Rescue Me at RCMH

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Last night I caught the brilliant first episode of new Rescue Me season at the Radio City Music Hall, and also a comedy set from star-creator Denis Leary, which was somewhat funny in the usual Leary way -- contentious, caustic, seething, middle-aged and very urban Irish blue-collar and very fuck-you frustrated. So what else is new? That's his handle.

50th and Sixth Avenue following last night's Rescue Me screening and comedy performances -- Thursday, 4.2.09, 9:35 pm

Radio City Music Hall grand foyer -- Thursday, 4.2.09, 7:25 pm

The problem with the screening was that the RCMH is cavernous as hell and the sound echoes all over the place so you had to cup your ears to hear it right. But you couldn't hear it anyway because the show was a benefit for the Leary Firerighters Foundation, which meant that the place was filled with borough types who laughed so loudly (image two thousand water buffaloes yaw-hawing en masse) that they obscured at least half the dialogue.

Funny as he can be, Leary is regarded as a heavyweight actor-dramatist these days because of Rescue Me, which he co-created (with Peter Tolan), produces, co-writes and stars in. It's always been a superb show that mixes comedy and pathos in a way that feels perfectly synched and fine tuned. This is the fifth season. I was surprised by the continued spark and pizazz, given the tendency for ensemble comedy series to lose a little mojo after two or three seasons.

This season is noteworthy (apart from the punchy-dramedy value) for a revival of the 9/11 current, which of course is what inspired Rescue Me in the first place. It kicks in when a French journalist (Karina Lombard) interviews the firehouse gang for a piece on the 10th anniversary of the disaster. This material wasn't in the episode shown last night, but knowing this is in the wings makes me all the more interested in watching. (I'm trying to scrounge extra screeners as we speak.) The series kicks off next Tuesday on FX at 10 pm.

The standout performance, for me, was Michael J. Fox's as a twitchy, wheelchair-bound guy who's apparently dicking Janet (Andrea Roth), the ex-wife of Leary's Tommy Gavin. It's touching to see Fox, who's been grappling with Parkinson's for years, give his performance hell despite the obvious fact that the disease is getting in the way.

Nick DiPaolo also did a comedy set (following Leary's opener). And as funny and confident as he is, I didn't care at all for the blue-collar-bar vein in some of his material, particularly as it reflected upon Barack Obama. DiPaolo was playing to a borough crowd, and if a certain kind of joke works with a certain type of crowd, you use it -- I get that. But he was basically stoking racist attitudes, and this turned me off. I wound up giving him the finger as I left.

"People of the left think Obama is a messiah," DiPaolo said. "I know what that's about because on Election Night I was looking at the TV screen and going 'Jesus H. Christ, Jesus H. Christ.'" And this got a huge laugh. Fucking animals and their bullshit borough perspectives. Sitting in the audience (I was in row SS, seat 305) felt like I was surrounded by the cast of Goodfellas without the icepicks.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 3, 2009 at 10:17 AM

comment #1

BurmaShave says ...

Been catching up with this series on Hulu. Really one of my favorite on the air right now. It has that 'gift-of-gab' like THE DEPARTED did, and despite it sort of being structured as Denis Leary's Pussy Hunt, he's doing the work of his career.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 3, 2009 12:02 PM

comment #2

actionman says ...

CANNOT WAIT. One of the best television shows ever created. And one of my top 5 favorites of all time.

Andrea Roth is smoking hot.

Can't wait to see all of the guys back in action on this incredible show.

Michael J. Fox getting some playing time is so sweet.

Posted by actionman at April 3, 2009 12:04 PM

comment #3

BurmaShave says ...

Also John Scurti, whose Lou is the George Costanza of the 21st century, should have about 4 Emmys now.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 3, 2009 12:05 PM

comment #4

Geoff says ...

It's actually Parkinson's disease, not MS.

Posted by Geoff at April 3, 2009 12:10 PM

comment #5

count.olaf says ...

I thought Rescue Me was on FX, not FOX.
And doesn't MJF have Parkinson's?

Posted by count.olaf at April 3, 2009 12:10 PM

comment #6

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Fox has Parkinson's, not MS.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at April 3, 2009 12:10 PM

comment #7

actionman says ...

Yes, John Scurti is amazing. There isn't one individual associated with this show who doesn't bring their absolute A-game to every episode.

Posted by actionman at April 3, 2009 12:11 PM

comment #8

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Got there before me.

Wells has quite the hatred of the boroughs. Bizarre really.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at April 3, 2009 12:12 PM

comment #9

BurmaShave says ...

One final thought, just in the mood to gush because I've watched about 30 in the last week. Tommy Gavin is really one of the least sympathetic lead characters in TV history. Up there with Tony Soprano. So fascinating.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 3, 2009 12:12 PM

comment #10

rr3333 says ...

