If you had any doubt in your mind as to just how good Dennis Leary and Co. are at balancing the comedy and drama in a weekly dose of “Rescue Me,” you won’t any longer after watching tonight’s episode. And because so much happened this week, I’m going to try something a little different and break things down into three categories: the good, the not-so-bad and the ugly.
The Good:
– The Ladder 62 crew chalked up two more hilarious saves in the opening minutes of the show; first saving a wheelchair-bound guy with Motor Neurone Disease (AKA Stephen Hawkings Syndrome), and then a big black woman (named Oprah, no less) who was stuck on a metal fence. Why? Because one of the posts had gone clear through her forearm! Wowzer! Just how this happened isn’t exactly clear, but the fading shot of the guys lifting her up like the flag at Iwo Jima was priceless.
– Lou’s finally dating again, but it turns out that she’s a “semi-nun.” To clarify, she’s currently living in the church as a nun, but will re-enter society at the end of the month. Of course, Tommy isn’t exactly hip to the idea (since he does try to be a good Catholic every once and a while), but it’s nice to see Lou back on his feet.
– Speaking of the two lieutenants, it’s been decided that Lou’s uncle and Tommy’s dad will move in together, partly because they get along with one another, but mostly to get the old farts off of their backs. At first, Tommy goes so far as to describe the idea as “Stephen King’s next novel,” but after hearing that his dad already agreed to the arrangement, it seems like a done deal. This is easily the next great relationship on the series, and we can only hope to see more from these guys in the near future.
The Not-So-Bad:
– Franco has taken the initiative to sit down with Natalie’s retarded brother, Richie, to discuss the possible future between him and his sister. For once, Franco’s not getting screwed over by some outside force, and it looks like he may just find true love after all. Of course, it’d be nice to see the guy a little more worried about his baby girl. You know, she was just kidnapped by a rich white lady…
– Shawn and Maggie continue to bicker about the wedding, causing them to be banned from every church in the area. There’s nothing especially ugly about this whole setup, but it’s definitely getting a bit tiresome after several weeks of the same crap.
– It also looks like Tommy’s going through with the plans to start a family (or at least a future) with Sheila, and after agreeing on the beach house of their liking, Sheila runs to the bank to scoop up the deed. And get this: she doesn’t even want to see what the house looks like inside. As long as the pictures match up, she’s peachy keen… and ready to write a big, fat check.
The Ugly:
The following two events seem better saved for a killer season finale, but we all know how impatient (and unconventional) these guys are. I mean, they did kill Tommy’s son in the second-to-last episode of the previous season.
– Jerry finally gets up the nerve to jump in bed with Carlene (AKA Rastafarian Nurse), but after doing the deed suffers from some sort of heart attack. And here’s the kicker. Instead of staying around to help, or perhaps call 911, the stupid illegal runs for the door because she’s afraid of losing her job. It’s nice to see she really cares about others’ wellbeing. Maybe she isn’t cut out for a job with moral demands like nursing. Just a thought…
– Oh, and are you ready for this? Johnny has just been shot four times in the back. While bullshitting with his partner on the clock (and lounging around in some shady alleyway), a gangster pops out of the woodwork and blasts him when he’s not looking. I can’t imagine why some idiot would just shoot a complete stranger in the back (which makes me think there’s much more to this than just bad luck), but the more pressing matter is how this effects the story.
If Johnny dies, will Janet run back to Tommy? Will Tommy take her back? And if so, does this not completely screw Sheila, who’s just invested in a beach house for her and Tommy? Let’s hope they don’t take this route again, because it wouldn’t go down in history as one of the show’s smarter decisions.
