REVIEW: ‘Rooster’ Episode 5 — “Mr. Razzles”

Now at the halfway mark, Rooster Episode 5, “Mr. Razzles,” should technically be a turning point – in theory – for Greg Russo (Steve Carell). And, at first, things are looking high after his one-night stand with Cristle (Annie Mumolo). That is, until news of his ex-wife, Elizabeth (Connie Britton), will be coming to campus, shakes him up. While he spends most of the episode trying to find a point of reconciliation, his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive), is dealing with the aftermath of hooking up with her ex-husband, Archie (Phil Dunster).

Greg has made it no secret since the start of Rooster how much he cares about his daughter. However, his feelings for his ex-wife have notably been complicated. In his defense, she did cheat on him, and it left an irrevocable wound that he still hasn’t recovered from.

In Rooster Episode 5, he’s forced to meet his ex, Elizabeth, face-to-face on campus, after Walter Mann (John C. McGinley) announces that they’re going to be naming one of the centers after her. For Greg, his family will finally be together after a long separation marked by awkwardness, but at what cost?

Elizabeth’s arrival in Rooster Episode 5 highlights the similarities between father and daughter.

For viewers, this is the first time we’re meeting the infamous ex, and Connie Britton fully embodies the confidence a woman in Elizabeth’s position needs. She’s powerful, she’s ballsy, and – through her own admission – unapologetically selfish. Sounding familiar?

The awkwardness between the two former spouses is palpable, yet Elizabeth, Greg, and Katie try to make the best out of a tense situation. In Rooster Episode 5, these interactions within the family unit highlight how similar Elizabeth is to Arthur. Just with a slightly more developed sense of maturity.

Speaking of Arthur, it looks like the glamour is finally fading for the people around him. Honestly, it couldn’t happen to a better person. From Sunny (Lauren Tsai) deciding they can’t be together to Walter’s growing frustration with the man’s self-obsession to a student altercation that prompts a complaint, Rooster Episode 5 shows the cracks in the man’s grip on those around him.

The question is whether or not his delusional sense of grandiosity can handle it when there are consequences for his behavior, because, outside of Greg’s public smackdown, Arthur has yet to truly face punishment. Still, this is a much-needed development for the character. Maybe it’ll take Katie fully rejecting him for it to stick. Which may be coming. Because, while Katie and Arthur do have a renewed sense of intimacy in their relationship, Sunny does approach her in Rooster Episode 5. 

Katie and Arthur reunite behind-the-scenes, but his charm can only last so long.

It’s a reminder for Katie of what she’s lost. Woman to woman, though, she can’t deny what Arthur has done to this young woman, and while Sunny takes a lot of the blame on herself, Katie reminds her that it takes two to tango. Arthur is just as culpable as Sunny is. With this moment happening towards the end of the episode, this may have Katie righting her ship towards a more permanent separation.

There are no easy answers for Greg or Katie in Rooster Episode 5. Neither has been able to let go of the wounds left by their partners, and it shows. It shows in a desire to reconnect, to rewrite history in pursuit of a loving touch, but the hurt still lingers.

The difference is that Katie’s wounds are still fresh. Greg has had time to scar over, with resentment festering under the surface. It’s no surprise then that the reunion between him and Elizabeth doesn’t result in unity. Instead, it’s another step towards a final separation.

There are no easy lessons when it comes to overcoming resentment, but maybe that’s the point.

In Rooster Episode 5, there are no easy lessons surrounding these kinds of resentments and hurts. While Greg dismisses his resentment as being ‘Mr. Razzies,’ something he falls back on after Elizabeth’s teasing him, the hurt is there.

He hasn’t let go, but Elizabeth is ready to move on. And perhaps, that is the lesson. While it’s not easy to let go, especially as the hurt party, there comes a point in the process where there’s nothing left to salvage. Friendships end. Relationships end. Trying to push things past their completion point leads to further pain.

While Rooster Episode 5 features a bit of a step backward for Greg and Katie, there’s a dawning clarity by episode’s end for both father and daughter. There are no easy lessons or jokes to really take the bite out of the more serious tone of the episode, but sometimes life can’t always hide behind humor. You’ve got to deal with things as they come, or risk the pain that will follow if you don’t.

Rooster Episode 5 is now streaming on HBO Max with new episodes weekly on Sundays.

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