams on HBO Max Sunday, March 15, Collider is excited to unveil a sneak peek of the fallout of last week’s dramatic ending.

Continuing to be a proud and supportive father, our sneak peek sees Greg standing in the living room of Katie’s home, where she’s allowing herself to feel her feelings on the couch with a Monster energy drink. The cops are waiting to talk to them, Greg explains to his adult child, who doesn’t seem to be the slightest bit alarmed that she could be charged with arson. Even with the implications surrounding her, Katie hardly raises an eyebrow, telling her dad that the case wouldn’t hold up in court before rolling off the couch and accompanying him to the police department.

The latest project to come from Scrubs, Shrinking, and Ted Lasso creator Bill Lawrence, Rooster has already marked itself as a standout hit for HBO. In addition to Carell, Dunster, and Clive, the primary ensemble includes the talents of Danielle Deadwyler (The Woman in the Yard), Lauren Tsai (Terrace House: Aloha State) and John C. McGinley (Scrubs), with additional supporting work done by Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Annie Mumolo (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), Scott MacArthur (The Mick) and Robby Hoffman (Hacks).

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What Else Is Coming to HBO Max in 2026?

Already off to a terrific start with overnight favorites including Rooster, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and DTF St. Louis, HBO Max has plenty to keep audiences entertained throughout the year. Just around the corner is the return of Lisa Kudrow’s cult-classic comedy, The Comeback, while further down the line, Euphoria Season 3 and The Gilded Age Season 4 will step into the spotlight.

Check out our exclusive first look at the upcoming Rooster episode above and get caught up on the series premiere now on HBO Max.