Tensions boil over to a confrontational space on and off the ice hockey rink in Rooster Season 1, Episode 9, “Ludlow’s Fourth Hottest Professor.” The season’s penultimate episode, written by Matthew Kerr and directed by Jonathan Krisel, is a mixed bag. It bets on a team that struggles to leave any strong impression before this pivotal episode. On the other hand, “Ludlow’s Fourth Hottest Professor” brings back Connie Britton’s Elizabeth, which is productive.
Her connections to – or lack thereof – with Greg and Katie inspire Rooster to test the father and daughter’s growth. Elizabeth’s presence also applies considerable pressure on Walt. His fears about his job security take more of an on-screen prominence in “Ludlow’s Fourth Hottest Professor.” It helps that the show finally introduces the elusive Head of Trustees, Graham. His arrival suggests that changes at Ludlow are far from over as Rooster heads into its first season finale.
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Ludlow College and the Hockey of It All
“Ludlow’s Fourth Hottest Professor” finally brings the college’s hockey team to the forefront, but it’s too much too late. There’s a broad sense of care for the coach’s well-being, but it’s been so long that he’s been on screen that there’s just no attachment to the character. It’s such a strange choice for Rooster not to utilize Scott MacArthur more because his comedic timing is perfect. His read of “Since I got sober, the world of gambling’s really opened up to me” is too good.
Relatedly, the brief scenes with the team emphasize that larger disconnect. There are characters named JD and DJ, and the show does so little to differentiate them, let alone make them feel like full characters. Therefore, Coach Jake’s attempt to make amends doesn’t play as anything more than a comedic bit and a means to an end to get the team to play more aggressively against Pruitt. There’s no weight to anything he confesses to having done to the players because Rooster doesn’t get to know them. So, their anger isn’t really justified in the show’s context. Understandably, some characters are meant to be plot devices. Unfortunately, “Ludlow’s Fourth Hottest Professor” doesn’t pull that off because of how little resonance the hockey plot has had this season.
In turn, the show undercuts both Greg’s pep talk and his celebration – there’s no solid foundation for either. That scene, which makes a hilarious and ingenious pivot to We Bought a Zoo, is bittersweet. The banter between Greg, Office Donnie, and the hockey players is so good. The missed opportunity becomes more apparent in the few scenes with Greg and Tommy. There’s so much context there that the episode earns Katie calling Tommy her “little bro.”
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Greg and Katie Have a Tough Conversation
It’s a relief that “Ludlow’s Fourth Hottest Professor” doesn’t immediately move on from Sunny passing on the Biotecha job. Alternatively, it is still frustrating that all of Sunny and Walt’s scenes, which are already so few, are limited to this one set. His advice to her is necessary and gladly received, but it would have had a much larger impact if Rooster had spent more time with their mentorship this season. Meanwhile, Archie’s reaction to his book is entirely believable.
That project is sometimes more prominent in his arc than his relationship with Sunny, which is intentionally revealing. That scene with Archie’s crashout is pure physical comedy gold from Phil Dunster. He fills the space while monologuing about absolute nonsense – it’s incredible. There’s also an honest (and caffeine-fueled) source to that performance. Something that Archie believed in – himself and his talent – comes crashing down around him. That sentiment folds nicely into Katie learning the truth about how she got her job, let alone kept it.
Rooster gets there with Katie by representing how casual and uninvolved Elizabeth is most of the time. That understanding of her character puts a(n even) more sympathetic lens on why Greg does so much for Katie. All of which culminates in that excellent scene between Steve Carell and Charly Clive. Her delivery of “I’m not mad. I’m really sad,” is as heartbreaking as it is honest. “Ludlow’s Fourth Hottest Professor” follows that up with another fantastic scene, with Clive and Dunster. It’s cleverly scripted that Katie and Archie end up at the same counter as they reflect on and end up on the same page about so much. That comfort level naturally leads to Katie making that choice with Archie. It’s a predictable yet exciting and understandable push into the season finale.
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