Robert Heinlein once complained that science fiction was about exploring the vastness of time and space, while mainstream fiction -- the Rabbit Runs, Appointments in Samarra, and Complaining Portnoys of our college lit classes -- was about men who hate their jobs and their wives. "For Heaven's sake, get new jobs, get new wives, and shut the f*k up."
I am reminded of that quote when I think of the works of Steve Carrell: Anchorman, Dan in Real Life, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Cafe Society, Date Night, Dinner for Schmucks, The Morning Show, The Four Seasons, all about little men trying desperately to find meaning in jobs and wives that they hate. Coincidentally, this is precisely the "job, house, wife, kids" trajectory that I rebelled against growing up.
So I wasn't planning to watch the HBO MAX series Rooster (2026). Then the promo showed a young man telling Steve, "nice washboard (abs)," referring to the hunk on the cover of his book. Later he seems to become Steve's sidekick. So Steve probably writes gay novels, and probably has a gay sidekick. Enough potential to review Episode 1.
Scene 1: Famous novelist Greg Russo (Steve) looks morose as he is escorted through the elegant Spanish Colonial campus of Ludlow College (actually the University of the Pacific, Stockton). He sees a naked old guy, who waves -- but his escort, Eric (Myles Perez, left), doesn't see anyone. A hallucination?
Eric tells him to wait here, then zones him out and refuses to speak anymore. Fortunately, Professor Shepherd, who arranged his campus visit, is just walking up.
He's nervous -- he writes trashy beach novels, not literature: "Characters you like have sex, characters you don't like get shot in the face." Why would elite college students want to see him?
Scene 2: The reading, in a giant lecture hall. The students criticize his protagonist, Rooster, for describing the Girl in food terms during their 17 sexual acts (18, if you count the blow job). Isn't that sexist?
Russo counters that she is strong and powerful -- she rescues Rooster, remember? "But she takes off her bikini top to do it." A jock praises that scene: "The Girl is smokin'!" Hey, isn't he the gay sidekick? I'm starting to suspect that I've been tricked.
Scene 3: Next Russo meets the College President (John C. McGinley, the homophobic, sexist jerk on Scrubs). He strips to his underwear to show off his physique: "You're thinking, most college presidents are bookish shut-ins, but this guy is jacked!" He looks like the naked guy from earlier. So it wasn't a hallucination, just a crazy act that would never happen on any real college campus.
They allude to a "sex scandal" involving Katie and Archie (not mentioned before), and the President offers Russo a job as Writer-in-Residence. "But I didn't even go to college." "Who cares? It's over-rated." Academic malaise at its snarkiest.
Left: McGinley's butt
Scene 4: Next stop: Another giant lecture hall, a lecture on French impressionism, Monet at Giverny. It's Russo's daughter Katie, a professor of art history (and the sex scandal lady). As the students leave, she notes that her Dad doesn't like interacting with other humans, so they can get extra credit for looking him in the eye and saying "I love you very much." A student does it!
Next Katie points out that the college has asked Russo to do a reading a billion times; why agree now? "Admit it -- you're checking up on me, to see if I'm ok after the sex scandal." We finally find out what it is: her husband Archie dumped her for a grad student. Hetero Romance Problem #1.
She has no idea why. Everything was normal, and then she was moving into the dead hockey coach's house. Everybody on campus knows, and keeps staring at her and asking questions. And it's difficult to avoid running into him or his new girlfriend on a small campus. She's about to crack.
She points them out, sitting on a park bench. "The girlfriend isn't even hot. She's like a regular person. Why did he dump me for her?" Maybe he liked her personality?
As Russo peeks through the bushes, husband Archie and the girlfriend leave, and a lesbian couple notice him. They think he's a perv, har har. He runs away as they film him.
Spoiler alert: This is set up to have consequences, like Russo being arrested, or the job offer rescinded, but it is never mentioned again.
Scene 5: Russo stops at a convenience store for some water. Tommy (Maximo Salas), the jock from earlier, praises the Rooster books. Uh-oh, he forgot his id, so Russo buys his beer for him. If he's under 21, you're in big trouble, buddy.
More after the break
