For those who were disappointed in the show's uneven fourth season, the best news is that, at least in the nine episodes previewed, Rescue Me is more consistent, more focused and more fun, with better stories for all of its characters.

This new phase takes the show from sometimes cartoonish to serious, punctuated with belly-laugh dialogue. This is thanks, in no small part, to Michael J. Fox, who is in six episodes this year.

This series is officially on fire now.

The FX drama returns for its fifth season tonight at 10, after a 19-month absence, and it returns to its former glory after an unfortunate fourth-season slump.

Rescue Me does everything “Lost” does. It balances character, drama, comedy and suspense while relentlessly pushing a dozen story lines forward.

In recent months, star Denis Leary and his co-creator/producer Peter Tolan have repeatedly promised a different show, one less bleak and heavy-footed than Season 4, and on this they most certainly deliver.

A few things in the first episodes of season five, which kicks off Tuesday night, feel a little disjointed. Denis Leary remains a magnetic lead as New York firefighter Tommy Gavin, and the show still has inspired moments.