Rooster Recap: Thanksgiving Breakup

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Thanksgiving break is here, and it just hit me that Greg’s job at Ludlow isn’t permanent. With the end of the semester approaching – and Greg’s first writing workshop wrapping up – the recent renewal of Rooster for a second season makes me think he’ll likely be offered a full-time position in the last few episodes. Maybe he’ll even be Dylan’s choice to lead the English department? He seems to be thriving at Ludlow, and there’s no real reason for him to leave.

In “All the Dogs’ Names,” Greg is adjusting to life after his breakup with Cristle. The breakup is surprisingly comical – Cristle initiates it, expecting a fight from Greg, and is then upset when he doesn’t resist, even though she’d have turned him down regardless. During the breakup, Cristle casually mentions a difficult past event – Tommy’s dad leaving for his math teacher. It’s a bit sad to consider how Greg’s relationship with Tommy’s mom might be stirring up those old feelings for him. Poor Tommy is really struggling in this episode, and it’s concerning. He attends Greg’s seminar wearing sunglasses, claiming he only sees “a snake between two Gatorade trees” when he looks at his professor. That’s a disturbing image, Tommy, and a pretty harsh assessment of Greg!

Greg tries to repair his friendship with Tommy by offering academic help, but he’s honest about how he’ll grade Tommy’s work. When Tommy gets his assignment back, it’s heavily marked with corrections, and Greg’s main note is that Tommy needs to delve deeper into the subject. Tommy is really disappointed, and by the end of the episode, he’s even considering dropping out of college. Cristle talks to Greg after Thanksgiving, and he assures her he’ll fix things. I’m thankful for that promise because the show hinted that Walt might try to force his way into Tommy’s life, potentially replacing Tommy’s real friendship with Greg, and that worried me.

I’m not upset about the latest events with Walt and Greg. Walt can be difficult, but he means well. However, he was offended when Greg installed a lock on his door to keep Walt from entering whenever he pleased. Greg explained to Dylan that he put the lock in after Walt walked in on him looking at his belly button! It’s understandable why Greg would want some privacy. Walt consistently oversteps boundaries and has been keeping a record of Greg’s perceived offenses from the start. There’s an amusing scene where Walt lists six complaints about Greg, and Greg responds to each one quickly. Walt seems most concerned that Greg is plotting with his wife to take his job, but Greg quickly assures him that isn’t happening.

Walt is upset that Greg and Cristle apparently had sex on his desk, and Greg realizes this. Feeling bad, he tries to help Walt convince Dylan to take the English department head position instead of competing for the faculty dean role. However, his attempt at kindness doesn’t last long. He overhears Katie, Zoey, and Dylan discussing the lack of women in leadership positions at the college. When they realize Greg is manipulating the situation, they convince him to send a disapproving selfie to Walt. The contrast between Greg’s smile and the others’ frowns and thumbs-down is quite amusing.

This episode shows Walt starting to evolve. He actually listens to the advice Greg, Dylan, and Katie give him, which is a nice change. We finally get a scene between Walt and Katie, and it’s a strong one! Katie passionately supports Dylan’s candidacy for dean, simply because everyone likes her. Surprisingly, this is what finally convinces Walt. While Dean Riggs is a friend, he represents outdated, sexist attitudes. When Walt challenges him about his behavior, Riggs sincerely asks for a second chance, and his plea is quite believable (Alan Ruck does a great job portraying remorse). Ultimately, Walt prioritizes what’s best for the school and chooses Dylan as the new dean. Seeing the genuine joy on Dylan’s face when she learns the news is truly heartwarming.

I’m really struck by Walt’s search for connection. It’s so clear he wants to be liked, but he kind of tries to make people be his friends, especially at work. Those ‘coffee walks’ with Dylan felt less like genuine connection and more like him trying to force something. It hit me hard when Walt confessed to Greg that he was lonely and hoping they could get closer – John C. McGinley played that scene with such honesty! It was beautiful to see Greg actually consider being friends with him, despite how…eccentric Walt is. And when Walt did the right thing and gave Dylan the job? That sealed the deal. Seeing those two ride off on electric bikes at the end, you just feel a real connection forming. It’s a sweet, hopeful moment, and it really speaks to how much men struggle with loneliness – it feels like that’s a big part of what the show is getting at.

The romantic storyline between Archie, Sunny, and Katie still feels disconnected from the main plot, almost like its own show. While the relationship between Katie and Greg is nice, it doesn’t feel very substantial. There’s a brief connection when Sunny’s father, Fred (played by Jim O’Heir, who some might recognize as Jerry or Garry!), visits to celebrate the upcoming birth of his grandson. Fred turns out to be a fan of the “Rooster” book series, and after a slightly awkward start where Greg pretends not to know him, the two men have a pleasant conversation about their shared connection to the books. Unfortunately, that’s about the extent of how the different storylines come together.

Honestly, Archie is really pushing my buttons, and it’s getting harder and harder to watch him. He’s leading both Katie and the other woman on, and he just doesn’t seem to care about the pain he’s causing. There’s this scene where he shows up to Katie’s class with a croissant and tries to win her back with charm, promising to be there every day. She almost gives in, but then he pulls away! It was physically painful to watch her see him standing there, realizing he wasn’t coming to her. It reminded me of that heartbreaking moment in The Simpsons with Ralph Wiggum – you could practically see her heart break. Charly Clive is incredible; she makes you feel exactly what Katie’s going through. My heart genuinely ached when her little bubble of hope burst. I was literally reacting out loud while watching – ‘Oh no, he’s really going to ignore her!’ and then just ‘Ouch, ouch, ouch!’ It’s devastating to see her rejected by someone who’s constantly let her down, and then to see her beat herself up for even hoping. That, more than anything, is just so tragic.

Archie’s change of heart wasn’t easy, but he really should have talked to Katie instead of avoiding her. After some advice from Sunny’s dad to embrace the situation, he accompanies her to her doctor’s appointment. They unexpectedly get an ultrasound – a bit unrealistic, but it’s a TV show! – and Archie instantly connects with his unborn son. Sunny is pleased, but she’s still considering a job offer in New York. Honestly, Sunny, take the job and don’t look back! It would be great if Katie and Sunny could find partners who truly appreciate them, leaving Archie to deal with the consequences of his actions. (Though he should definitely still be involved in his son’s life, of course.) Maybe he could learn a thing or two about taking responsibility from Walt and Greg and their electric bikes. With only three episodes left this season, anything could happen.

Office Hours

Despite Greg constantly talking about becoming the hockey coach and assuring Officer Rory his son would play, there’s no hockey actually shown in this episode. It’s strange, but I found myself wishing there was, even though I don’t even like hockey!

I didn’t understand Fred’s relationship with Sunny until it was revealed that Sunny was adopted – that was a major turning point! Knowing she’s adopted suddenly makes Sunny’s decision to keep her own baby much clearer. I think revealing this earlier in the series would have helped develop her character and motivations more fully.

John C. McGinley delivered the standout line of the episode with a humorous and relatable statement: ‘My door is always open, especially when my gatekeeper is having a nervous breakdown.’

• The Ludlow mascot is on the loose! When will they catch it? And what even is it?!

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2026-04-20 05:59