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Rescue Me

(Rated TV-MA, Drama, Where to watch: FX, DVD, Online)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Firefighter Tommy needs some help with his life.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Despite plenty of bad habits, these very-human characters generally try to do the right thing. They drink too much but realize it's a problem and try to get help. Sometimes they break the law, but they analyze every side of their moral dilemmas and try to find some legitimate justifications for their choices.
  • Violence:

    These firefighters are frequently in danger on the job and sometimes engage in pretty realistic fights off the job.
  • Sex:

    Plenty of sex, talking about sex, and arguments between sexual partners. Some pretty graphic sexual scenes in many episodes (but not all), including partial nudity. Characters have affairs.
  • Language:

    Extremely foul. Just about every bad word imaginable, and a few creative new ones.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Tommy is a struggling alcoholic, and it's not pretty when he falls off the wagon. Several other characters also drink heavily, and some take drugs. This show doesn't shy away from portraying both the fun times and the ugly lows that come from both. Many characters smoke cigarettes.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Rescue Me

Parents need to know that this show is an unflinching look at the lives of firefighters. These rough-and-tumble men -- and the occasional woman -- put their lives on the line when they go to work, and their language is as rough as the situations they face. When they're not fighting fires, they're usually crass, sometimes violent, often drunk, and always looking for either sex or love, though not always at the same time. In short, they're very human, very flawed, and very real.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how they would react to some of the conflicts Tommy and his pals face. The show creates extreme, but realistic, situations that require the characters to make difficult choices. In one important storyline, for example, Tommy, his father, and his uncle take justice into their own hands. What do teens think they would do in a similar situation? Do the ends ever justify the means? What can people do when they believe the law has failed them?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 3.0

    Interesting.

    Nothing really bad in this show. Some Cursing, but not constant. Discussion of sex.

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in Oklahoma
    I rate this title off for age 16 and give it 3.0

    rescue me review by critic07

    It's a creepy show it's really bad. It's O.K., i think if you like really brutal show's you'd love it!

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 5.0

  4. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    I dont know why CSM thinks the language is really that bad, they never say the F word. But who really cares? This site is made for little panzies who always chase their children around like little rapists. I am not one of those people, and I think kids should have more freedom. I only got an account to write this.

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Great show.

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