Your summer savior

I may do it every five posts, but I don't like to impose genius status upon people in entertainment. I try not to do so lightly. Argue that point as much as you'd like.

Either way, I have no problem placing Denis Leary among the best creative minds working in television today. Forget his stand-up act (which you've all heard -- and consequently forget the comparisons to Bill Hicks). Forget his amazing film performances (Suicide Kings and Wag the Dog are both pretty awesome). You only need to pay attention to his and Peter Tolan's last two television ventures -- The Job and Rescue Me -- to see what I'm talking about.

The Job fell to ABC's silly demands for actual viewership. But Rescue Me, like many other sweet shows, found a comfortable home on FX. Without that home, it wouldn't have the edge (or bite or whatever you want to call that trait) that compounds the brilliant writing and seriously strong ensemble performance and makes it as good as it is. And by good as it is I mean among the top three shows on television right now and without a doubt the best show on cable.

And thankfully, considering the heaping piles of stale or rotting muck that are filling out primetime lineups right now, it's back tonight. I'm assuming if you don't watch, you have no idea what's going on, so before I tell you that you need to be watching it, I'll get you caught up. (Also, seeing as it's been about 10 months since the big fire, you may need the memory jog even if you do watch.)

So where is everyone? Well, the massive split that had threatened the crew is essentially over -- Franco failed his lieutenant's exam on purpose; Lou's afraid of boats, so the at-sea retirement ain't gonna happen; Mike's transfer decision was never really a decision; Sean's now a Gavin (by marriage) and looks up to Tommy so much that he'll never leave; the chief may be gone, demented after his heart attack, but there's a new one in town. As for Tommy, he was left with Sheila in their burning beach house after she drugged him (AGAIN) and had a breakdown, setting the house on fire.

It seems the new season will open with Tommy defending himself against accusations he started the fire (it doesn't seem they've given away whether Sheila's still alive, but I'd assume not). His ex-wife is pregnant with the baby that could either be Tommy's or his dead-cop brother Johnny. She's not giving it up, either, still reeling from the loss of the family's middle child at the bumper of a drunk driver.

Then there's Tommy's Uncle Teddy, who's still in jail after killing said drunk driver -- and more miserable there than he could have possibly imagined -- and Tommy's dad, who's now apartment buddies with Lou's uncle.

You don't need me to tell you to watch if you already have, because you're either hooked or have been scared off by the show's sometimes-edgy content (though, I completely disagree with calling it edgy; it's realistic, is what it is). If you haven't watched it... well, just watch the show. It's dark and depressing and funny and powerful all at the same time and deserves your precious summer hours. Trust me on that one.