They should have run Rescue Me with subtitles. I love subtitles (seriously) and I hear fine.

Rescue Me was terrific the first 3 seasons, but the 4th Season Leary made himself into 'God's gift for women', which felt like he let his arrogance get in the way of the show.

I remember when Leary couldnt get arrested, and was hosting a local NY Ch. 9 show at 1 in the morning with the worst commercials being shown during his show. Almost the equivilant as when Matt Lauer was practically doing the same thing (local show no-one watched in the wrost time slots) before he hit it big.

Posted by rr3333 at April 3, 2009 12:13 PM

comment #11

actionman says ...

Leary has been plugging away at the industry for years. He totally deserves the acclaim he's gotten for this show. He could have folded when his movies didn't hit pay-dirt and his TV shows kept getting cancelled. But he didn't. He's a man's man, and a funny motherfucker to boot.

Posted by actionman at April 3, 2009 12:18 PM

comment #12

BurmaShave says ...

rr3333 that strain has been running through the entire show. Maybe it got a little bit silly in the 4th, but so did the whole show. Glad to hear from Wells it seems to be back on track. Leary has found the perfect vehicle for himself, and I couldn't be happier. We're talking about a guy who could do what Nicholson has been doing for the last 20 years.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 3, 2009 12:39 PM

comment #13

Sabina E says ...

your photos are cool, Wells.

Posted by Sabina E at April 3, 2009 12:43 PM

comment #14

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

Leary completel\y ripped off his shtick from the late great Bill Hicks. Other than that, I'm sure he's a swell guy.

Actually the sitcom he did for ABC with Bill Nunn (I'm blanking on the title) was pretty terrific. But I bailed on RM after the first year; among other things the taliking-to-dead-people thing (also ripped off, from 6 Feet Under) annoyed the crap outta me.

Posted by MikeSchaeferSF at April 3, 2009 1:22 PM

comment #15

JT says ...

Show tanked after the 2nd season or whenever his brother got killed. Just jumped the major shark. Wells, you watch this overdone shit but still haven't seen THE WIRE?

Posted by JT at April 3, 2009 1:29 PM

comment #16

Jeffrey Wells says ...

I've seen The Wire, I've watched The Wire, I've watches a whole season's worth of The Wire and I didn't feel like going out and doing cartwheels...sorry.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at April 3, 2009 2:13 PM

comment #17

rr3333 says ...

'The Wire',as good as it is, is an acquired taste.

'The Shield' blows these 2 shows out of the water.

Jeff: if you havent watched 'The Sheild' watch the 1st season and the season with Forest Whitaker.

Posted by rr3333 at April 3, 2009 2:27 PM

comment #18

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

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Jesus, enough with that show already.

Judging by some people's reactions, you would think it's Zodiac or something.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at April 3, 2009 2:46 PM

comment #19

scooterzz says ...

i've seen the first nine eps. of this season and the mjf story arc (can't remember if it was four or five eps) is pretty great...
also, just watched the first ep of glee and really enjoyed it (though i doubt it will play well with most of the he commentors)......

Posted by scooterzz at April 3, 2009 2:48 PM

comment #20

The Hoyk says ...

MikeSchafer: I think the show you're referring to was "THE JOB." I really liked it too.

Jeff, which season of "THE WIRE" did you watch? The first is a bit of a slog for the newbie, sure; I can understand if you were underwhelmed. At least try the second season before completely giving up on it.

There is enough evidence to prove that yes, at the start of his career, Leary was lifting wholesale from Bill Hicks. However, over the decades, he has proven that he has plenty of talent on his own. As a rabid Hicks fan who was inconsolable for weeks when he died, I say let it go.

Posted by The Hoyk at April 3, 2009 3:22 PM

comment #21

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

One of the worst nights I ever spent in a comedy club back in my salad days in NYC was one with Denis Leary (among others). It was the first time I ever saw an audience turn on a comic.

There's comics who have the wrong audience or off nights, but when Leary stumbled with a bad joke about a raw topic, everyone just hated him. And he knew it, but the club didn't have the next act yet (comics hustle from one venue to the next in the same night) and Leary decided "Fuck it, if they think they hate me now, just wait for THIS."

I've never checked out his act since. Love his acting (he was very good in RECOUNT), but there's nothing uglier than someone reveling in being hated.

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at April 3, 2009 3:30 PM

comment #22

The Hoyk says ...

there's nothing uglier than someone reveling in being hated.

Which would make D.Z. the ugliest man in the world!

Posted by The Hoyk at April 4, 2009 4:18 PM

comment #23

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comment #24

Dylan Yarter says ...

I got glued to the first 3 seasons and it won't be fair to point a loophole only because of the 4th season. Leary really gt some real talent and this show highlights some of it. Also please give us some subtitles, subtitles adds some more excitement. Good job Leary! Make some more wise decisions and give us some more excellent shows.
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