Rooster Recap: Thanksgiving Breakup

Now that we’re on Thanksgiving break, I’ve somehow just realized that Greg’s job technically has an expiration date. Turkey Day is nearing the end of the semester, which means Greg’s first writing workshop is almost complete. Because HBO just made a very smart decision to renew. rooster In Season 2 (hooray!), I’d be willing to bet that Greg gets a more permanent position in the final three episodes of the season. Perhaps he will be chosen to head Dylan’s English department? This man certainly has a fulfilling life in Ludlow and seems to have little reason to leave.

“All the Dogs’ Names” finds Greg settling into a comfortable routine after breaking up with Krystle. The breakup itself is pretty funny, with Krystle taking the lead (as usual) and then falling into despair when Greg doesn’t fight for her…even though she would have rejected him. Speaking of Tommy (in a roundabout way!), my son isn’t doing too well in this episode. I’m worried about him! He shows up at Greg’s seminar in dark shades and claims that when he looks at the professor, all he sees is “a snake between two Gatorade trees.” Thanks for that visual, Tommy. Also, a snake? Damn it, Greg. I’m very grateful that Tommy didn’t seem too far removed from his relationship with Greg. Because the show seemed to be hinting that Walt’s forced friendship could be replaced by Tommy and Greg’s real friendship, and I was starting to worry.

Not that I’m complaining about this new twist in Walt and Greg’s story. As Walt also admits, he’s a little difficult to work with, but his heart is in the right place. When Greg installs a latch lock on the inside of the door to prevent Walt from breaking in at any time, Walt resents this act of privacy. Greg tells Dylan that he decided to lock up when Walt walked up to him one day, literally gazing at his navel. That’s interesting, Greg! I can understand why you want to do it privately. Walt had no boundaries and had a list of violations against Greg from day one. In a hilarious scene, he makes at least six accusations against the staff writer, all of which Greg responds to in quick succession. Walt seems most worried about Greg colluding with his wife to take over Walt’s job, but Greg quickly shoots down that idea.

Walt is also insulted by the fact that Greg and Krystle apparently had sex on his desk, and Greg understands that. Feeling guilty, he decides to help Walt accept the job of head of the English department instead of Dylan competing for the head position. But this support doesn’t last long when Katie, Zoe, and Dylan are caught discussing how few women are in positions of power on campus. Realizing what Greg is up to, the women show their collective displeasure by having Greg send a selfie to Walt. Greg’s smiling face contrasts with the rest of the crew’s frowns and thumbs down, making for an interesting visual.

Walt has actually seriously thought through the feedback from Greg, Dylan, and Katie, and shows some growth here. Katie finally gets a scene with Walt! And it’s a good one! She passionately advocates for Dylan to become dean because “everyone loves her.” Oddly enough, this seems to be what ultimately caused Walt to change his mind. Dean Riggs is his friend, but he’s also stuck in a misogynistic past. When Walt confronts him about his recent crimes, he asks for a chance to change, and his words are very telling. (Alan Ruck has a great puppy face.) But in the end, Walt does what’s best for the school and appoints Dylan the dean. The look of blooming joy on her face after he tells her of his decision is so much fun to watch.

Walt is a man who is looking for friendship, but he also wants to be successful at work. These two things are contradictory, as he frequently uses his powers to make people in his orbit act in his friend’s shoes. A great example of this is “Coffee Walk” with Dylan. Truly, he is a loner. Men often feel lonely! Male loneliness is on the rise! I miss Greg too! The scene in which Walt confesses to Greg that he was lonely and had hoped that the two of them could be friends is truly beautiful, with a deep sense of vulnerability expressed by John C. McGinley. Greg opens up to the possibility of a real friendship with this strange man. And Walt completely convinces him when he makes the right decision to give Dylan the position. As the episode ends, the two men gleefully ride far into the distance on electric bikes, developing a friendship in the winter air.

Elsewhere, the Archie, Sonny, and Katie love triangle still feels like part of another show. The connective tissue of Katie and Greg’s relationship is sweet but thin. Sonny’s father Fred (Jim O’Hare) — Hey, Jerry, uh, Garry! We also feel a bit of a connection when — comes to town to celebrate her pregnant grandchild. After an awkward first encounter in which Fred turns out to be a big fan of Rooster’s books and Greg pretends not to know who Fred is, the two chat about their strange relationship. But that’s enough for the integration between storylines.

Archie is really testing my patience and his face is getting punchier by the day. He has both of these gorgeous and accomplished women in tow, but he doesn’t seem to care much about the heartbreak or stress he’s causing. He shows up in Katie’s class with her favorite croissant and some witty jokes, promising to come every day until she agrees to take him back. Katie resisted this at first, but then… Literally like she gave in.Archie backs away. It’s physically painful to watch Katie find Archie on the stairs and realize he hasn’t come to see her. Just like from that moment simpsons Here, Bart pinpoints the exact moment when Ralph’s heart “breaks in two.” Charlie Clive does a great job of making us feel what Katie is feeling in this moment. My own heart ached as I watched her bubble of hope burst. (Notes while watching this scene: Oh, that’s amazing. He’s really going to ignore her. Wow. Oh, oh, oh, that fucking hurts.) Clive’s face shows a range of emotions in the wake of rejection from a man who has only ever disappointed her. She’s clearly distraught that Archie ignored her, but she also blames herself for holding out hope in the first place. And that in itself is kind of a tragedy.

Archie’s change of heart doesn’t happen lightly, but he should have gone downstairs to explain the situation to Katie instead of running away from her like a coward. Sunny’s father tells him that he should surrender to the process and goes with her to the gynecologist’s appointment. They offered her a voluntary ultrasound. This is not at all how prenatal care works, but Bill Lawrence Cinematic Universe, stop it! –And Archie suddenly falls in love with his unborn son. Sunny is happy but still considering a job in New York. Once again, I implore this fictional character from my recapper perch. “Go, girl, go!” Run away from this wayward guy as quickly as possible. In a just world, Katie and Sonny would find love with the people they deserve, and Archie would be left to ponder his sad and lonely existence. (Of course, I visit my son regularly. I’m not a monster.) Maybe he can join Walt and Greg’s e-bike gang and teach him how to be a flawed but responsible man. With only three episodes left until the end of the season, it feels like anything is possible.

• There is no hockey in this episode, even though Greg talks about taking over the hockey coaching job and promising Officer Rory that he would give his kids time on the ice. Is it weird that I wanted to watch hockey? I’m not even a hockey fan!

• Fred as Sonny’s father never made any sense to me until Fred revealed that Sonny was adopted. That was a really great moment for me. This fact leads to her decision to continue focusing more on the baby. And I feel like it might have been beneficial to reveal this detail earlier in the series to flesh out her character (and her motivations) a little more.

• “Please know that my door is always open, especially when the gatekeeper is out having a nervous breakdown.” Once again, John C. McGinley won the award for Best Line of the Episode.

A previous version of this summary contained inaccurate scene descriptions. Fixed.