HBO’s *Rooster* is Steve Carell’s latest comedy. As someone who has always claimed—for some strange reason—not to enjoy comedy all that much, when it comes to Carell and Adam Sandler, I actually quite like their work. The series follows Greg Russo, a shy yet famous author who writes erotic fiction for men and who, moreover, struggles in the romance department. To make matters worse, his daughter finds herself in the exact same situation he was in years ago: she has a husband who works in academia and who has now left her for a student (yikes!). Apparently, Greg’s wife was a student at the very same university where his daughter, Katie, currently works; so, one could say it’s a case of "like father, like daughter," couldn't one? Anyway, the first episode centers on how Greg inserts himself into Katie’s new life as a single woman, attempting to help her turn things around—but will he succeed?
Episode 1 opens with Greg’s arrival at Katie’s university to read a short excerpt from his famous book, which is about a man named Rooster. Hence, of course, the series’ title: *Rooster*—perhaps because said character is an idealized version of Greg himself, conjured up in his imagination. In any case, there he meets Dylan Shepherd, the professor tasked with moderating his reading session before the students.
Creators: Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses
Stars: Steve Carell, Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster
Things immediately get complicated when, after he finishes reading, the very first question a student asks him is: "Why do you hate women?" Now, I perfectly understand that men in their fifties don’t believe themselves capable of making any mistakes—as they consider themselves too old for that, having supposedly moved past the stage of life where one undergoes change—so, with that very mindset, Greg responds politely, yet with dignity.
Of course, he doesn’t hate women; The female character in his book is inspired by his ex-wife—whom he loved deeply—so, without a doubt, he does not conceive of her merely as a sexual object. She is strong and brave, even if that entails having to appear nude from time to time—qualities she possesses despite such instances. However, the student's argument is validated when a male student intervenes to speak, basically, solely about the fact that the female character appears topless, completely ignoring her bravery.
Later, Dylan introduces Greg to Walter Mann, the university president, and we realize that Greg has seen him before; he wasn't just a shirtless phantom of his imagination. Walt is the perfect example of that type of man who believes the world revolves around him and that everyone else exists solely to serve him. Immediately, Walt wants to bring Greg on board as a sort of "writer-in-residence," but Greg instantly refuses, pointing out that he never even attended college. Now, while the debate over whether a university education is important or not is irrelevant at this moment, it is worth noting just how anxious Greg appears to be at all times. It is evident that he struggles with anxiety, and Walt picks up on this, inviting him to join him in the sauna followed by a cold plunge (a practice that, apparently, has been shown to be more effective in men than in women).
Anyway—whether one knows what "brown fat" is or not—Greg decides to step away from Walt (just for now) to go see his daughter, who happens to be teaching a class at that very moment. Instantly, a striking resemblance between the two becomes apparent in their gestures and mannerisms; yet, at the same time, Katie does not appear nearly as anxious or timid as Greg. Let's be honest: judging by the tenderness with which he treats his daughter, Greg seems like a decent guy; so perhaps we can set aside those comments I mentioned earlier regarding his late-50s—or perhaps early-60s—mindset. Furthermore, it turns out that Greg *did* read Dylan’s poetry—despite the fact that she hadn’t read any of his books.
He pretends not to have read it simply so she won’t feel guilty; yet, on the other hand, he liked her work so much that he couldn’t bring himself to let her swallow that lie. All in all: a good guy—albeit a skittish one. Much later in the episode, Greg takes Walt up on his offer and joins him in the sauna, where he barely lasts ninety seconds before he can’t take it anymore. It is precisely at that moment that Walt brings up the fact that it would be a shame to have to let Katie go, given that Archie is the one holding the tenure and the academic scholarship. *Sigh*... men. Greg attempts to intercede on his daughter’s behalf, but, in essence, the implication is that he must convince her to resume her relationship with Archie if she doesn’t want to get fired (yikes!).
In class, Katie appears to handle her duties as a teacher with complete professionalism, and her demeanor seems almost ordinary when she is out in public with Greg; however, we soon discover that, in practice, she is actively stalking Archie and the new graduate student with whom he is having an affair. On one occasion, while walking her dog, she even goes so far as to climb a tree in the couple's yard to spy on them. Despite all this, she continues to refuse to speak directly to him. Consequently, Greg—true to his nature as a well-meaning father figure—decides to take the initiative and go speak to Archie on her behalf (prompted, in part, by Dylan’s encouragement). He brushes up on Chekhov—despite the fact that Archie is an admirer of Tolstoy—and attempts to win him over by quoting a supposedly Chekhovian line regarding the importance of never humiliating others. Eventually, Archie opens up to him and confesses that he wants Katie back, but simply hasn't managed to muster the courage to do so; this leads Greg to urge him, for a second time, to "act like a man" (this time proving much more effective than on the previous occasion).
At first, Katie is angry with Greg for meddling in her marriage, but she soon realizes that he is acting with the best of intentions. Although she is annoyed by Greg’s advice when he suggests she simply "be nice," that recommendation actually stems from the old man's own personal experience. Greg opens up to her and reveals that his wife—Katie’s mother—was unfaithful to him; nevertheless, he continued to love her, and now regrets not having fought harder to try and keep her by his side. Today, he is nothing more than a lonely old man—albeit a professionally successful one. Finally, just as Greg is preparing to leave, Katie asks him to stay; they sit down, share a bottle of wine, and spend some time together, simply enjoying each other's company. It turns out to be a truly touching moment.
On the other hand, it seems that the candor with which Greg spoke to Dylan regarding her poetry has, in some way, sparked a certain interest in her toward the older man. She observes him sitting completely alone at the bar, given that his own daughter has no desire to spend time with him. The true moral of this story lies in the fact that Greg is, in reality, a terribly lonely man—a loneliness that is, quite likely, also the root cause of his constant state of anxiety.
In any case, the guy truly opens up to Dylan, telling her that people were quick to say it made no sense for Elizabeth—his ex-wife—to have gotten together with him, since she was so far out of his league. It seems that this is the source of his insecurities; however, this whole situation of wine and conversation strikes such a deep chord with Dylan that she decides to take Greg home with her. Upon arriving there, he reveals himself to be a somewhat awkward gentleman who has no desire to sleep with her—for, however impressive her books may be, I don't believe that is, in the slightest, what he is looking for. What he misses is human connection, and it seems Dylan misinterpreted that as flirting.
At the end of the first episode, the girl with whom Archie is having an affair rides away on her bicycle, claiming she is going to the dentist—though in reality, she is heading to the doctor. It turns out she is pregnant, and when Katie finally gathers the courage to go speak with Archie at his house, she unloads everything she has to say before giving him a chance to speak.
On this particular occasion, it would have made more sense for her to have let him speak first, but, well... It is clear that both of them wish to get back together, but Archie has now received the shocking news that his girlfriend—or fling—is pregnant with his child, and he has a decision to make. All of this unfolds at Archie's house, but Katie kicks him out, as she needs space to think. She is furious and ends up starting a small fire; His intention is simply to set fire to one of his books (a first edition of Tolstoy’s *War and Peace*), but, unfortunately, things do not go according to plan. The small fire turns into a massive blaze—so massive, in fact, that it literally reduces Archie’s entire house to ashes.
Meanwhile, Greg was leaving a voicemail for his beloved daughter, hoping to visit her soon, but then he spots the smoke from the fire and rushes to the scene. There, he runs into Katie, who tells him that she has been with him all day and asks him to lie for her. But as it turns out, she is unable to keep up the lie and immediately confesses to the police officer that she had not been with her father. Ironically, this very same officer had already seen Greg buying alcohol for a minor shortly before—because the boy had claimed he didn't have his wallet on him. In any case, it seems Katie is about to confess the truth, though I can't imagine what that would mean for Greg.
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