Now that I've ranted about something I don't like, let me rave about something I do like.

[kellinator]

Did anyone catch the premiere of Rescue Me last night on FX?

I kid you not, I think it could end up being the best show this decade.

Rescue Me follows Tommy Gavin (played by Denis Leary, who also co-writes), a New York City firefighter who bellows at a bunch of fresh-faced recruits that "I ain't no hero" and means it. He's fallen off the wagon since 9/11, is spying on his soon-to-be-ex-wife during her dates and is haunted -- literally -- by those he couldn't save, most notably his cousin Jimmy, who was killed at Ground Zero. As you can imagine, it's heartbreaking.

But it's also funny.

I'll give you one example. All that was found of Jimmy to bury was his finger. When Jimmy shows up in Tommy's living room, his finger is duct-taped back on and he's bitching that it would have to be "my beer-opening finger."

I'm sure you're probably wondering what kind of taste this show is in, and for that I'll reference James Poniewozik's excellent article for Time:

"Rescue Me may sound disrespectful on paper, but really it's the opposite; it respects the characters enough not to patronize them or soft-pedal their sarcasm, flaws and political incorrectness."

Poniewozik also accurately describes Rescue Me as "a sort of post-9/11 M*A*S*H." True, but I was lying in bed last night afterwards when I realized which show it was reminding me of:

Homicide.

If you know me, you know that's pretty much the highest praise I can give a TV show. And why am I giving it? Because Homicide presented cops with their flaws and all, and it made them all the more wonderful because they weren't cookie-cutter saints. They were real people. (Especially in my head, where Munch and Kay are enjoying a nice candlelit dinner right now... but I digress.) Rescue Me does the same thing. I've always considered Denis Leary an underrated actor, but here he gives the performance of his life. You want to smack Tommy and hug him all at the same time.

Once again, FX is showing that all the really good shows are on cable now, and it's not just because you can get away with more cussing (though admittedly it helps with the realism). It's because cable is willing to take the risks, try stuff that doesn't fit the formula, give the creators freedom to follow their visions.

If you missed Rescue Me last night, look for the reruns on FX. Trust me folks, this is going to be big.

Comments

[gaiagurl.livejournal.com]

denis... leary? DENIS LEARY??? AAAAAAGH!!!

i <3 denis leary...

[dorei.livejournal.com]

I watched some of it last night, but unfortunately, the percocet had hit around that time and I was too fuzzy to really follow it. I *was* getting annoyed at all the commercials for it, though.

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

I was a huge fan of "The Job", so I'll try and catch this at some point.

[christine9600.livejournal.com]

We watched it. I'm a pretty big fan of Dennis Leary.

I think the show has a lot of potential, but the whole thing, the screenplay, the camera angles, the plot line, everything was far too predictable. He's haunted by images of dead people (I couldn't help but whisper "I see dead people!" when he opened his locker and saw the severed head of his buddy), who all have some sort of life lesson to teach him. He rescues an eight year old girl with a *kitten* for Chrissake, and the kitten lives but the girl doesn't. The hand-held camera angles gave me motion sickness after a while. I realize this angle is to give the impression of a raw, more realistic feeling, but it was overused. The scene where he's drinking liquor from a bottle on a beach at sunrise and he walks away followed by all of these dead people that still haunt him (not literally, I know they're symbols) was really pretty trite.

There were too many hard-hitting issues crammed into one show and really into one series. The chief has a gambling problem, Dennis Leary's character is an off-the-wagon alcoholic living across the street from his ex wife (who he is still in love with) and their kids, etc. I think the show is trying too hard and failing by overkill.

I will say, however, that I am *extremely* picky about movies, television and music. The more realistic, the better. I like television shows that are raw, have few happy endings, and even fewer dramatic plotlines. If a show is marketing itself as an edgy drama, dealing with heavy issues, it should present itself not like a Lifetime Television for Women series, but more like a documentary. I felt like they overused the cursing, just because they could. And you KNOW I am the LAST person to be offended by cursing! I wasn't offended by the cursing, per se. I was just annoyed at the use of "shit" and "goddamn" every five minutes, just because they could. It was an effort to make the show more raw and edgy and that effort was just too blatant.

But I do think it has potential! Dennis Leary is a talented actor and he has some great ideas. He is not, however, a talented screenplay writer. If he got the right people to help him out with that, I think the show could be phenomenal.

[chicating.livejournal.com]

I thought the same thing, watching the preview...made me think Munch, kinda. But I missed it.Want crossover.(yes, sight unseen, but Munch isn't busy at the 27 anyway.)
And they've got each other. Who needs candles, huh?
(although Munch would put them out and Kay would mock him gently. "I'm not one of your twinkies. You don't have to do that, to impress me. And your house smells like a birthday cake, now...you know, that smell, you blow out the candles...what do you mean, you never noticed? A nose like that? Really, John.")

[lula-fortune.livejournal.com]

This is why not having cable makes me sad.

But alas. I cannot afford it. Stupid cable company.

[madshrubbery.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm sold. Now I've just got to figure out which channel is FX. LOL

[reannon.livejournal.com]

Damn! I missed it! I was watching for that one.

*runs to check FX listings*

[jesshelga.livejournal.com]

The scene where he's drinking liquor from a bottle on a beach at sunrise and he walks away followed by all of these dead people that still haunt him (not literally, I know they're symbols) was really pretty trite.

In my mind, I was saying that, but my heart, predictably, was kicked in the groin, so to speak. I pretty much wept through the last three minutes, which was their intended goal, I know. I just felt it was a more honest manipulation of my emotions than, say, last week's "Six Feet Under."

I'm with Kelly: it rocked my world with the raw humor (especially the haunted, grizzled guy awaiting his colonoscopy results from the doctor, who said it wasn't the camera that hurt so much as the crew who went up his ass), the complicated relationship firefighters apparently have with women (they're threatening in the workplace, but no one seems willing to figure out why), and, yes, the sappiness. And on an utterly superficial note, if dirty fires mean more showering, shirtless time for Daniel Sunjata, I'm 100% behind the format of the show.

[meganinhiding.livejournal.com]

Missed it but I'll try to check it out. Fortunately FX seems to at least try to give their shows a fighting chance.

[jack-mccoy-fan1.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you. This was a tour de force performance by Leary. He and the other actors nailed the brotherhood that is the NYFD. Having had friends that are firefighters, they capture that certain something that comes from having your life on the line like that.

I loved the interaction, the dialogue and Leary's characters angst over the loss of his brethern on 9/11. Just wonderful, funny (very funny) and incredibly politically incorrect which is refreshing. Loved it and I can't wait for the ep next week.

Did I also mention how absolutely cute Dennis looks in Fireman gear? A total plue as well.

[cerulean.livejournal.com]

You summed it up perfectly. ;)
I thought it rocked.

Great show.

[reprobayt.livejournal.com]

Saw this on your recommendation last night.

My verdict - I owe you a...um...hug. Yeah, just a hug...that's the ticket. :)