‘Rooster’ Review: New Series from ‘Ted Lasso’ Creator Gives Steve Carell Something to Crow About [B-]
Life at Ludlow College hasn’t been the same since a married couple, both professors, has had a public break-up after one of them slept with a student – not his own student, technically, but still a student. For Katie (Charly Clive, The Lazarus Project), a visit from her father is actually something she’s been excited for. Her dad, Greg Russo (Steve Carell), is a novelist giving a lecture on writing at Ludlow, fielding questions about his relationship with misogyny while speaking about his popular series that follows Rooster, an action hero overflowing with macho energy and one-liners. After being offered a job on campus, Greg accepts to keep close proximity to his daughter during her time of need, which is hilariously known to everyone on campus as Katie quickly points out to Greg. This is how HBO’s newest comedy, Rooster, begins its upward battle for originality with a few stops to chuckle along the way.
A funny series that never takes itself too seriously, Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso) and Matt Tarses’s (Bad Monkey) newest comedy is mostly concerned with a father-daughter relationship that’s biggest strain is the divorce caused by infidelity involving Greg’s ex-wife, Beth. Katie and Greg have a breezy relationship, the two always at ease around one another without feeling forced, never uncomfortable in the other’s presence. They have the type of relationship that allows for more meaningful conversations, and in this way, Rooster excels. Carell and Clive have an easygoing chemistry; every scene with them makes the show better. Carell is in his element in Rooster, where he is allowed to portray a caring father and bring his usual goofy antics to screen. After the president of Ludlow, Walter Mann (a scene-stealing John C. McGinley), offers Greg the job, he introduces him to Dylan (Danielle Deadwyler, Till), the newly minted Dean of Faculty. Greg has earned the respect of his students, who lovingly refer to him by his main character’s name, but he needs more adult friends and what comes with that: people who will listen to him.
Carell is at his best in Rooster, a series almost specifically fine-tuned to the actor’s strengths. Carell, most widely known for his turn as Michael Scott in The Office, deftly settles into the role and, across the six episodes provided for review, reminds audiences of his comedic potential when tapped into the exact right way. It’s a role that allows him to have a paternal warmth on top of his usual humor, and that elevates the role past others the actor has taken recently. Greg, predictably, begins to understand himself better through simultaneous shenanigans with young folks, one night stands with hope for more, and helping Katie maneuver through her breakup with Archie (Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso). Through the pitfalls of others, he’s about to recontextualize the mistakes he’s made in his own life while attempting to steer his daughter away from making the same ones.
There’s no new ground covered in HBO’s newest comedy, which leads the series to feeling familiar yet redundant. Katie’s fraught relationship with Archie as he navigates his mistress becoming pregnant has its own intrigue but ultimately never rises above clichés, down to the mishap of sleeping together again amid the whirlwind of their breakup. Clive and Dunphy elevate the material and bring an organic charm to the relationship, but it isn’t enough to tread any new ground. Most of the show, even in its funniest moments, feels outdated. One of the more egregious offenders of this is Greg’s relationship with his students, where every moment feels lifted out of 90s and 2000s high school films.
Rooster isn’t audacious enough to branch out beyond its intended scope, keeping itself coloring within the lines for its entirety. This isn’t to undercut the genuine humor in the show; there are plenty of laughs. The series has its moments of laugh out loud jokes, but it’s mostly low-hanging fruit that doesn’t propel the show forward, it mostly holds it back from greatness. There’s even a storyline where one of Greg’s students has to crash at his place for a little while, and the jokes involved are exactly what one would expect: bro humor and why-is-he-here one-liners.
The show has its merits too. There’s a real power to the performances on Rooster. John C. McKinley is wickedly funny on the show, his maximalist line deliveries bolstering any piece of dialogue he’s given. Even smaller moments of his bring big laughs, making him the MVP of an impressive cast. Danielle Deadwyler warms into being Dylan over the first few episodes before it becomes her own, but she’s funny in a light role that doesn’t ask too much of her. The casting is possibly the best part of the series, each performer stepping up to the place and swinging against dialogue that feels too simple at times. Even amongst the more cliché lines, you’ll be able to find empathy sewn into each word, making the characters feel like people you’ve known in your life.
Rooster has potential for growth if given a sophomore season. The talent is already there, both in front of and behind the camera, it just needs to be tightened a bit to create a world that can continue. After six episodes, it doesn’t appear to have a specific narrative it wants to follow if its able to continue, but that could be the fun of it. Rooster’s major flaw is the lack of a distinct voice prevalent as the episodes continue, but a second season might allow the show enough room to grow so that it’s able to center itself more. Rooster is a fun, light watch that doesn’t push boundaries but might wiggle its way into your heart.
Grade: B-
The 10-episode season of Rooster will begin streaming March 8 on HBO Max.
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