TV Reviews

FX Network’s “Rescue Me” has had its ups and downs, both in story arcs and quality, as it dug deeper into series length. Its original premise—FDNY firefighters struggling in life with issues relevant and non-relevant to the events of 9/11—still endures, especially in season five when the show returned to its roots. That season had plenty of weight on its shoulders: endure an FX-unusual 22-episode season after the end of “The Shield” and the writers’ strike. It held up well after a strong start. That season could be the metaphor for the show’s entire run.

With FX announcing last year that “Rescue Me” would be renewed for a sixth and seventh season, the latter been its last to coincide with the tenth-anniversary of 9/11, the show has the proper time to bring the show to a great conclusion.

Season six, beginning tonight, shows that the beginning of the end is off to a good start—for the most part.

Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) has seen the afterlife. After being shot in the chest by his Uncle Teddy (Lenny Clark) at the end of last season, Tommy finds himself surrounded by his fallen FDNY brothers, including constant ghostly cousin Jimmy Keefe (James McCaffrey), as they walk towards that stereotypical bright light, only to collapse into a fiery burning building. Tommy snaps back to this side of life. What did he just see: heaven—or hell? Afraid of what his fellow firefighters might think, Tommy keeps this hidden and bottled up.

In the pilot episode of FX Network’s new series, “Justified,” Deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) strolls into the pool area of a five-star ocean-side hotel in Miami. Facing off against a drug cartel’s hired gun, he reminds his target of the time about to expire on his chance to leave town, but he doesn’t. And—bang!—Givens draws first. Jeans, suit coat over casual long sleeve shirt, Stetson hat—the image a modern lawman would look like, and the swagger and personality of one, too: the town just wasn’t big enough for the two of them. But against the bathing female beauties and open shirts on laid-back men, Givens is very much a walking fish out of water.

I suppose the same could be said of Olyphant and his film career. A supporting role in the remake of “Gone in 60 Seconds,” the romantic lead in “Catch and Release” and a villain in “Live Free or Die Hard,” and what does Olyphant have to show for it? Not much. Just his impressive television work.

And his TV work means just that: a lead role of singular work in the acclaimed HBO Western series “Deadwood” as retired deputy Seth Bullock. Yes, he has had guest-starring roles in other shows (“Samantha Who,” “My Name Is Earl” and, most recently, on FX’s “Damages”), but his resume starts and stops with his riveting work on “Deadwood.”

Even after Olyphant’s Givens is transferred to small-town Kentucky, his remarks of a crime nearby reminding him of a Steve McQueen film, his new superior’s response almost appears referential, if not, tongue in cheek: “These guys aren’t movie actors.”

I, myself, having no non-press access to HBO until last year, caught up with most of the first season of “Deadwood” via Netflix, all in anticipation and research for this new series. And the fact that both shows start with a questionable shooting is one of a few striking similarities.

"Modern Family," that mockumentary series on ABC, has hit its stride and become a critical and fan favorite. It wasn’t until the promo ad that ran during the Oscars (in which the three families plays movie-themed charades) that I knew I was missing something good.

Sure enough, I was.

Having just caught up on the entire season through episode 17, I can affirmatively remark that this show is one of the hysterically hilarious and superbly sweet shows on television I’ve seen quite some time—perhaps even ever.

With a new episode around the corner and in January ABC announcing it’d been picked up for a second season (early for the networks to make such announcements), I wanted to examine five reasons why the show is so damn great.

The fourth season of "30 Rock" started on the right feet, continuing the crazy antics and hijinks that propelled the show to Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards, among many others.

The start the new seasons is off to will more than likely yield more gold.

The sour economy starts to play prominently in the lives of Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), page Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) and "TGS" castmembers Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski).

Jack forces Liz to get a new castmember to appeal to the Midwest demographic. Kenneth puts the pages on strike after he accidentally gets Jack's bonus check--after Jack cancels all page overtime. Tracy feels he's lost touch with his roots since becoming wealthy and famous.

In the second episode, everybody comes down hard on Liz after her book "Dealbreakers" (stemming from last season's catchphrase off "TGS") as every point seems to be against the lives of those around her--friends, co-workers and strangers. Jack is called down to Washington, D.C., only to find that arch nemesis Devon Banks (Will Arnett) is a small part of the Obama administration, clamping down on corporate culture.

Showtime's "Californication" has always been a expose on the art of decadence and the pratfalls to life that accompany such indulgence in care-free living.

Star David Duchovny, as writer cum perpetual horndog Hank Moody, as shown enough humanity and sweetness in regard to such nature of animalistic men and the fornicating women they meet.

Hank has a teenaged-daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin) who also is going through a bit o self-discovery for the show's first two seasons--sex, love, drugs, swearing with & towards her father.

Hank also has regained the love and admiration of Karen (Natascha McElhone), his one true. The end of season one saw her leave the man she was about to marry for Hank. Season two's conclusion saw her leave for an architecture job in New York, the original city Hank and Karen called home before their love originally fell apart.

Like a mischievous dog left unwatched, Hank starts to fall into his usual polygamous sex habits without Karen around, much to the daughterly disapproval of Becca.

“Burn Notice” has always been a healthy summer alternative to the tentpole box office blockbuster since premiering in 2007. A fun blend of Jason Bourne meets “MacGyver,” “Burn Notice” started with Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) in Africa, blacklisted from the CIA and fighting his way out and onto a plane to Miami, where, conveniently, his mom Madeline (Sharon Gless), former love Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) and ex-military buddy Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) happen to be residing.

Through special techniques and methods learned through many years of espionage, Michael helps Miami’s own in finding their kidnapped child, stop a gangster from extorting cash from small businesses, etc. All along the way, he’s trying to learn who burned him. It’s always fun to watch Michael work with the gadgets, a major selling point in the entertainment, whether it’s turning a cell phone battery and a single-use camera into a small charge or a Pringles can, a coat hanger and a USB cable into an improvised Bluetooth hacking device.

At the conclusion of last season, Michael finally met Management (namely, a surprise appearance by John Mahoney) and leapt into the cool blue and teal waters off Miami from Management’s helicopter, choosing to return to his old spy life.

Now, the third season starts with Michael trying to start over, much like how the series started. Only this time, the carrot dangling is a return to the CIA. Unfortunately, too many people begin breathing down his neck this time around to truly concentrate on the task.

“Rescue Me,” that bitingly funny yet utterly dark and dramatic series on FX, has always had it’s hand in the bag of death. These firefighters of 62 Truck of the FDNY saw the ultimate sacrifices when performing all manner of the greatest rescue effort during 9/11.

Since then, these characters have dealt with loss in some form, especially Tommy Gavin (writer/co-creator Denis Leary). When the series began five years ago, Tommy was struggling with the separation from his wife Janet (Andrea Roth) and his children, torn apart from sobriety while living and breathing inside a whiskey bottle and tormented by the loss of his cousin and best friend Jimmy Keefe (James McCaffrey), who died in one of the World Trade Center towers collapsing, as Jimmy visits him as a ghost.

In the seasons since then, Tommy has lost his son, his brother (Dean Winters) and, on several occasions, almost his life through daring yet dangerous rescues into burning buildings.

Opening season five is Tommy, struggling with sobriety and the death of his father (Charles Durning), the one man who, despite Tommy going to constantly for sage advice, shut himself off to his own children, especially Tommy.

The rest of the firehouse isn’t faring much better this season either.