Rooster on HBO: Worth the Watch?

There is not one but two Bill Lawrence creations hitting streaming services! With the Scrubs revival already making waves, Lawrence is wading into new waters with an HBO Max original show, Rooster. 

Rooster stars Steve Carell as a socially awkward writer, Greg Russo. Russo arrives at Ludlow College to give a reading of his trashy male fantasy (or maybe just Greg’s fantasy?) novel, the titular character being called, of course, ‘Rooster’. The students’ reaction to his reading is tepid at best, with one female student repeatedly branding the novel as sexist for its protagonists having sex “16 times. 17, I mean, if you include the oral sex”. Despite this lacklustre appearance, the college’s president, Walter Mann (played by Scrubs star John C. McGinley) is a fan of Russo’s and wants him to become the college’s ‘Writer in Residence’ (also, is that a job? How do I apply?). Greg is tempted as his daughter also teaches at the college. Greg’s daughter Katie (Charly Clive) is going through a rough separation (understatement) with her husband, who is also a faculty member at the college. Greg attempts to be supportive of his daughter, even if it means hiding in the bushes of the college to spy on her estranged husband’s exploits!

Like the majority of Lawrence’s work, Rooster appears to be character-driven. The reassuring presence of Steve Carell is as warm and comforting as the snuggly looking grey puffer jacket he dons during the episode. Carell perfectly balances comedy and tragedy throughout the first episode, from discussing the heartbreak of his own divorce to being conned into buying beer for an underage college student, leading a local cop to believe he is buying beer in exchange for oral sex from said student (that’s what Greg gets for being sarcastic). 

The cast is strong with Danielle Deadwyler (Till) playing Dylan Shepherd, a lonely college professor. Dylan forms a connection with Greg, and the actors’ chemistry may not exactly be electrifying, but it’s certainly intriguing and leaves you wondering what will happen between them. McGinley is also strong (both literally and figuratively) as the salt-of-the-earth college president. McGinley also spends the majority of the episode shirtless, and we have to remind ourselves that the man is 66 and still that jacked! In my opinion, the best scene in the first episode is Walter and Greg in the tiny sauna attached to Walter’s house. Greg and Walter have a somewhat reluctant (on Greg’s end) heart-to-heart because, as Walter points out,  the sauna is for “real talk,” it’s even displayed on the rules Walter has carved into the wall!

I would be remiss not to mention the few negative reviews Rooster has garnered for being ‘slow’ or ‘boring’. I would rebuke these reviews as shortsighted; it’s only the premiere after all. In today’s hyperactive media landscape, it’s refreshing to see more of a pivot towards purposeful storytelling. Rooster has the feeling of calmly and deliberately drawing you into its world. Lawrence and Carell have revealed that the series is about loneliness and life not going exactly how you wanted it to. Can Greg turn it all around in his 50’s? A college campus with its avenues for experimentation and self-expression is an excellent backdrop for this.

I, for one, am eager to see where this series goes!

4 stars. Rooster is available to stream on HBO Max and NOWTV (international). New episodes weekly!