Meg Ryan’s Top Gun 2 Absence Made Rooster’s Story Better

Meg Ryan’s Top Gun 2 Absence Made Rooster’s Story Better

Warning: Spoilers for Top Gun: Maverick!

Meg Ryan’s Carole Bradshaw was an impactful supporting character from Top Gun, and though she didn’t reappear in Top Gun: Maverick, her absence helped improve her son Rooster’s story. Miles Teller’s Rooster was a prospective aviator under the instruction of Peter “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise), the best friend of his father, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards). Given Goose and Maverick’s relationship, one might expect Rooster and Maverick to also be close, but without the influence of Goose or Goose’s wife Carole, their relationship was anything but.

Maverick and Rooster’s issues stemmed from Maverick’s involvement in Goose’s demise. Maverick and Goose were flying together when they went into an uncontrollable tailspin that required them to eject from the aircraft, resulting in Goose’s death. While Maverick was cleared of responsibility for Goose’s death, Goose’s memory lingered for both Rooster and Maverick, with the latter still wracked with guilt over his involvement. Additionally, Rooster harbored resentment towards Maverick because the latter blocked the former’s application to the naval academy, thus setting back his career. This created tension between them when they were reacquainted at TOPGUN.

In Top Gun, Maverick had a close relationship with Goose’s family, including Carole. It was revealed in Top Gun: Maverick that the reason Maverick blocked Rooster’s application was because Carole asked him to in order to keep Rooster from flying. Meg Ryan’s Top Gun: Maverick absence increased the tension between the two characters, which allowed Maverick and Rooster to resolve their conflict organically and made Rooster a more fully-fledged character, improving his story as a whole.

Meg Ryan’s Top Gun 2 Absence Made Rooster’s Story Better

When Rooster was introduced, he had a chip on his shoulder from his setback at the naval academy and his parents’ deaths. These factors motivated him to excel in his career; since he had no support system (professional or familial), he had to prove himself in a way he would not have had to if he had a parental influence in his life. Meanwhile, Maverick was still affected by Goose’s loss and desired to prevent another potential tragedy by blocking Rooster’s application and through his treatment of the mission team. The tension caused by Maverick’s meddling in Rooster’s career was exacerbated by neither man understanding the other’s motivations. If Carole in Top Gun: Maverick returned, she could have resolved their misunderstanding by explaining her involvement. In her absence, they had to actively choose to facilitate their own growth and settle the issue themselves. This resulted in a more organic, satisfying resolution to their conflict and Rooster’s story rather than one catalyzed by another character.

Because he had to make the active decision to overcome his own anger, Rooster was able to become a fully-fledged character. After their confrontation prior to the mission, Rooster let go of his resentment towards Maverick, which allowed him to be open to the latter’s critique that if “[he] thought up there, [he would be] dead.” Embracing this advice led Rooster to rescue Maverick, ultimately saving the day. This gave a well-rounded resolution to his character arc that would have been impossible without the absence of his mother.

While it would have been nice to see Meg Ryan reprise her role, her absence improved Rooster’s story. Without her influence, Rooster was responsible for overcoming his mental blocks, which helped him become a fully-fledged character capable of holding his own in scenes with more developed characters like Maverick. This also resulted in an organic resolution to Rooster and Maverick’s conflict, allowing them to bond over their love for Goose. Because of Meg Ryan’s absence in Top Gun: Maverick, Rooster and Maverick were able to regain a connection to someone they lost as well as open the door to a new beginning.

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