Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Rooster Season 1 finale "Songs For Raisa." Stream the episode with an HBO Max subscription and read at your own risk!
Rooster found a way to keep Greg at Ludlow University for Season 2, though I'm not sure he'll be as happy as he originally anticipated. The HBO series made me so happy by having Katie dump Archie after he ditched Sunny for her, only to deliver a brutal gut punch witht he reveal that Connie Britton's Beth will become Ludlow's next president.
Walter told Greg that his ex-wife would become the new president of the university at the start of the next school year, minutes after the latter delivered a heartfelt speech about truly feeling like he belonged at Ludlow. I was devastated for him, and I fear he will be taking a couple of steps backwards when the new episodes arrive.
Will Beth Ruin Ludlow For Greg?
I should've known a show as critically acclaimed as Rooster was not going to end without conflict, but man, was this twist hard to swallow. All throughout the 2026 TV schedule, we've seen Greg talk about living in Beth's shadow during their marriage, and her ability to invade and take over things he enjoyed. Now, it seems Beth becoming president at Ludlow University is going to impact how much he enjoys teaching there, and potentially the positive impact he has on others.
I also have to wonder if Beth will try to get Greg back after she made a move on him that he pushed off. I don't think she took the job as President to try and get her ex-husband back, but I think the fact that he wasn't on board with getting with her will make Beth more determined to make him obsessed with her all over again.
I Hope Walter Still Has A Presence On Rooster After She Takes Over
Connie Britton's Beth stepping in to be president at Ludlow is upsetting because it means John C. McGinley's Walter will presumably be out of a job at the end of Season 2. It's a shame because I love McGinley in this role even more than I loved him on Scrubs, and I'm going to miss those Hot House pow-wows if he does end up leaving at the end of the season.
That said, we still have him around for Season 2, as his term will not be up until the end of the school year. That means there's still time for Beth to retract taking the position. I'm not sure that she will, but I'm crossing all my fingers and toes that the writers have a plan and will ultimately leave Walter in the job.
If not, at least he'll still live in town and be friends with Greg. I'm sure he's going to need plenty of counsel, having his ex as his boss, and for all of Walter's weird quirks, he does offer some great advice. Greg's going to need it, but thankfully, he doesn't have any shortage of friends in town willing to listen to him vent.
Rooster will return to HBO for Season 2, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. I loved Season 1 and can't wait for new episodes, but thankfully, HBO has a lot of other great shows lined up for the rest of the year.
