THE STORY – A comedy set on a college campus centering on an author’s complicated relationship with his daughter.
THE CAST – Steve Carell, John C. McGinley, Danielle Deadwyler, Charly Clive, Connie Britton, Annie Mumolo, Phil Dunster & Lauren Tsai
THE TEAM – Bill Lawrence & Matthew Tarses (Creators)
Bill Lawrence is notorious for crafting warm, optimistic worlds for his shows. From “Spin City” and “Scrubs” to “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” it’s clear he has an innate belief that people have the capacity to grow and be good to each other. There’s a strong sense of found family and community at the heart of everything he makes. So, it’s no surprise that “Rooster,“ his new show with co-creator Matt Tarses, starts to build exactly that: a vulnerable, genuinely funny look at relationships old and new, and the healing that comes along with it, even if it takes a little while to get there.
“Rooster“ begins with best-selling author Greg Russo (Steve Carell), whose success stems from a series of books featuring a character named Rooster, loosely based on him. Greg travels to Ludlow College in the northeast to guest lecture a class, which happens to be the same college where his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive), is a professor. Katie’s going through a very public divorce from Archie, a fellow professor (Phil Dunster), who cheated on her with a graduate student (Lauren Tsai). Greg’s no stranger to Katie’s circumstances—just five years prior, his wife (and Katie’s mother) cheated on him with his best friend. While all this sounds a touch depressing, comedy is often most potent when it rubs up against suffering. Bill Lawrence frequently finds comedy, not in the absurdity (although there’s a bit of that, too), but in tragic circumstances, giving both the characters and the audience a coping mechanism for pain. In a perfectly convenient chain of events, Greg soon finds himself with a full-time job at Ludlow and the ability to keep an eye on his grieving daughter, and the realization that his life has been at a standstill.
With a highly anticipated return to comedy (we’re not counting “The Four Seasons“ as a highly comedic effort), it’s no surprise that Steve Carell lands every joke he’s given. But as Rooster, he’s often the straight man, played sometimes a bit pitiful, and as the butt of the joke to the chaos around him. The character himself resonates most when he leans into sentimentality, but there’s still a piece missing. By not fully unleashing Carell loose to do what we all know he does best—shining as the comedic relief—the portrayal withholds a vital dimension of his charm.
His chemistry with Charly Clive is endearing and innately fatherly, bouncing off each other in a touching, familiar way. Clive plays Katie as a wonderful combination of flawed, sad, sarcastic, and self-pitying, in a way that’s neither pathetic nor patronizing but understanding and relatable. She’s easily one of the best parts of the series and a scene-stealer every time she’s on screen. Katie’s ex-husband, Archie, portrayed by Phil Dunster, is used as a one-dimensional temptation to hinder her growth rather than being developed as a separately nuanced character. Through no fault of Dunster’s acting, Archie is constructed as an unsympathetic, arrogant cheater, leaving little room for nuance for Dunster to highlight. Through his natural charm, he does what he can to add color to the character so you don’t totally hate him, but there’s plenty of room to grow. Additionally, his new girlfriend, Lauren Tsai’s Sunny, is played a bit stiffly and lacks chemistry with Archie, not giving us any indication of why she would be tempted to cheat or of her motivation to sleep with a married man. Hopefully, this is all flushed out a bit in future episodes. But for now, the core supporting characters aren’t engaging enough to care about their stories.
The rest of the supporting characters amplify the cast in a much-needed manner. Danielle Deadwyler’s comedic timing is impeccable, and her chemistry with her costars never falters. She unfortunately takes a backseat in the story after the first few episodes, but is a delight every time she’s on screen. Annie Mumolo and John C. McGinley are the typical comedic foils to the straight man, Rooster, and round out the chaotic group of faculty that Rooster finds himself a part of. There’s a funny running bit with a local cop that grows a bit tiresome at times, but provides a much-needed laugh or two in each episode.
The script is well-constructed, but the stories for each character don’t feel particularly new. While each episode is engaging and sincere, the themes feel a bit derivative. The writing and dialogue are still quintessential Lawrence: filled with heart and wit, but the jokes aren’t as prominent as in previous efforts such as “Ted Lasso“ and “Shrinking.“ But somehow, with all its faults, each episode of “Rooster“ flies by and leaves you wanting more.
Bill Lawrence has a natural ability to craft a warm and loving world that everyone wants to be in. You can see yourself becoming friends with these people and sharing a drink (or a bar fight) with them. Television and the industry as a whole don’t often reward patience, so it’s commendable that Lawrence and Tarses are building on that foundation with everyone in “Rooster.“ The comedy isn’t his best (yet), and that’s okay—it still garners a few chuckles every episode. At the core of every Bill Lawrence TV show is one central belief: life is chaotic and painful, but connection makes it survivable. It’s this warmth and openness that’ll propel “Rooster“ to another successful hit, even if the plot points feel a bit stale. But sometimes, you just can’t help falling in love with the optimism.
THE GOOD – Its characters are rich with emotional vulnerability, and the performances are mostly funny and endearing. It’s great seeing Steve Carell in the comedy space again, and his chemistry with Danielle Deadwyler (when given the opportunity) is perfectly matched.
THE BAD – It’s derivative of many past successful comedy series, with story beats that feel familiar and not necessarily fresh. Some of the supporting characters are unsympathetic and one-dimensional.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series & Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
THE FINAL SCORE – 7/10
