As the Fourth Season kicks off, Tommy (Denis Leary) is a mess. Already dealing with lingering psychological issues, he's now facing possible prison time for insurance fraud and accusations that he began the fire that ended Season Three. On top of that, he has no idea about what happened that night, leaving him with no alibi. Things are worse at home; he' stuck in an awkward living situation with his ex-wife in order to raise a son who may not even be his and his daughter's behavior is out of control.
Things aren't going much better for the rest of the crew either. The Chief is recovering from his heart attack, Lou is dating an ex-nun who enjoys sex in church and Sean is dealing with Maggie's (Tatum O'Neal) fetish. After reading the list of plotlines, it should go without saying that Rescue Me is not a show you watch with younger kids in the room... though as the season trucks along, it might not be something that you watch with people who cherish their happiness either.
While it isn't uncommon for dramas to put their characters through the wringer, the Fourth Season takes things too far. If something bad can happen to its characters, the show heaps it on twice and then has them sit around and examine their situation to the point where you'll start to feel like you need to pop a few anti-depressants in order to make it through to the end. Characters spend so much time examining their situations that it feels like nothing is really happening or moving towards any sort of resolution. Even the show's sense of humor, which helped to balance out the heavy drama in past seasons, isn't enough of a counterbalance. There are a few funny moments, though most of the jokes fall flat even though the delivery is usually handled well.
Of the available extras, "Firehouse" is the most interesting. Although it has very little to do with the show, it features the real-life stories of firefighters. The only downside to the feature is its short length, since their stories are better than some of the plotlines in the season DVD it's attached to. There's also a series of featurettes that essentially make up one giant "Behind the Scenes" presentation, as well as deleted scenes and a gag reel.
Even though Season Four isn't the series' best outing, Rescue Me is still a good show. The writing and acting are both excellent, however, the plotlines go way beyond what is needed and make the show just as uncomfortable for viewers as it does for its characters.
