The ending of *Ooster* reminds us just how truly alone Greg feels as he confronts his daughter regarding his own mistakes and, furthermore, bids farewell to his students—who, after all this time, have finally grown deeply fond of him. Regrettably, the series' emotional impact doesn't prove quite as profound as intended, but that’s alright. I get the sense that Archie’s storyline has dragged on a bit too long, leaving us feeling less invested in it; nevertheless, it is interesting to observe the parallels between Katie and Sunny’s reactions to the figure of Archie as a whole. It gives the impression that a slight generational gap makes all the difference, doesn't it? In any case, the series has been entertaining so far; however, a second season would need to be truly compelling to keep us invested in Greg as a character.
We have already grasped that he has felt lonely, and that it took him a long time to move past his marriage and come to terms with both his solitude and the fact that his daughter is leaving the nest; but what does the future hold for Greg? Apparently, he will have to start grappling with his own insecurities and all the stress stemming from the new changes taking place at Ludlow.
Creators: Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses
Stars: Steve Carell, Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster
By all appearances, it has become a habit for Greg to belittle himself while apologizing for his mistakes, thereby eliciting pity from everyone around him; however, Katie has been around long enough to call him out on this attitude—while still acknowledging that, deep down, he is being sincere. Furthermore, she has invited his ex-wife—and Katie’s mother—Beth, to join them at the table in the role of mediator. Greg confesses to Katie that the sole reason he decided to resolve his own issues was that, when he was left alone following Beth’s departure, he felt quite lost.
I believe the underlying implication is that, perhaps, he also suffered from some degree of depression. Consequently—and having already gone through that experience himself—he does not want Katie to have to go through the same thing; Hence, he is always so willing to do everything in his power to help her. Just parent stuff—you know how it is. But now, the solution requires Greg to give Katie complete and total space—and that implies that if she decides to use methamphetamine, even that would be considered acceptable. In fact, I suspect he would view her getting back together with Archie as something even worse than a meth addiction... but anyway.
The biggest problem with *Rooster*, in my opinion, is the sheer amount of screen time Archie has been given to undergo a genuine character arc; yet, after ten full episodes, it doesn't seem to have had any effect. The reason lies in the fact that he always had Katie or Sunny to fall back on, which left him free to revert—once again—to that thoroughly unpleasant behavior that defines him. Archie is convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he is some sort of great Russian soldier capable of doing anything for love and to keep the flame of romance alive. Or at least, that is what the last lesson he received before the hiatus would suggest. But anyway: he sheds a few tears and immediately goes to see Katie with the intention of rekindling their marriage.
When Sunny visits his office, Archie asks her to sit down so he can break the news gently, but she refuses, knowing exactly where the conversation is headed. And although she knows that her self-worth depends not in the slightest on Archie, the situation is still painful for her. Evidently, she upended her entire life plan for this man—who is, in all likelihood, the most fickle person she knows. When they go out for lunch, and Archie gets lost in a rambling monologue about a topic that—honestly—I couldn't care less about, Katie notices that he has a massive amount of spinach stuck in his teeth. No, seriously: it’s a colossal amount. And as she tells him to pick it out, she realizes that, under no circumstances, does she want to get back together with him. Katie doesn't need a man to feel better about herself; She simply took too long to realize that her worth does not depend on Archie. I suppose that, had it not been for Greg’s meddling, she would have reached this conclusion much sooner. Women tend to figure things out much faster than men, don’t they?
In any case, Archie tries to blame her for his having left Sunny (the mother of his unborn child); however, although Katie initially apologizes, she soon realizes that she has no reason to ask for forgiveness for something she did not cause. She points out to him that it was *he* who set this whole mess in motion and that, were it not for his infidelity, Sunny would be happy—and she, Katie, would be happy as well. Sunny issues an ultimatum to Archie: if he wishes to go with her to Wisconsin (which, after all, was the original plan), he must show up at her apart.
On the other hand, the best narrative arc of the series has undoubtedly been Tommy’s. From striking up a friendship with Greg—and proving to him that he is a likable person and a very good teacher—to finally getting his own life on track, everything has been practically perfect. The only thing missing was seeing him succeed academically, and that, too, has now come to pass. Throughout the series, the idea that Greg serves as a father figure to Tommy has been a recurring theme; yet this isn't solely due to the absence of such a figure in Tommy's life, but rather because Tommy is something of a "mini-me" to Greg.
He possesses that same "loneliness gene" and social awkwardness—traits that, were he not to find his own tribe, could leave him completely alone in the future. When one is younger, one still strives hard to forge those connections; that is why Tommy has friends. He also exerts a kind of leadership—for that is his way of keeping them by his side. But as one grows older—as happens with Greg—one needs people like Dylan and Walt to step in and show them what true friendship really is. In the end, Tommy finally does a good job, and we can appreciate these parallels by observing just how much Greg identifies with Tommy—a character who, quite possibly, was inspired by Greg himself, wouldn't you agree?
In the closing moments of the episode "Rooster," Tommy invites Greg to meet at their usual coffee shop; predictably, they walk into a crowd gathered for a surprise farewell party organized in Greg's honor. Greg delivers an emotional speech in which he thanks everyone for showing him that, in reality, he truly belongs there. Without a doubt, the man has evolved significantly since his arrival—just as Beth points out—having fallen in love with this place just as much as she has. There is a moment early in the episode when Greg gifts Dylan a first edition copy of his new book—a book featuring a female protagonist. The first thing Greg clarifies is that he had absolutely nothing to do with the cover design, as it depicts a scantily clad woman with completely unrealistic body proportions. Walt bids Greg farewell with a "to be continued"—a phrase I interpret as a sign that the series' future is secure. Greg even gifts his electric scooter to Dylan; everything seems to be going swimmingly. She tells him she’s glad she didn't sleep with him, because now she has a true friend. Wow—there really is an epidemic of loneliness going on here: there’s Walt, Dylan, Cristle, Greg, and, quite possibly, Tommy as well.
Finally, that moment of silence arrives—the one Greg and Katie needed to share in order to bring the first season to a perfect close. Greg’s speech clearly struck a deep chord with Katie, and she tells him there is no need for him to leave Ludlow on her account. Both of them have their own matters to attend to; furthermore, she confesses that this time she has left Archie for good and that they will soon be filing for divorce. So, Greg does what he’s been longing to do for so long: he calls Walt to ask if he can stay on.
However, in the end, Walt informs Greg that he has resigned and handed his position over to Beth; therefore, if Greg plans to stay, he will have to deal much more with her—for she is the one he must speak with from now on. Greg’s initial reaction—at long last—is to behave like a true friend to Walt and ask him if he’s doing okay. He had been unaware of what had happened and feels guilty for not having been there for Walt—especially after having spent all this time harping on about how awkward and charisma-free the man was. Nevertheless, it gives the impression that Walt is genuinely fine and happy, as he views this as a chapter he is ready to close. Greg, on the other hand, is not; proof of this lies in the fact that he removes the photograph of Beth—the very one she...
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