Lexiphane: Heads Up For Today on TV & the Web

A new season of "Rescue Me" begins tonight on FX, as viewers are entreated to share in the ongoing travails of FDNY suicidal anti-hero Tommy Gavin, played by Denis Leary. When Tommy's not getting himself or a member of his crew nearly killed rescuing someone at the scene of a fire, he's killing himself gradually with the booze, or women, or complete strangers he goads into beating him senseless. Even when sober, Gavin is haunted by the ghosts of dead friends killed on 9/11, people he couldn't save, and even his own dead son, who was mowed down by a drunk driver when Tommy wasn't paying close enough attention. Sometimes even Jesus and Mary Magdalene drop in to say hello.

"Rescue Me" is one of the things I love about channels like FX, which air programs that could never conceivably be aired on regular network television. The show is raunchy, morose, and usually wickedly funny. Tommy Gavin is the ultimate anti-hero; you wish he could extricate himself from his self-defeating behavior, but at the same time he is so hateful towards himself and others, you kind of wish him the worst.

My favorite character in the show is Lou, Tommy's co-worker at their firehouse (and pictured above). Lou's hounddog visage and slumped shoulders bely the fact that he often gets the funniest lines of the entire show, and his character might be the only genuinely likable one of the lot. One of the people I work with at Gothamist recently got to interview John Scurti, the actor who plays Lou, and that piece will go up later today. I'll provide a link when it's ready. "Rescue Me" returns tonight on FX at 10pm. Here's the interview with actor John Scurti, who plays Lou. It's pretty great.

Posted by Lexiphane on June 12, 2007 11:48 PM to Lexiphane