I was a little hesitant to watch this series at first,
fearing it would be a pale imitation of “Rescue Me”, the groundbreaking series
with Denis Leary. Glad I didn't listen to myself on that score, as “Chicago
Fire” has Rescue Me” beat by a mile on several fronts. Some of the story lines
may be almost identical, but the emphasis in this series is more on the
disaster relief and firefighting than on extramarital affairs and drinking.
To be sure, the men and women in this series all have their
own set of flaws, but they are represented in a more realistic matter. Another
aspect of this show which I enjoy is that the women are not all pieces of meat
as they were in other series. The women firefighters and rescue personnel are
all portrayed as competent and yet still are allowed to maintain their femininity
and dignity. That’s not to say that there isn't a bit of fooling around going
on here. If you’re worried about that, don’t be.
The subject of Gay and Lesbian firefighters is not ignored
either, with one of the main characters on the rescue squad openly gay and
close friends with her partner, who is straight. The show is actually pretty
realistic in its portrayal of people who have different lifestyles working
together.
The story lines are provocative and realistic as well. From
the relationships with the community, to the animosity between the Fire
Department and the Police, the shows ring true. I was surprised to discover
that this show is not on cable, but on a major network, and available even to
those who only have “rabbit ear” antennas.
It’s hard to find new series which I really enjoy watching
on a steady basis, so this one was a pleasant surprise. As usual I found it in
the library before I even knew it was a television show. I stopped channel
surfing about 5 years ago, and haven’t looked at a TV page in the same amount
of time.
Tight direction and cinematography, along with believable
character development; and coupled with good writing; all combine to make this
show worth watching.
No comments:
Post a Comment