Rescue Me – Is anybody watching?

Based on the results of last week’s season premiere poll, it doesn’t appear many people are watching Rescue Me. Fourteen votes? Pathetic. Well, folks are missing out on one of the best written shows on television. Not many series can seamlessly vacillate between a debate over cock farts and a discussion about a neoconservative plot to achieve American global domination.

It’s refreshing to watch something geared toward adults about adults. The characters are flawed. They struggle to find answers to life’s most basic questions. They curse, joke, laugh, cry and hurt all in the same day. They try like hell to better themselves, no matter how many mistakes they make. They live in the real world, here and now. I guess television grounded in reality isn’t entertaining enough. Maybe it’s too gritty. Perhaps a bullshit singing competition consisting of contestants who can’t really sing is more to people’s liking. Sigh.

The characters are what make Rescue Me such a gratifying series. Ordinary guys and gals just living their ordinary lives. They aren’t trying to unlock the mysteries of a magical island or diagnose some unknown malady that defies medical science. Their goals and aspirations are much simpler: Getting laid, having fun, staying sober, protecting their family, finding love, and getting through the day alive. It may not be sexy, but it’s damn compelling.

You might think a show that deals with the aftermath of 9/11 would take itself very seriously, but it doesn’t. First and foremost, it’s a show about guys. They may perform heroic feats, but they’re still guys. Guys who deliberate the number of times each has masturbated during a day. Guys who open a bar just to attract more pussy. Guys who shave their mustache in order to increase their chances of banging an exotic French writer. Guys who pick a fight with a paraplegic.

They aren’t bulletproof beefcakes who laugh in the face of danger. They get scared, jealous, drunk, pissed-off and self-destructive like everyone else. Some let the tears flow, while others bury their sadness deep inside. Some believe in crackpot government conspiracies, while others think “Lumberjacks” is a great name for a bar. They are different in so many ways, but each and every one of them will set their own problems aside in order to pull a woman from an exploding car. They do this not to be heroes, but to be human.

If you don’t watch Rescue Me, you should give it a shot. Missing the previous four seasons won’t leave you in the dark. It’s not like Lost. You can pick it up and figure out what’s going on pretty quickly. This season, in particular, would make a great starting point since the writers are crafting brand new story threads for all the characters. Rather than feasting on hours of fake reality, why not try an hour of real reality? At least as close as you can find on fictional television.

Clacked by Scott Tunstall
on Apr 15, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT