RESCUE ME

I struggle with my affection for Denis Leary. He’s hilarious, but much of what I hear is crude and/or profane, which turns me off from most people. But Leary still seems to draw me near. I suppose it’s the delivery of his wit; he’s so caustic, so cynical, and yet everything he says is so completely valid that I can only laugh with him at the absurdity of life. And the older he gets, the more hilarious I find him. Not to mention that he’s aging very well. I’ve never found him physically appealing in the past, but in his current role on Rescue Me, I find him more attractive each week. And that’s an added bonus to the show.

Rescue Me is one of those series that I find myself watching and feel somewhat guilty about it. There is so much profanity, so much crudeness, and yet the drama is powerful and compelling. Like The Shield, it is hard-nosed and gritty, but there is more heart in Rescue Me… and more humor. Leary’s character, Tommy, is a complex guy who just wants to make everything in his life simpler. He wants to reconcile with his wife, to be a great father to his children, to honor the memory of the friends and family he lost on 9/11. He’s just trying to walk through each day without collapsing from the pressure. And his struggles are basic, the same struggles any number of people in the world have to deal with. Which is what makes him so appealing — he’s relatable.

The drama of Rescue Me is poignant, and the action is secondary. I’ve been able to look past the undesirables in the show simply because it touches my heartstrings. And Leary makes me laugh. But I’m also affected by the stories during these hour-long episodes. And that makes for good tv.

THE DAYS

How I missed this, I’ll never know. I’m all about tv, and I read the entertainment mags, so how could I not have heard about this show? I hate coming into something after it’s begun.

I’ve seen two episodes now, and I’m glued. I was hooked at first sight of Cooper Day, I think, but the stories being told and the rest of the family characters are terrific, as well. This is so much my kind of show. It’s my kind of humor told in my world… several of my worlds, actually. I get Cooper’s outlook, his personality, because I lived there too, at that age. Sometimes I still do. It’s hard to shake the person you were at fifteen. Even twenty years later, I still find my experiences colored by the personality I developed at fifteen. I still feel the same insecurities, the same motivations, the same uncertainty about life. It really never gets easier. And Cooper Day is the 2004 mirror of that person.

I’m also drawn to the parents, Abby and Jack. Abby followed her heart early on and chose the life she has, but she’s also curious about the “what ifs” (relating to a former lover). I can relate to her internal exploration of those “what ifs”, all the while remaining true to the life she’s established. And Jack… well, Jack I know all too well. Suddenly, as adults, we are forced to face the reasons we chose certain life paths, and sometimes we can’t justify the decisions. Sometimes we just want to try again, start over. And Jack is working through that, having quit his job and ignoring his responsibilities (to a point). I get that. I do that! And I often want to simply check out and forget that I even have to deal with any of it. Jack is the personification of an inner self I’ve battled for most of my life. Jack gives me an outlet to imagine my own “what ifs”. To explore how I came to this place where I am.

I get an Almost Famous vibe from The Days. The coming-of-age story at all levels of growth — childhood, teenage, young adult, parenthood, and especially long-term relationships. It has the quirky vibe that I loved so much in My So-Called Life, albeit without the hard edges of current teen angst. But I feel for The Days what I felt for Almost Famous — that someone finally understood my heart; that someone could finally put into words all of the affections I had developed and all of the experiences I dreamed of. Even Cooper’s hair is reminiscent of William Miller/Patrick Fugit. (And did I also hear correctly this week that a teacher on the show is named “Fugit”? And Natalie sang “Tiny Dancer” in one scene? Coincidence?) The Days has captivated me. I fear for its continuance, but for one small moment in the summer of this year, I am happy to welcome this show into my heart.