(S05E16) Drunk dialing usually doesn't turn out well. But when I got a call in the middle of the night asking me to cover Rescue Me this week, I gladly obliged. Apparently, Jonathan Toomey has been on an all night bender with a bunch of his dead relatives, and I'm not one to get in the way of family. "You work it out, buddy," I told him, "And we'll be here for you in the morning."

I didn't discover Rescue Me until the second season, but I was immediately drawn in by the intimacy and idiocy of the boys. Watching Tommy try to rise from the pits he'd fallen into was impressive, as was the strength he showed. But even more painful, and yet far more riveting and satisfying, is watching him slowly falling flat on his face, and yet he has no idea the pavement is coming. Season five is blowing me away ... so how about next year, Emmy?

After several high-profile movie roles in films such as Menace II Society, Dead Presidents, and Crash, Larenz Tate headed to New York City for a regular gig on the FX drama, Rescue Me. Tate plays "Black Sean," the newest probie forced to contend with Tommy Gavin and the rest of the motley crew at the firehouse.

Tate joined in season four, which had its season finale in the summer of 2007. That November, the writers' strike began, which pushed production of season five back, oh, about twenty years or so. Okay, maybe not that long, but I've moved at least twice since I watched Rescue Me last. The series (finally) returns to FX on Tuesday, April 7.

I got to speak to Tate recently about what's in store for his character in season five, including some good dish on Sean's love life and how FX is planning on making it up to the fans who have been waiting so long for Rescue Me to return.