“No one’s normal. It just looks that way from across the street.”

Until a few years ago, I enjoyed the title “young.” Sure, as the years ticked by, that word got stretched out, mumbled and modified, but the word hung on. I could use it with relative confidence that it moderately described me and my “stage.”

Until it didn’t.

No amount of effort can re-tube that toothpaste – once you aren’t “young,” you are “old.” I am now solidly “middle-aged.” I am now the proud owner of unexplainable aches, chronic and baseless fatigue, and unprecedented life change.

Instead of the promise of youth, I now sport the realities of maturity. It never seems to fit quite right. Although this garment has been worn many times before by my predecessors, it always leaves me uncomfortable and feeling foreign. I can’t stretch it to cover while, at the same time, I cannot shrink it. So far, what has been handed to me in my middle-aged years is nothing short of “off.”

When you are young, “the world is your oyster.” Middle age has quickly taught me, well, oysters are nasty. It is a promise quite impossible to cash. That former “open door” mentality does nothing but let the air conditioning (that I spend all my waking hours paying for) out and the gall-darn bugs in.

Middle age has hardened my senses, dulling what was once an effortless joyful reflex. Middle age has exposed quirks into concrete weaknesses. Middle age has hyperextended my flexibility into a splint of responsibility and reaction. Middle age has tempted me with personal growth only to yank the rug of progressive isolation.

Instead of “all the answers,” I now have more clouded questions yet no more excused ignorance.

But middle-age has given me the appearance of wisdom (a.k.a. experience). Without age, one has no context for life. I now can see things with relative clarity. I can see the farce, the façade, the fabrication. I can spot the worth through all the waste. I may not have the vigor and venom that I once had, my head no longer in the clouds, but my feet have found solid ground and my purposes their roots.

I am begrudgingly (and curmudgeonly) thankful for middle age … but don’t let it hear me say that.

* “Rooster” – Greg Russo (Steve Carrell) is a middle-aged author of literature … well, let’s call them “books.” His Rooster book series is a beach-read, airport favorite: fun, funny, delightfully predictable, pulpy. So what if the books aren’t furthering humanity – they are selling and steady. For Greg, that is enough … financially anyway.

Greg’s daughter Katie (Charly Clive) is a promising English professor at Ludlow College, the alma mater of Greg’s successful ex-wife. Greg takes a speaking gig at Ludlow under the guise of “service to the young,” but in reality, he is attempting to connect to his daughter during her dramatic and public split with her also-professor husband Archie (Phil Dunster). Archie is sleeping with a grad student … not a good look.

Greg’s presence on campus is exciting and life-giving – his popularity is unquestioned … except Katie sees it as another shadow she can’t quite escape. Ludlow President Walter Mann (John C. McGinley) is enamored by Greg and asks him to be the college’s “artist in residence.” Although it seems a bit far-fetched, the position does entice Greg because his mid-life crisis is kicking his butt. Energy, purpose, family – it may just be the perfect spot for Greg to exist for a while.

HBO is wonderful at original programming! “Rooster” is a solid show with amazing acting and riotous writing! Creators/writers Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses took a simple story and really mined it for the worth and direction. It is effortless and effective! The show’s many directors kept the vision clear and visuals tight. The casting by Emily Buntyn and Allison Jones is astounding; each character is fully formed and realized!

Carell is a comic genius. Period. His performance as Greg is mostly subtle but consistently funny and relentlessly real. His comedic timing is always on display! Clive is wonderfully surprising as Katie; she doesn’t miss a moment! Dunster is awfully amusing as Archie. McGinley takes full advantage of his scenes as President Mann. Danielle Deadwyler is hard-nosed-yet perfectly-poised as Dylan Shepard. Annie Mumolo is startling and silly as Cristle, Mann’s secretary. Rory Scovel had me rolling every time Officer Donnie Mullins came on screen, a perfectly comedic character!

It is original, balanced, and so much fun to watch! All episodes of “Rooster” can be streamed on HBOMax.

REPORT CARD: Rooster

Grade: A, A ton of fun and a ton of funny

* “DTF St. Louis” – Floyd Smernitch (David Harbour) is having a mid-life crisis: his job, his marriage, his identity … it is all in question! Clark Forrest (Jason Bateman) is also having a mid-life crisis: his purpose, his family, his fulfillment … nothing is sitting right anymore!

When Floyd gets a job as a sign language interpreter alongside Clark’s TV weatherman spots, the two form a quick bond. Their personalities and demeanors are naturally aligned. Forget “friends” – they become “best friends.” When Clark expresses some marital and sexual discord, Floyd concurs; Clark then explains a new app he heard about on the news. “DTF St. Louis” is, apparently, a place for married people to find casual and consensual copulation. They both laugh … then ponder … then help each other sign up for the app.

A few weeks later, Floyd is dead – his body is found in a public pool house surrounded by medication and pornography.

When Detective Donoghue Homer (Richard Jenkins) and Officer Jodie Plumb (Joy Sunday) receive the case, it seems obvious. Then, as more is learned, less is understood. This case is anything but simple.

HBO does it again! Creator/director/writer Steve Conrad has created a sleeper of a masterpiece. It is modest and mundane until its gigantic heart gets unleashed. It is a modern parable about middle age, a vision of society’s emptiness and yearning. Conrad’s unique tone and empathy are showcased in each character and each plot twist! The cinematography by James Whitaker is sensitive and sensational; it stays grounded but always captures emotions with ease.

The show’s acting is brilliant. Bateman as Clark is inspired; every layer that is peeled is more and more real. Bateman is a master at his craft! Harbour as Floyd is a revelation! His portrayal of sensitivity and sincerity is a tour de force. Wow! Linda Cardellini is marvelous as Floyd’s wife Carol; her control in comedy is a sight to behold! An all-time favorite of mine is Richard Jenkins – that dude can act! His Det. Homer is equally endearing and entertaining. Sunday as Officer Plumb is a worthy opposite to Jenkins; her steady hand balances his erratic energy.

What appears to be a show about one thing very quickly turns into something else … and the “something else” is a revelation into “middle age” and its inherent loneliness, uncertainty and desperation. All episodes of “DTF St. Louis” can be streamed on HBOMax.

REPORT CARD: DTF St. Louis

Grade: A+, A finely-tuned machine of maturation