Warning! The following contains spoilers from the Rooster episode "All The Dogs' Names." Stream it with an HBO Max subscription, and read at your own risk!
HBO's Rooster has a ton of likable characters, but it's fair to say that Phil Dunster's Archie is not one of them. From cheating on his wife, Katie, with his student, Sunny, to cheating on the pregnant Sunny with Katie, it's hard to like anything about him. That's why it pains me to say that as the series reaches its back half amid the 2026 TV schedule, series co-creator Bill Lawrence and co. finally made me respect Archie for a major reason. However, I wonder how long it'll last.
Archie Quit Running From His Upcoming Obligations As A Father
Up to this point in Rooster, Archie had convinced himself that his affair with Sunny was a fling and that Katie was still his true love. Despite her burning their house down and his beloved copy of War and Peace, he's maintained he's still madly in love with her, and they've been sleeping together in secret. The episode even started with Arch surprising Katie with her favorite cafe order and promising to make a daily habit of it until she agreed to take him back.
The ritual was short-lived, but only thanks to Sunny's adoptive father, Freddy (played by the wonderful Jim O'Heir). Fred demanded Archie go with Sonny to his OBGYN appointment, which he previously planned to skip out on. Not wishing to get off on the wrong foot with the grandfather of his future child, Archie went.
At the appointment, he saw an ultrasound of the baby, and just like that, it felt as though Rooster showed the despicable aura fading from him. The gravity of welcoming a child into the world finally set in, and the immediate aftermath showed Archie standing up Katie as she waited for her daily cafe delivery. Instead, the two exchanged an awkward glance before he headed off in the other direction.
I'm Rooting For Archie To Commit To Sunny, If Only For Katie's Sake
Archie is the worst for what he did to Katie, but I think it's fair to say he was even worse when he started cheating on Sunny and being dismissive of her overall. Now that he's seen his future child, he seems ready to embrace the situation ahead of him, rather than flee back to Katie and get back to what his life was before this scandal.
Steve Carell Shares The Moment In Rooster That Reminds Him Of The Office
Assuming Archie continues to head in this direction, I can't help but respect him. His devotion to Sunny also allows Katie to move on from her heartache, which she's struggled with throughout most of Rooster Season 1. Viewers have seen everyone but Kate have an uplifting story arc thus far, and I'm hoping we can see at least the start of that as the season continues.
Of course, there's a part of me that's skeptical about whether Archie has truly changed his ways. As a Ted Lasso fan, I think I'm already buying into the fact that Phil Dunster's character is going to have the same redemption arc that Jamie Tartt had. It's possible Bill Lawrence (who made both shows) even knew the audience would think that and that we're going to get a gut punch showing Archie is the rat we all thought he was all along.
Rooster Season 1 is moving right along, and I still can't believe this show continues to be as good as critics proclaimed. I'm eager to see how the rest of the season plays out, and whether we'll get that redemption arc from Archie or he'll just disappoint me again.
