“Rescue Me”
Wednesday 10pm, FX
Last season Dennis Leary’s firefighter drama got pretty dark, what with controversial abusive sex scenes, the lead character’s girlfriend essentially date-raping him and even more death in the life of Tommy Gavin (Leary). Here’s hoping the producers turn it down just a touch, because the show is actually quite good when it’s not gas-pipe-worthy depressing. A good sign is the inclusion of Jennifer Esposito to the cast (you might remember her from the Michael J. Fox-era “Spin City”; she’s great) as the woman who rescues Tommy from the fire accidentally set by his nutso girlfriend after she drugged him into having sex. Yeah, they need to turn it down a little bit.
“The Closer”
Monday 9pm, TNT
Look at little Kyra Sedgwick go! The always-reliable supporting actress has really come into her own on this cable series, nabbing a Golden Globe last year for her performance as Detective Brenda Johnson, a master at cracking suspects once they get into the interrogation room. Season 3 of the show starts tonight with Brenda happy at home with her live-in FBI agent boyfriend, and at work with a squad that finally accepts her. But this is a drama, so things go to pot pretty quickly as a major financial crisis leaves the LAPD bracing for layoffs. Plus, you know, there are criminals and stuff.
“Big Love”
Monday 9pm, HBO
Season 2 of HBO’s polygamist drama began last week, but it’s still pretty easy to jump on at this point. And you really should: “Big Love” is one of TV’s most compelling young shows, with complicated characters and a fantastic female cast (Bill Paxton is better than expected, too). Season 1 was mostly exposition, and many of the plots laid out are now rapidly coming to a head. They include the Henricksons’ coming war with the cult-ish compound they moved away from; crazy Rhonda making more trouble for the family; daughter Sarah secretly joining an anti-polygamy support group; and the romantic tension between youngest wife, Margene, and eldest son, Ben, continuing to develop, which should make for some uncomfortable family dinners. All this, and rumor has it that Bill takes a fourth wife.
