Entertainment

FOX TO THE ‘RESCUE’

AFTER jumping the rails and the shark the last few seasons, “Rescue Me” has been rescued — by the writers’ strike.

It gave Denis Leary & Co. the chance to let the smoke clear from their brains and get back to writing good drama.

This new phase takes the show from sometimes cartoonish to serious, punctuated with belly-laugh dialogue.

This is thanks, in no small part, to Michael J. Fox, who is in six episodes this year as Janet’s (Andrea Roth) disabled, pill-popping, hard-drinking, nasty-ass new live-in boyfriend.

And you won’t believe what you’re watching because they break every single P.C. barrier erected these last 20 years to insure that no TV show would offend any person living, dead, blind, deaf, paralyzed, drunk or fat. Barriers gone in a flash.

And then there’s 9/11 and the awful thought of ever turning those events into entertainment.

But after watching it, I think maybe it’s time to reconsider — something I never thought I’d say.

Leary takes on all the conspiracy theories floating out there as a way to bring the story home.

A French journalist (Karina Lombard) who is writing a book on 9/11 comes to interview the men — and the firefighters tell how they believe the theories, particularly Franco (Daniel Sunjata), who says that it was an inside job perpetrated by the Neo-Cons, including Bush and Cheney, who wanted war.

Even more riveting than the 9/11 scenes though, is Fox as Dwight.

Yes, it’s upsetting to see Fox like this. Especially when we first see him and he’s sunken into Janet’s couch looking all banged up and unable to control his body.

Tommy (Leary) walks in uninvited and is infuriated that Janet’s new guy won’t get off the couch to shake his hand. He doesn’t know his legs are paralyzed — although we learn that it’s really just his legs that don’t work.

In episode five, Fox really catches fire, so to speak. As he and Tommy nearly go mano a mano, Dwight screams at Janet to “Get the chair!”

Tommy thinks he wants a chair to hit him with and so Tommy picks up a big book to use as his weapon. He then realizes it’s a wheelchair.

But save your pity. Fox is brutal, savage, nasty, dirty and funny. He deserves an Emmy — and not because he’s a disabled man fighting for a career, but because he’s a most able actor who has put in a hell of a scary, powerhouse performance.

“Rescue Me” New season premiere Tonight at 10 on FX

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