Let’s start with the good news: Archie gets his comeuppance in Rooster‘s finale. It’s not as satisfying a punishment, but at least his estranged wife and his pregnant grad student girlfriend wake the hell up and dump the guy who’s been stringing each of them along. What a relief to witness Katie ask him for a divorce, and for him to find out that Sunny had already left for Christmas break without him. As Archie, Phil Dunster launched a charm offensive in season one to mitigate his character’s reputation, but Rooster has never offered Archie any redeeming qualities. He’s a handsome but one-note narcissistic jerk, which makes the show’s central love triangle a total bust. Season two might still give him a redemption arc in the vein of Ted Lasso‘s Jamie Tartt. Until then, let him suffer the consequences of his poor actions.
As the series’ debut run ends, it’s important to look back not just on “Songs For Raisa,” but on season one overall. Like the rest of the co-creator Bill Lawrence’s comedies, Rooster is undeniably rooted in optimism. In this case, the message seems to be that life can throw you a curveball—and the opportunity for a fresh start—at any age. For Greg, a job at New England’s ivy-covered Ludlow College did exactly that. He reconnected with his daughter, moved on after sulking over his ex-wife for five years, and, in classic Lawrence style, earned a found family on campus. With his semester-long gig over, all his closest pals throw him a surprise party at his favorite diner. Seeing everyone together—Tommy, Dylan, Cristle, the folks who make the hot chocolate he can’t stop buying,—only reignites his commitment to Ludlow.
We already knew Greg wasn’t to leave the college or Katie just yet. He’s too invested and too happy in his plaid suits to go back to sunny, lonely Florida. Rooster has been planting the seeds for ways he might stick around, like his side hustle as the hockey coach, or potentially becoming the new Dean of Faculty. The show takes a far easier route, with Greg simply calling Walt to request that he stay on as the writer-in-residence for at least another semester. Walt agrees without hesitation. He also reveals a bit of not-too-surprising news: Greg’s ex, Elizabeth, is going to be the new college president, taking over the job from Walt next year. If it means more Connie Britton in season two, I’m not complaining.
In most TV sitcoms, it’s wish fulfillment when things magically work out at the end of 20 or 30 minutes. (Granted, Rooster isn’t a traditional sitcom.) Still, it’s almost like a fantasy that all three Russos will be working together in the same place. Not to mention that Archie and Sunny are around, too, along with Greg’s former flame, Cristle, and potential love interest/boss, Dylan. I know plot development isn’t as much of a priority as character growth with a show like Rooster (at least that’s what I tell myself to excuse season one’s odd pacing), but I hope the lesson after season one is to find a more realistic balance between both these aspects.
Take someone as bright as Sunny, who is an integral part of the show but keeps getting the short end of the stick. The show doesn’t seem interested in exploring her personality or backstory. It’s maddening when she responds to Archie, who is breaking up with her for Katie, by saying that he’s making the wrong choice and that she’ll still be waiting for him the next morning. Come on, Sunny, what are you doing? It’s a good thing that Mo and her dad fly her out to Wisconsin instead of making her wait, but it happens off-camera, so the show’s efforts to progress Sunny’s character fall flat. At least Katie has a meatier arc. After officially getting back with Archie, however briefly, she figures out she’s made a mistake.
It takes a piece of spinach stuck in his teeth for Katie to realize that she can never really look at Archie the same way again. “I was disappointed in myself,” she tells him later while dumping him. She only wanted to get back together because it’s the only path she knows. But now, Katie has opened herself up to new avenues, just like Greg did when he came to Ludlow to support her. This father-daughter dynamic is the highlight of Rooster, so I’m thrilled that Steve Carell and Charly Clive get a couple of lovely scenes together in “Songs For Raisa,” after she forgives him for being a helicopter parent. Plus, Greg and Katie are going to have their work cut out for them once they’re back after the holidays because Elizabeth will be around a lot more. In the finale, she tries to kiss Greg while giving him advice on how to deal with Katie. It’s another sign of growth that he both rejects her and rips her poster off his wall when he finds out that she took Walt’s job.
All in all, Rooster is a mixed bag when compared to the other comedies Lawrence put out so far this year: Shrinking (one of the best shows I’ve seen in 2026) and the Scrubs revival. It carries a similar essence of hopefulness and is bolstered by a wonderful ensemble, but the puzzle pieces remain slightly askew. The humor, for example, leaves something to be desired. It may still be rough around the edges for now, but I’m hopeful that Rooster will realize its potential as a comfort comedy when it returns.
Stray observations:
- The title of this episode, “Songs For Raisa,” is a reference to Archie calling Mikhail Gorbachev his favorite Russian. Also, my brain immediately thinks of The Americans when I hear Gorbachev. That FX drama has nothing to do with Rooster, but go and watch it anyway.
- Please, let Katie make some real friends who aren’t also her students. Why is she seeking their validation anyway?
- I’m obsessed with how Danielle Deadwyler downplays Dylan’s obvious attraction to Greg, claiming to him that it’s good the two never slept together, so they can remain friends. Now that’s a good slow burn.
- Crystal, while describing Jake: “Sometimes when he looks at me, I don’t know if he’s lost in thought or if he wants to murder me, but it’s exciting.”
- Shoutout to Maximo Salas, whose energy as Tommy was so infectious throughout season one. His performance turned a side character into someone we can all heartily root for. So I’m glad he turned in an essay that Greg says is his favorite of the entire class.
- So, whatever happened to that rooster Greg stole that’s still sitting in Katie’s office? Why make Elizabeth refer to it in last week’s episode if the finale wasn’t planning to conclude the story? Maybe it’s waiting for next semester/season?
- Greg: “That’s the thing about a great character, that deep down, they already know who they are and who they want to be. All they need is one tiny little thing to wake them up.”
Saloni Gajjar is The A.V. Club‘s TV critic.
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