Rescue Me (Season 2)
It’s nice to watch a series that over time takes a gradual turn for the better. This rarely happens because shows, especially on networks, are never going to be given the time needed to complete this curve (notable exceptions being Seinfeld and The Simpsons). Typically, a good show will either stay good, or will slowly erode away all the things that you liked about it. Keep reading by clicking below…
I watched the first season of Rescue Me a couple weeks back, and found it spotty at best. It didn’t seem to have a clear vision. I found this especially troubling for a show that centers around members of the FDNY coming to terms with 9-11. The balance between comedy and drama (Denis Leary is the executive producer, star and writer) seemed haphazard at best. I also got the feeling that most of the subplots (not-involving something horrible) were simply hold-overs from Leary’s previous seris The Job. This isn’t to say its a horrible season, it has incredibly powerful moments, but just never seems to gel as a whole.
Season two is much better. MUCH. First of all, it has a solid season-long arc where nearly all the major players are put in, well, horrible situations. It’s great drama, and not just that, it’s also one of the few places to turn for low-concept drama. This is a show about people who live normal, working-class lives. Sure, those lives are pushed far and beyond what any other human should expect to encounter over the course of a lifetime, not a few years, but it doesn’t make it any less relatable.
The third season, which I’m now totally pumped up for, begins Tuesday, May 30th. If you haven’t seen the show, I’d say you’d be doing yourself a disservice by jumping right into season three. Though, if you wanted to go back, you wouldn’t miss a lot by skipping season 1 (nothing you couldn’t pick up on the “previously on…”).
Denis Leary has had a pretty interesting career path. Each project he’s been involved in being a clear predecessor for the next. Rescue Me season two seems to be exactly what he’s been working toward all these years. It’s a remarkable piece of television.
May 28th, 2006 at 2:43 am
I agree. This is some really good television.
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:02 pm
This has to be the best show in all of television ever. I am kind of amazed what they get away with. Dennis Leary is far more talented on so many levels than his stand-up career would indicate. He is a genius at getting into the human psyche. The actors are phenomenal.