Can't Compete With The First Two Seasons

Coming off the heels of one of the greatest seasons of television I've ever seen, I guess I should have expected to be disappointed by Season Three of Rescue Me. After all, how exactly do you surpass what was, to many viewers, televised perfection? Sadly, the third Season of Rescue Me just fails to deliver, especially in the drama department, on the standards set by the first two seasons.

Oh yeah, I should mention at this point that, just because I love you so much, this review is going to cover both the standard and Blu-Ray versions of this title (as I bought the standard version when it came out, and the Blu-Ray version last week after buying a PS3). If all you care about is the visuals and sound on the Blu-Ray version, skip to the second to last paragraph.

Anyway, the next paragraph of this review is going to contain some spoilers for those that haven't seen the first two seasons, so feel free to check out my reviews of the first two seasons if you want to get caught up properly (and you should).

Season Three picks up some time after Season Two left off. Tommy is on the wagon, but that's about the only thing going well in his life. He lives in a large apartment (the same as the one from Season Two) with only his father, who he is now taking care of, and he knows that his wife is seeing someone, although who exactly it is mystifies him.

As in the second season, the supporting cast takes on much more screen time than in the first season. You'll see all of their problems (and comedic moments) in full, from Ken's fractured existence to Franco's new love to the Probie's experimentations. While many of these storylines could use some improvements, they are all nice additions to the overall plot arc, especially considering that all of the actors do a great job of bringing their characters to life.

I would also like to note that the season starts off incredibly strong. In fact, the second episode (particularly the closing scene) is probably my favorite in the entire series. Unfortunately, the season just can't hold its momentum, and the writers make at least one terrible decision later on, and that really hurts the overall quality.

Much like the first two seasons, Rescue Me still looks and sounds fantastic. I love the way this show looks, and I probably always will. It just has a different feel than most other shows on television, and I have really grown to appreciate how crisp it looks.

As in the first two season DVDs, the special features aren't terribly special. You get about what you'd expect from a pretty bare release: a few deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and some featurettes. Thankfully, the set also includes the Rescue Me Comedy Short, a bit sponsored by AOL prior to the third season's release that is nothing short of brilliant. I watched it at least ten times on the internet, and it's still hilarious to this day.

If you're buying this season on Blu-Ray, you're in for a treat. This show looks fantastic in high definition. Sure, there are better-looking films available on the format, but this one certainly won't hurt your collection. The outdoor scenes in particular look amazing, and you can see every little detail. The sound is similarly great, although you can sometimes hear the wind hit the mic in outdoor scenes (which isn't a major deal, but you might notice it if you have a home theater system).

Overall, this season, while not as good as the first two, still merits a purchase. Even at its weakest point, this series is still better than most others on television, and it's nice to see a show that doesn't hold back. Everything you loved about the first two seasons is still intact, just a bit watered down from the seasons that came before. If you have the choice, the Blu-Ray set is an easy recommendation. You can find it for relatively cheap prices, and it looks fantastic.