michael j. fox

I hate it when a celebrity gets into trouble and various writers trot out the old "_____ is cursed!" stories. As if various people, even if they were on the same show, can't have bad things happen to them. I mean, I worked at a place once where my coworkers later had arrests, miscarriages, divorces, illnesses, and money problems, but I don't go around saying "my God, that office was cursed!"

But that doesn't stop the San Diego Reader saying that the cast of Family Ties is cursed, because Michael J. Fox has Parkinson's, Brian Bonsall keeps getting arrested, Meredith Baxter battled cancer, and Justine Bateman...well, what, made a bad movie in the '80s? I love how the writer glosses over the fact that Courteney Cox went on to star in a rather popular NBC sitcom in the'90s.

When a bunch of people from one TV show get into trouble or have some sort of misfortune, it's not a "curse." It's called "life."

Michael J. Fox's Teen Wolf was infectious fun back in 1985. By the time we got to Jason Bateman and Teen Wolf Too, a lot of the luster had worn off. Still, MTV thinks there's still plenty to mine from the concept, as they've ordered a pilot for a Teen Wolf series.

MTV VP Liz Gately says, "It has a fresh take and is very different from the original." They go on to explain that it's more similar to An American Werewolf in Paris (not London, but Paris). I'm still trying to wrap my brain around why remakes seem to be all the rage right now. Especially if this remake is so different from the source title. Why is it a remake then?

Have we reached a creative laziness where it's just easier to try and sell the public on a property they've already heard of than something brand new? If this is as "very different" as Gately says, then why not just call it something else entirely? Vampires and werewolves are popular enough right now with the kids that you don't need a 24-year old movie title to sell a series.

(S05E10) "See? I told you he's got it under control." - Mike

As fans, we've really been rooting for a horrible thing if you think about it. The fact that we've all been waiting for Tommy to start full-blown drinking again is pretty twisted and now that it's been going on for a few episodes, we're starting to see the Tommy we remember - both the good and bad.

The issue of control is an obvious path to explore. We' ve seen Tommy lose it before - when we first met him, his original downward spiral was just beginning. That being said, I don't think any of us ever expected a year of sobriety to do him any good.

(S05E09) "Pussies run. Gavins fight." - Colleen

We've all been raving about Rescue Me's creative resurgence this season. Every episode thus far has been classic stuff - a streak of good writing and acting that we haven't seen since the first season. However, up until last week's brilliant homage to The Iceman Cometh, there hadn't been a truly defining moment for season five. In the wake of that stellar hour, I got worried in anticipation of "Thaw." Would the streak continue or would things now start to meander along, suffering from the weight of 22 episodes instead of 13?

(S05E08) "Here I am. After. Surrounded by booze and dead assholes." – Tommy

This is the episode we're all been waiting for. After Tommy had a drink with Genevieve two weeks ago, it was only a matter of time before this happened – fortunately, we didn't have to wait for it.

Tommy's struggle with 9/11 and his place in history on that day has long been one of the the driving forces behind Rescue Me, but the focus on that has drifted in and out over time. Most everyone has applauded that plot's return this season, but one key element has still been lacking – Tommy's ghosts.

(S05E07) "Yeah ... my wife always has a problem when she's surrounded by douchebags." - Tommy

As much as I've enjoyed the renewed focus on 9/11 that Rescue Me has delved into this season, you have to admit that it has taken away from the other big part of this show: the Gavin family. Tommy's relatives have always been a huge part of what makes this show so great, especially his immediate family. We haven't really seen all that much Gavin family interaction since Connor was killed, but it seems the narrative has finally reached a point where that tragedy is far enough in the past that it's safe once again to put Tommy and Janet in the same room with booze and a bed. Thank god.

(S05E06) "The Vietnam vet in the corner? I mean, what'd he say? He drank 12 Budweisers and three fifths in two hours with one arm? I mean, that's hall of fame shit. That guy should still be out there drinking." -Tommy

You know what else is hall of fame shit? This episode of Rescue Me. It took 57 episodes to get to this point, but 9/11 has finally become the first, last, and only focus of the show. Sure, there are still some sub-plots weaved in and out of the main narrative, but it all comes back to 9/11. It's funny, it's sad, it's depressing, and just like Tommy's AA meetings, it kind of makes you want a drink. Or seven.

