Up front, I'll mention I hate "Volume" DVD series, particularly when a series has an on-going storyline. Granted, Season Five was longer than past seasons, but with a show like this, I'm willing to wait for the full set rather than waiting on volumes.
Once again, the series follows firefighter Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) and the men of 62 Truck. As usual, everything in Tommy's life is going to hell in a hurry. His father is dead, his wife is dating a handicapped guy (guest star Michael J. Fox) and he's barely hanging on to sobriety despite being up for a sponsorship role at AA. To top it all off, a French reporter, Genevieve, (Karina Lombard), comes to the firehouse in search of information about 9/11 terrorist attacks for a book she's writing.
Genevieve's questions, and the memories they drag to the surface, make up a large portion of the show's conflict. Friction emerges between Franco (Daniel Sunjata) and Mike (Mike Lombardi) and Lou (John Scurti) becomes a little too cooperative in order to get closer to her. The biggest issues spring from a previously unseen reel of footage from the first tower. Already facing questions as to whether or not he's mentally fit for duty, Tommy begins to rethink events from 9/11, pushing him closer and closer to the edge.
The impact of the World Trade Center attacks has always been a major component of the show, though it has slowly taken more of a backseat role in the last two seasons. Reintroducing them as a major show component brings up a few interesting threads, particularly when it comes to hints of conspiracy theories popping up in the firehouse, but it also seems like the writers are simply out of ideas and going back to what worked before. Episodes get a little too preachy at times and ideas are hammered in a little too hard. That's not to say the 9/11 stuff couldn't work - particularly when you consider how it affected this particular group - but throughout the first part of the season, it feels pointless.
The show's one saving grace are the performers. The regular cast is as consistent as ever and even manages to make the wordy, sometimes overly preachy, dialogue concerning their feelings on 9/11 bearable. Michael J. Fox deserves special attention for his performance. In some respects, he's a wheelchair-bound version of Tommy, creating interesting moments between the two.
Looking at the bigger package, the included extras are better than what usually comes with TV series, but nothing major. The most interesting of the set is "Danny Does Danger," a look at the show's stunt work. One of the more minor criticisms against past seasons was the lack of major fires for the guys to fight. Season Five ramps up the number and provides some of the show's more "upbeat" (well, as upbeat as a fire can be) moments. Another is "Walking Thru Fire," a Behind-the-Scenes look at the show. Finally, there's a group of deleted scenes and a gag reel.
Compared to past seasons, Rescue Me: Season Five is a downer. It's still a good show, but it seems like the show has lost some of its direction and is looking to recapture it's past by reintroducing old elements.
