Previewing Rescue Me

It has been nineteen months since the time Rescue Me aired a full length episode. To put that in perspective, Pushing Daisies debuted, got renewed and then canceled all in the time since Rescue Me last aired. Naturally a lengthy “Previously on Rescue Me” is warranted for the fifth season premiere. Like who remembered that Tommy’s dad died at a baseball game right when they finally reconnected? Also Tommy is in some hot water when the new chief writes him up for being crazy partly to get back at him for leading on his daughter and partly for wearing his dead cousin’s gear when off duty.

After three very strong seasons, the fourth season went off the rails with absurd storylines that just got weirder and weirder, the extended time off seemed to do the show well as at the start of the season it is back to its strong self with most of the action taking part on the job instead of following the boys outside the firehouse. One storyline that keeps the story inside the firehouse deals with a French journalist, Karina Lombard (The L Word), who is doing a ten anniversary retrospective on 9/11 and in interviewing the crew. Also the boys go on a very explosive call which they end up bring back to the house.

Even the outside the house antics seemed better contained like Mike, White Shawn, and Franco get in business to buy a bar. Certainly that can’t go very well but will at the very entertaining for us the viewers. And Tommy’s girls all have new men in their lives, Colleen has been seeing Black Shawn while Janet has started something up with Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future), and naturally that doesn’t sit well with Tommy but Fox isn’t one to back down so there is going to be plenty of fireworks.

Also show up sometime this season, which will last for twenty two episodes, is Maura Tierney (Finding Amanda) who shows up at the firehouse after being saved by the group. Tawny Cypress (Heroes) will be spending some quality time with Franco. And Milena Govich (Law and Order) returns as the hooker that stole Lou’s money. We will even get to met some members of Sean’s family this season.

Rescue Me airs Tuesdays at 10:00 on FX. You can stream every episode over on Hulu or download them on iTunes or Amazon Video on Demand (see below):