FX 'Rescue Me' continues to thrill in third season

The co-creators of the series never stop taking risks.
By HAL BOEDEKER
ORLANDO SENTINEL
A bracing mix of raw hurt and loopy comedy, "Rescue Me" is never in danger of sliding to boredom. You want a socko ending? This drama about New York firefighters will supply it.
The third-season premiere, at 10 p.m. Tuesday on FX, delivers a jaw-dropping fadeout. Episode two builds to a furious emotional payoff. Episode three reveals a firefighter's surprising life away from work.
The characters, led by Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary), can be confused, dopey or self-destructive, but they carry on with appealing swagger and sharp humor.
Series co-creators Leary and Peter Tolan never stop taking risks in telling adult stories or dropping their characters in trying situations. But a subplot about Tommy's godson might go too far, even for this show.
Life has turned messier for Tommy. He still sees dead people, and they include his son, who was killed by a drunken driver. Tommy obsesses over his wife, Janet (Andrea Roth), who wants a divorce.
Others have problems
Several of Tommy's friends are desperate, too. Chief Jerry Reilly (Jack McGee) frets about how he'll care for his wife, an Alzheimer's patient. Lt. Lou Shea (John Scurti) lost all his money to a scam-pulling hooker.
Younger firefighters Franco Rivera (Daniel Sunjata) and Mike Silletti (Michael Lombardi) consider steps to advance their careers. Sean Garrity (Steven Pasquale) dreads revealing the identity of his lover.
The terrific actors include Charles Durning as Tommy's cantankerous father and Lenny Clarke as Tommy's overbearing uncle.
The show has lined up three Oscar winners. Tatum O'Neal returns as Tommy's impossible sister. Susan Sarandon comes aboard as an affluent woman attracted to Franco. Marisa Tomei appears later as Tommy's former sister-in-law.
All that talent should bring more attention to "Rescue Me." A warning: Once hooked, you'll be with the show to the end.