HBO’s Rooster is more than halfway through season 1, and the way things are going, it seems that the makers are trying to steer everything to a culmination. Episode 7, titled All The Dogs’ Names, is an effort in that direction - every character arc, every storyline is accounted for in this one. However, this also becomes the reason why it felt like a mixed bag, as in an effort to focus on every subplot and every side character, the story loses focus on the main character, Greg Russo, itself.    

The events in this particular episode are a sharp contrast to what went down in the last one. In episode 6, Greg’s storyline was the main focus, but in this one, Greg plays the second fiddle in almost all of the secondary characters’ story arcs, and that just does not feel right. Keeping in mind what a bombshell of a climax the previous episode dropped, this episode should have built up on that, capitalizing on the shock and excitement of the bizarre turn of events. Instead, the episode just addresses it a bit and then leaves it be.

However, on the bright side, we get to see some well-deserved character developments for Archie and Walt, which somehow seemed the whole point of this episode. More on that later, but first, let us talk about Greg and Tommy’s current situation.

The last episode's events have left Tommy traumatized. Seeing his favorite teacher half-naked in his mom's kitchen has obviously scarred him a bit, and it is visible in the opening scene of the episode, where Greg is seen teaching the class. Russo apologizes to Tommy for what happened in his mother's kitchen the previous evening after class. They both concur that they do not want to discuss it ever again. Russo still wants to help Tommy improve his grades, but that plan is currently on hold because Tommy is not ready so much as to look at Russo. 

Later that evening, Cristle discloses that Tommy's high school math teacher was the reason her ex left her. For Tommy, it was commonplace to lose his favorite teachers because his parents would end up sleeping with them. To save Tommy from having to experience it all over again with Greg, they both decide to end their relationship. Although it was Cristle who suggested first that they should part ways, she just could not stop kissing Greg, who reciprocated the same feeling.

Yet, they ended things, and now Cristle seems disappointed that Greg did not fight for her. Even if their breakup was necessary for Tommy’s sake, she would have liked to see Russo at least try to stop her. Instead, he agreed almost instantaneously when the idea was first presented. Later, she takes leave from her job, leaving Walt frustrated at the situation.  

'Rooster' Episode 5 Recap: Can Greg’s Rediscovered Self Survive Beth, the Meteor?

Greg’s storyline in this episode ends here, and from now on, he only plays parts in other characters’ stories, like Walt and Dylan’s.

 Dylan discusses losing the Dean of Faculty position with Russo. She mentioned that she just got used to being heard, and the power to make things happen just felt good. This prompts Greg to make her laugh, but that goes in vain. He then goes on to offer some excellent counsel, advising her not to be depressed over losing her job. 

Walt then tries to open the closed door, which he refers to as their "special door," interrupting their chat. Watching Russo push Walt's head out of the door crack so he can shut the door and release the chain was hilarious. He then requests Greg to take the head coach position temporarily, as the current one is in rehab. Walt jokes with him about how Dylan readily agreed to go for a coffee walk, but he could not do the same when he invited him to his hothouse. Even after walking out of the room, Walt lets him know that he can hear him silently locking the chain back.   

During their walk, Walt offers Dylan the head of the English department, a noble gesture to compensate for losing her Dean of Faculty position. Even on a good day, the present Dean isn't fantastic, so she politely but firmly tells him that she wants to take over. She discloses that Russo actually helped her reach this decision, but Walt doesn't appear happy with Russo's assistance.

Walt pulls Russo aside to let him know how exactly he is feeling about the “transgressions” Greg has been committing against him. He lists all the ways Greg has so far tried to avoid him and his efforts to establish a bond of friendship. The shocker comes when Walt reveals that he knows about what Greg and Cristle did on his office desk the other night. Greg folded and agreed to do his dirty bidding for him. He is tasked with talking Dylan out of her stubborn desire for the Dean of Faculty gig. 

Russo approaches as Katie, Dylan, Zoey, and Katie's TA are discussing women in positions of authority. They confront him right away for speaking to Dylan on Walt's behalf. Dylan is obviously annoyed with Russo for taking Walt's side. When Walt texts him, they reply with a selfie expressing their feelings. Walt includes it in his expanding "list of Greg's transgressions".

The scene suddenly shifts to Walt’s office, where Zoey is seen presenting some facts and statistics about the dearth of women in power at Ludlow, and Katie just sits there admiring the research skills of her favorite student. Katie ultimately presents a pretty solid case for Dylan as the best prospect for the Dean of Faculty job before leaving.

Walt discusses the problems Dylan brought up with Dean Riggs. He lists several of his past remarks that were either misogynistic or insensitive towards the students, as well as some teachers. Walt seemed to have finally realized why the current dean is not the ideal person for the job, as he does not even try to change. He acknowledges that they both started at the same time, and that is why they became pals eventually, but he refused to change with the changing times, while Walt put in a genuine effort.

After a heart-to-heart with Greg in the hothouse, Walt is pretty clear now what he should do to resolve his current predicament. The conversation actually helped both to understand each other a bit better, and this will become a strong foundation of their developing friendship in the show. Anyhow, Walt informs Dylan that she will now be the new Dean of Faculty, and her happiness tries to jump out of her body even though she tries to focus on her teaching.

This storyline does wonders for Walt’s character development, and the audience can now see him as more than an oddball. Speaking of oddballs, Archie also gets a similar character development in the episode.

Archie is still in his own Candyland, where he can fidget between two women however he likes, and in this world, his actions are somehow justified. A deeper dive into his character reveals that he is motivated by his insecurity and need for approval, and he is just terrified of being rejected. In an attempt to win Katie over, he pledges to bring her breakfast every day before class. 

He also spends time with and makes a concerted effort to win over Sunny's father, Fred (Parks and Recreation fame Jim O’Heir), on the same day. Once more, the only sensible person in this situation is Mo, who is clearly irritated by Archie and Fred's growing connection. In the show, Mo seems to be the only person who sees through Archie and treats him the way a tool should be treated.  

Fred encourages Archie to attend Sunny's OB-GYN checkup. The fact that he is accompanying her to the doctor for the first time shows how uninterested he is in Sunny and helping her with the baby. However, during the scan at the clinic, Archie appears to be truly moved for once. It really seemed like something changed for him, and that becomes more evident in the next scene, where he kind of ignores Katie, who was waiting for him to bring her breakfast as usual.

One of the main gripes from this episode will surely be the wasted potential of a possible laughing riot. There are a couple of scenes where Fred interacts with Greg. In the first one, Greg tries his best to hide his identity from him, and in that attempt, he ends up claiming that he knows all the dogs’ names on the campus (this is where the title of the episode comes from). 

In the other scene, Fred now knows who Greg is, and it turns out he is a fan of his Rooster books. He goes in after the class to meet Russo and also get him to sign one of his books for his wife, who is also a great fan of his work. During their conversation, Fred acknowledges the unique situation that binds them both to each other’s lives. This was an extremely awkward conversation, and the makers somehow failed to capitalize on the comedic angle of this extraordinary situation.

At the end of the day, the episode did give something memorable, Walt’s vulnerable side, which made him more human than just a comedic relief. Also, now one can hope that Archie will stop being an annoyingly selfish person and, for once, think about the feelings of the women he has been messing with. Despite all these developments, there remains a genuine longing to see what becomes of the Tommy-Greg dynamic, especially after the jaw-dropper climax of episode 6. The show will definitely expand on that in future episodes.

'Rooster' Episode 4 Recap: Greg Finally Finds His Bearings and Unleashes a New Self

Do you think Archie has chosen Sunny this time for good, or will he oscillate back to Katie again, as per his nature? Share your thoughts.