New York City Firefighter Tommy Gavin is a scumbag, whose drinking problem has not only ruined his own life, but that of his family as well. Add in post-traumatic stress from September 11, and you have easily one of the most insane characters to ever grace cable television.
Oh and by the way, he sees the ghosts of every victim that’s died in his arms and his former best friend as well.
It makes sense that someone like Denis Leary would play the main character of this show, as his antics as a stand-up comedian and character actor over the years have garnered him a cult following. However, you’d have to originally be crazy to think upon watching that Leary would be able to pull off a serious role the way he does here. After the first episode though, he proves in spades just how talented he is and from then on there, you are hooked.
Following around a group of sex-crazed, obnoxious, yet loyal to each other and hard-working firefighters is a blast and when you get out of the firehouse, things get even better. Take Gavin’s family life for instance. Grieving the death of his best friend and former firefighter cousin Jimmy [played by James McCaffrey, who gamers will recognize as the voice of Max Payne in the iconic video game series], Gavin not only is separated from his wife, but is battling depression and alcoholism, which leads him to sleeping with Jimmy’s wife, Sheila [Callie Thorne “The Wireâ€], who he later gets pregnant. Considering the fact that the show is flooded with so many great characters, all with realistic, yet detailed and intriguing back stories, you’ll find yourself smiling with delight as each character finds a way to make themselves worth watching.
Make no mistake, this show is one of the best cast shows on Cable television and the first season is living proof. Had Leary been the sole star here, the show would still be excellent, but throw in the old school fire chief Jerry Reilly [Jack McGee], plus size model Uncle Teddy [Lenny Clarke] and the boys at the firehouse like Kenny Shea [John Scurti], Mike Lombardi [Mike Silletti], Sean Garrity [Steven Pasquale] and Franco Rivera [Daniel Sunjata] and plenty of fighting, sex and disturbing situations, this show is the epitome of what a fantastic drama should be.
Now available on the Netflix Instant Queue, there’s no reason not to check it out. Unlike other great shows in the same vein, such as “The Wire,†which start off a bit slow before picking up speed, “Rescue Me†starts off with a bang and doesn’t let up. It’s smart, savvy and equally as sullen and sharp. Gavin hates himself for being a screw up, but can’t stop his ways because he simply loves being the bad ass. After watching, you’ll desperately want him to put the pieces back together and reclaim his victimized family, but only after he causes a bit more trouble.
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