Steve Carell has perfected the art of playing the utterly clueless. For decades, audiences have delighted in his characters’ social missteps, a comedic archetype that feels strangely…necessary. He embodies a certain kind of bewildered innocence, a stark contrast to a world demanding constant awareness and perfect calibration.
In HBO’s “Rooster,” Carell steps into the role of Greg Russo, a wildly successful novelist churning out formulaic thrillers. He’s the kind of author who prioritizes action – “characters you like have sex, the ones you don’t get shot” – and finds himself unexpectedly lecturing at a New England liberal arts college. This sets the stage for a term filled with well-intentioned meddling and spectacularly awkward encounters.
The series quickly establishes a familiar campus dynamic: professors grappling with personal and professional crises. A poetry professor resists the digital age, a couple navigates the fallout of infidelity, and Greg Russo, predictably, says all the wrong things at all the wrong times. He earnestly inquires about Zadie Smith’s gender identity, showcasing a charming, yet frustrating, lack of awareness.
“Rooster” attempts to satirize the anxieties of a generation often labeled “woke.” Scenes featuring student critiques – “Why do you hate women?” – feel unnervingly plausible, yet the show ultimately portrays these concerns as harmless eccentricities. This dissonance is jarring, a missed opportunity to truly explore the complexities of modern campus life.
The show’s handling of potentially serious issues feels strangely muted. A cultural appropriation accusation dissolves with a simple offering of coffee, and a casually dismissive remark about ADHD receives little more than a sigh. This lightness undermines the very real battles being fought over free speech and intellectual discourse.
While other recent campus-set productions, like “After the Hunt” and “The Chair,” managed to balance humor with a grounded portrayal of academic realities, “Rooster” feels superficial. It lacks the depth and nuance necessary to truly resonate, opting instead for a comfortable, feel-good tone.
The series shares a creative DNA with “Ted Lasso,” co-created by the same producer, Bill Lawrence. Both shows offer a saccharine vision of the world, where problems are easily solved and ideological conflicts are minimized. But unlike the charming optimism of “Ted Lasso,” “Rooster’s” approach feels disingenuous, a sanitized version of the university experience.
Despite its shortcomings, “Rooster” isn’t without its merits. John C. McGinley delivers a compelling performance as the beleaguered college president, and Rory Scovel provides welcome comedic relief as a well-meaning campus police officer. And, of course, Carell remains reliably funny in his signature role.
However, one can’t help but yearn for Carell’s more dramatic work, like his chilling performance in “The Patient.” In those roles, he portrays characters facing genuine threats, characters who understand the stakes. In “Rooster,” Greg Russo seems blissfully unaware of the adversaries that exist, even within the seemingly idyllic walls of academia.
Ultimately, “Rooster” presents a vision of college life that feels fundamentally untrue. It’s a comfortable fantasy, but one that fails to acknowledge the very real tensions and conflicts simmering beneath the surface. The show’s gentle approach may offer a momentary escape, but it ultimately avoids confronting the complexities of the world it attempts to portray.