(S05E05) "I think that sometimes Tommy wishes that Jimmy had lived and that he had died in Jimmy's place... and so do I." - Sheila

A few months back, when I first started getting ready for Rescue Me's new season, I remember seeing this picture before I screened this episode and I thought for sure it was a shot from a 9/11 flashback. Tommy's had some dreams where he recalled things from that day, but I was hoping for a full blown episode - especially since we found out Jimmy died in the second tower and not the first. There had to be a story there, right? If you think about it though, it doesn't really matter. We know as much as we need to and how this new knowledge is affecting everyone is what's really worth exploring. Besides, the dream Tommy did have was way more interesting.

(S05E04) "Not something you really wanna be lookin' at." - Lou

Just like Dr. Psychodramaturge telling Sheila that half of Damien's desire to be a firefighter is based on her objection, you knew that when Lou told Tommy not to look at the 9/11 footage he would anyway. Forbidden = fun. Of course, having Genevieve whisper lord knows what into Tommy's ear didn't hurt either. Whatever she muttered was probably fun too.

(S05E03) "My daughter turned Amish on me - how is that possible?!" - Tommy

Even though after two stellar episodes this season is shaping up to be possibly Rescue Me's best yet, I'm going to pick on this episode regardless. Not the whole hour, but a fairly decent chunk, mainly because it relates back to almost all of what was bad about season four. In some ways, it almost felt like it was a leftover that Leary and Tolan decided to use anyway.

(S05E02) "People hear juicy gossip, they're gonna spread it around. This is a firehouse. Take away the rig, the gear, and testosterone, it's nothing but a goddamn sorority in here!" - Needles

I'm not sure truer words have ever been spoken on this show before. Needles summed it up pretty good, huh? He might have been making a joke at Black Shawn's expense, but think about what he's really saying. Get rid of the exterior and the interior of a fireman is the same as everybody else - timid, scared, and emotional. Th arrival of Genvieve Lazard, the french journalist penning the 9/11 book, certainly made that clear on a few occasions for the guys of 62 Truck.

(S05E01) "No penalties. No judgment. No fines. Absolute forgiveness. Plus coffee and snacks. " - Mick

If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought Tommy said that line. Talk about an Alcoholic's Anonymous mantra at the most base level - you screw up, it's OK. You can still come back have a cup of burnt Chock Full 'O Nuts.

Rescue Me itself is sort of in the same boat. After a lackluster and critically panned fourth season, the Denis Leary FDNY drama screwed up. Thanks in part to the writer's strike, an extended hiatus has given most fans time to forget and I, for one, have forgiven. Rescue Me is finally back after a year and a half, and I tell you what - burnt Chock Full 'O Nuts never tasted so good.

Hard to believe that it's been over a year and a half since Rescue Me bowed its season four finale. The minisodes that aired last summer served to remind us that the FDNY drama was alive and kicking, but more than anything, they made one other point clear - there ain't nothing like the real thing.

Rescue Me returns to FX this coming Tuesday, April 7th at 10PM ET, and after screening the first nine episodes of the fifth season's 22, trust me when I say that all the bad reviews associated with the mediocrity of season four can be forgotten. Tommy Gavin is back and better than ever.

This is a really clever idea.

Betamaxmas takes a bunch of Christmas specials and episodes of TV shows that you can find on YouTube and puts them on one site, inside an old-fashioned television. You can even change the channels and adjust the volume on an old remote control.

With Rescue Me's fifth season finally (kinda, sorta) getting closer, we're getting more and more news about what's in store for Tommy and the gang. In addition to the minisodes, we've also got some exciting potential casting news: Michael J. Fox may be joining Rescue Me for a multi-episode arc. Fox is set to play a love interest for Tommy's (Dennis Leary) on-again/off-again ex, Janet (Andrea Roth).

Rescue Me may seem like an odd show for the former Spin City and Family Ties star to pop up on, but Fox and Leary are longtime friends. This friendship means that even though the deal isn't completely finalized, there's very good chance that Fox will be seen on the FX drama next summer.