I've really enjoyed following Steve Carell's career over the years. Whether it's his iconic role as Michael Scott on The Office or his much more serious performance as Alan Strauss in Hulu's The Patient, I've been consistently impressed by what he does. In HBO Max's Rooster, Carell plays Greg Russo. He's the author of a series of books following a main character called, you guessed it, Rooster. Russo had gained a fandom through that character even though he's not as successful himself, with painful emotions coming to the surface as he returns to the same arts college, Ludlow, where his wife left him 25 years ago.History repeats itself at this, frankly, cursed college. Russo's daughter, Katie, works there, and she's having her own relationship drama. Her husband Archie has left her for a student, with whom he was having an affair, and everybody knows about it. Archie is played by Ted Lasso's Phil Dunster, who perfectly encapsulates Archie's self-serving attitude. Much like Dunster's outstanding performance as Jamie Tartt in Ted Lasso, though, he's layered and will find a way to charm you despite all of that. Despite his many, many flaws, it's not impossible to see why Katie married him in the first place. On his first day, Greg meets college president Walter Mann, played by the always wonderful John C. McGinley. If you liked him in Scrubs, you'll certainly enjoy him here too, as he plays quite the eccentric character with some very strong opinions about the college and the people in it. Every scene involving him is brilliantly awkward, and the cast is a real selling point here.Given the strained relationship between Katie and Greg, it's hard for him to comfort his daughter, but he does his best anyway. She immediately tries to embarrass him when he gatecrashes her lecture, and is critical of the fact that he's there to check up on her, even though he insists he's just there to guest lecture.Greg makes his disdain for Archie very clear from episode one, positioning himself as a caring father despite the rampant self-deprecation and awkwardness we often see from him. Scenes between Greg and Archie are among my favorites, and they are played very well by Carell and Dunster.But there's more to Rooster than just this, and Greg ends up getting into all sorts of unwelcome situations during his time at Ludlow, which was meant to be a simple guest lecturing gig, after all. These include an unfortunate appearance on the news, run-ins with local law enforcement, and criticisms from students about some of the narrative choices in his novel, especially the over-reliance on sex appeal. Not all of the topical jokes worked for me, but humor is subjective, so perhaps you'll enjoy those more than I did. It definitely segues into slapstick when it doesn't really need to.

Outside of the comedy, though, the series does do serious moments well. Katie is terrible at emotional vulnerability, using sarcasm as a shield, and Greg doesn't quite know how to navigate that. He just isn't as cool and collected as Rooster, despite his efforts to emulate him. Greg ends up having a tequila-induced heart-to-heart with Dylan Shepard, a bubbly faculty member played by Danielle Deadwyle, where we learn more about his failed marriage, so the series is character-driven from the get-go. They clearly have chemistry too, making me keen to see how it unfolds over the next nine episodes.Rooster has all the ingredients for a fun weekend watch. With quick episodes that are easy to watch, the Sunday time slot is ideal for this show. Episodes are released weekly, and you can easily slot this into your streaming schedule if you want something light that still gives you plenty to think about.I did find the way Rooster was filmed a little jarring, but honestly, it didn't take away from the great performances and the important themes explored. It's a fun addition to HBO Max's library, showcasing Carell at his best, where he effortlessly blends humor and seriousness.

Rooster is available on HBO Max in the US and Australia, and Sky Comedy in the UK.