Bill Lawrence has become a leading figure in contemporary television comedy. While well-known from his work on the original run of Scrubs, he’s recently achieved significant success with a diverse range of shows. This includes the popular Ted Lasso starring Jason Sudeikis, Jason Segel’s Shrinking, and Vince Vaughn’s Bad Monkey, demonstrating his ability to create compelling comedies and dramedies in various settings and styles.
Working again with frequent partner Matt Tarses, Rooster marks Lawrence’s first original series for HBO Max in six years, and he smoothly transitions to the new platform. The show maintains the relaxed and comfortable vibe of his previous work, with humor that’s subtle but effective. However, after viewing the first six episodes, it doesn’t quite reach the same level of captivating quality as some of his other series.
Rooster Has Great Gags, But Is About As Messy As Its Characters
The show Rooster stars Steve Carell as Greg Frasier, a popular mystery novelist going through a tough time after his divorce. When Greg learns his ex-wife, Katie, has also been left by her husband for a younger woman, he attempts to comfort her. Katie is a college professor, and Greg hopes to offer support during her difficult time.
The series follows Greg and Katie as they work through their complex relationship and the aftermath of Katie’s past. Greg unexpectedly starts teaching a writing class on campus, which forces him and Katie to spend more time together. This new job also introduces Greg to a new group of people – including the college president (played by John C. McGinley), a student named Dylan (Danielle Deadwyler), and his students – all with their own complicated lives.
From the start, Rooster felt comfortably familiar, echoing the warm atmosphere of creator Chris Lawrence’s previous work, but with a distinct personality of its own. The show’s setting – a liberal arts college – creates a welcoming and lively environment, and allows for a wide range of interesting characters for Greg and the others to connect with.
Similar to Ted Lasso, the creators of Rooster don’t rely on over-the-top jokes or forced laughter. Instead, they let humor develop naturally through things like Steve Carell’s dad jokes, awkward misunderstandings between characters, and classic physical comedy. This subtle approach makes the show’s funny moments feel more genuine and satisfying.
However, the writing in Rooster isn’t as polished as Lawrence’s other work. The initial episodes try to satirize political correctness, but it comes across as insensitive and biased, relying on simple mockery of young people who are trying to be considerate. One student is portrayed as a stereotypical “social justice warrior” instead of offering any thoughtful perspective on either political correctness or broader cultural issues.
What’s particularly disappointing is how the show portrays its female characters. The series frequently critiques the way Greg, played by Carell, wrote women in his Rooster novels, but the women within the show suffer from the same problems – they’re either not developed enough or act inconsistently. This is especially true for Cristie, played by Annie Mumolo, and Sunny, played by Lauren Tsai, who occasionally show independence and complexity, only to fall back into being defined by Greg’s story.
One of the main weaknesses of Rooster is its uneven storytelling in the first six episodes. The initial conflict between Katie and Archie feels resolved fairly quickly, but the show doesn’t introduce a strong enough new problem to maintain momentum. Their breakup goes around in circles without real progress, Archie’s connection with Sunny doesn’t develop clearly, and attempts to help Greg or Katie overcome their personal issues are either missing or too understated to have an impact.
Katrina Marcinowski/HBO
Even with its flaws, the actors in Rooster do a great job carrying the first six episodes. Steve Carell is naturally awkward as Greg, a character who put all his charm into his book, but still manages to be funny. Charly Clive skillfully portrays Katie’s pain and frustration with a mix of dry wit and sadness, and Danielle Deadwyler gets a chance to showcase her comedic talent.
Despite some odd and combative performances from vets John C. McGinley and Phil Dunster, the HBO Max comedy Rooster generally works well. With half a season still to go and a promising cliffhanger at the end of episode six, the show has the potential to become even more cohesive and well-balanced overall.
Rooster begins streaming on HBO Max on March 8, with new episodes airing on Sundays.
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2026-03-05 20:28