Things just got very tense at Ludlow College. The latest episode of the HBO series Rooster dropped on Sunday, April 12, and it came with a big surprise. Just when Danielle Deadwyler’s character, Dylan Shepherd, started to feel comfortable in her new office, an old face showed up to ruin the mood. Alan Ruck, famous for playing Connor Roy in Succession, returned as Dean Riggs. His comeback changes everything for Dylan and sets up another major fight for power at the school. The actors behind the show are now calling Riggs the true villain of the story.
Danielle Deadwyler and Phil Dunster Discuss the “Villain” Label
The sixth episode, titled “Cop Hawk,” shows Dylan finally decorating her office and trying to make the space her own. She hangs picture frames and places a red lily plant on her desk. But that peace does not last long. John C. McGinley’s character, Walter Mann, walks into her office with Dean Riggs right behind him. In a rude move, Riggs smokes a cigarette and puts it out in Dylan’s new plant. It is a clear sign of disrespect.
Danielle Deadwyler and her co-star Phil Dunster (who plays Archie) talked about this moment before the show aired. Deadwyler had strong thoughts about who the audience should really watch out for.
“When we talk about a villain, why they want to put it on you?” Deadwyler asked Dunster. He joked back, “I know, poor, misunderstood Archie.” But Deadwyler shut that down quickly. “That’s not it, man,” she said, switching to a British accent. She explained that Riggs is the real problem. “And unrelenting, but this is a part of the whole old guard being on campus, and these being spaces of systems that have long lived. They are being broken the hell down by poetic, inquisitive, curious, open, expansive minds.”
Dunster also praised the show’s creators, Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, for not holding back. He said the writers are brave to make characters like Riggs so unlikable.
“I do also feel like that’s a real strength of Bill and Matt’s, going to a place where I think that it’s quite unflinching, and Alan Ruck’s character is such a great example,” Dunster added. “There’s quite a few forays into the naughty in this. They go where others might not, but I think that you feel very safe with it.”
What Happened to Dean Riggs Before His Return
Fans will remember that Riggs had a serious health scare earlier in the season. At the end of the third episode, he suffered a heart attack in Dylan’s office. Dylan did not rush to help him at first because she thought he was just having a coughing fit. This moment caused a lot of tension between them.
After the heart attack, Riggs ended up in the hospital. Steve Carell’s character, Greg Russo, had a very awkward moment visiting him. Greg had to hold Riggs’ hand while Riggs was unconscious with tubes down his throat. Alan Ruck admitted in a separate interview that staying still during those funny scenes was very hard. He had to completely zone out to keep from laughing at Steve Carell’s physical comedy.
Now that Riggs is back on campus, the power struggle is starting again. Episode 5 showed Connie Britton’s character, Elizabeth Stoddard, supporting Dylan as the Interim Dean of Faculty. But Riggs clearly does not want to give up control.
The Complicated Love Life of Dylan and Greg
While Riggs causes trouble at work, Dylan is still dealing with her feelings for Greg. In the first episode, she showed interest in him, but things did not go as planned. Deadwyler explained that Dylan is trying to keep her emotions hidden after putting herself out there.
“She’s revealed herself in a way initially, with Greg. And she’s like, ‘Oh shit, I pulled my card. Let me put it back,’ and you can’t. He’s already memorized that you got a nine of diamond spades,” Deadwyler said. “And she works with his daughter. This is all too much… It’s a space where she’s deeply, deeply lonely, and yet it is the place where she thrives.”
Greg is also stuck in his own romantic mess. He is trying to figure things out with Cristle (played by Annie Mumolo). At the end of episode six, Greg learns that Cristle is actually the mother of his favorite student, Tommy (Maximo Salas). This discovery makes his love life even more complicated.
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What Viewers Can Expect Next on ‘Rooster’
The return of Dean Riggs guarantees more fights in the coming episodes. Dylan and Riggs have clashed before, and their last argument ended with Riggs in the hospital. Now that he is back and smoking in her office, another showdown is likely.
Greg is still trying to fix his relationship with his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive). He also has to deal with the fact that he still has feelings for Dylan. The show is slowly building up to a moment where these two might finally talk about their connection.
New episodes of Rooster air every Sunday at 7 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and are also available for streaming on Max.
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