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Rescue Me: Third Season

FX has carved out a comfy little niche for itself as the destination for what is arguably the edgiest programming you can find outside of the premium channels. Their hit shows, most prominently “The Shield” and “Nip/Tuck,” can’t use a few select naughty words or show graphic nudity, but can do just about anything else they damn well please. With every passing season of their major hit shows FX pushes the boundaries of cable programming even further, spurring controversy and often dividing viewers while attracting new ones. There is no better example than the third season of “Rescue Me,” Peter Tolan and Denis Leary’s unrelentingly crude FDNY extravaganza, which manages to shock more than its first two seasons combined.

Yet, almost in spite of this, it is the show’s strongest season thus far. Leary and company come dangerously close to jumping the shark numerous times over the course of the season-–sometimes even multiple times in single episodes-–but always manage to rein in back in just enough to sustain a semblance of believability. In this season, the firefighters of Ladder 62 grapple with even harder issues, usually the consequences that stemmed from the tragedies depicted in the first two seasons, and begin to enter more pressing transitional periods in their personal and professional lives.

Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) has just lost his young son to a drunk driver and struggles to remain on the wagon. He will soon find out his cop brother Johnny (Dean Winters) is seeing his ex-wife Janet (Andrea Roth), whom he still loves, and will encounter some surprising hurdles in his relationship with his beloved cousin’s widow Sheila (Callie Thorne). The other men face fairly dire crossroads as well – Chief Jerry Reilly (Jack McGee) faces difficulties paying for his wife’s nursing home, Lieutenant Ken “Lou” Shea (John Scurti) still reels from being duped by a con artist hooker, and Mike “Probie” Silletti (Mike Lombardi) wrestles with both his sexuality and urge to escape his constant ridicule at the firehouse. All of these conflicts develop at a rapid clip and are frequently unpredictable, and the excellent season finale finds a clever way to provide fulfilling closure while setting up the fourth season.

Critics of the show accuse it of being a far-fetched male soap opera, a complaint that is somewhat justified, but the quality of the writing and acting help the show to get away with a lot. Yes, “Rescue Me” is a show about masculinity, first and foremost, and many of its plot lines seem to exist in a world that operates the way men believe it should work; even amidst great tragedy and heartbreak, there are still clusters of beautiful women that surround each of the primary characters (even one who is in prison for life!). Testosterone is amped up to eleven at all times, to the point where even the crying seems manly, but that’s part of the show’s appeal. Every character is so horny and preoccupied with their own trumped-up conceptions of their masculinity that any threat to it-–and there are many-–registers with the emotional force of a blunt instrument.

In other words, “Rescue Me” balances a riveting dichotomy: it is simultaneously a realistic depiction of world-weary firefighters and their hectic daily lives and a male fantasy in which even the most miserable character’s personal life is drenched in sex and machismo. That isn’t to say this is a perfect show, as it descends dangerously close to laughable melodrama at times, but the cast and crew almost always redeem it somehow. Perhaps most laudable is the show’s ability to shift wildly conflicting tones with seemingly effortless ease; several times during the best episodes, we’re able to move from gut-wrenching catastrophe to lighthearted humor in a matter of minutes.

The primary cast is fantastic, as it’s ever been, especially the Emmy-nominated Leary and the perpetually likable Scurti, and they are given stellar support by the show’s impressive lineup of guest stars. Oscar winners Tatum O’Neal, Susan Sarandon, and Marisa Tomei pop in and are responsible for some of the better subplots; O’Neal, in particular, is in top form as Tommy’s hellcat sister, Maggie. Even with the consistent quality of the writing, much of which is provided by Leary and Tolen, the show would not be as successful as it is without the performers. Not a single performance is wasted or weak on “Rescue Me,” and the chemistry never feels forced or awkward.

So if you’re a fan of daring, provocative television and you aren’t easily offended, this is a show to get hooked on. It’s by turns funny, disturbing, and filthy, but there’s a lot of heart beneath its sexism and shock value. As with “The Shield” and “Nip/Tuck,” you have to overlook some distracting flourishes, but “Rescue Me” is one of the better shows on television right now.

Written by: Joe Pudas

Reviewers Rating: 9
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