Friday, September 03, 2004
An Open Letter to Dennis Leary
Dear Mr. Leary:
I've enjoyed your new show Rescue Me (FX, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. CDT). It's well-written, conceived, filmed, and produced. The interaction of the male characters is witty and the storylines of the recurring characters are strong. Especially pleasing are the interactions between Tommy and his estranged, soon-to-be ex-wife and the heavyset firefighter who writes poetry to ease the pain of 9/11. Plus, the frat house shenanigans of the firehouse are well-performed. Overall, I'm a big fan of the show and it's one I think that is in a league with The Sopranos and The Wire.
Now, there are two criticisms that we must address:
1, Why are some storylines here today, gone in next week's episode? Two examples: your daughter's accident - she's moving pretty well these days - mere weeks after a severe car accident. And, your character took a pretty good beating at the hands of Roger's "crew." Yet, you walked away without a scratch during the following episode. Why the inconsistency?
2, You don't need to resort to sophomoric shock to keep viewers. Two scenes standout: the three-some rape scene and the insinuation of anal sex by the bimbo who was getting her ticket punched by Tommy. The show would have been fine without these two scenes and they contributed almost nothing to the story other than to drop the jaws of viewers and prove that the envelope could be pushed on cable television. It's very similar to the situation with Tony Soprano's sister and Ralphie's predilection to being treated like a bitch. It wasn't really necessary in the plotline although it contributed to the demise of his character.
So, I'll check the show out on Wednesday night, but please, leave the sophomore stunts on the cutting room floor.
Sincerely,
Mike Paterson
I've enjoyed your new show Rescue Me (FX, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. CDT). It's well-written, conceived, filmed, and produced. The interaction of the male characters is witty and the storylines of the recurring characters are strong. Especially pleasing are the interactions between Tommy and his estranged, soon-to-be ex-wife and the heavyset firefighter who writes poetry to ease the pain of 9/11. Plus, the frat house shenanigans of the firehouse are well-performed. Overall, I'm a big fan of the show and it's one I think that is in a league with The Sopranos and The Wire.
Now, there are two criticisms that we must address:
1, Why are some storylines here today, gone in next week's episode? Two examples: your daughter's accident - she's moving pretty well these days - mere weeks after a severe car accident. And, your character took a pretty good beating at the hands of Roger's "crew." Yet, you walked away without a scratch during the following episode. Why the inconsistency?
2, You don't need to resort to sophomoric shock to keep viewers. Two scenes standout: the three-some rape scene and the insinuation of anal sex by the bimbo who was getting her ticket punched by Tommy. The show would have been fine without these two scenes and they contributed almost nothing to the story other than to drop the jaws of viewers and prove that the envelope could be pushed on cable television. It's very similar to the situation with Tony Soprano's sister and Ralphie's predilection to being treated like a bitch. It wasn't really necessary in the plotline although it contributed to the demise of his character.
So, I'll check the show out on Wednesday night, but please, leave the sophomore stunts on the cutting room floor.
Sincerely,
Mike Paterson
