If an entire season of a program can have a first act, then it came to an end for Rescue Me in this week’s episode. With Garrity about to undergo surgery for renal cancer, Damien coming into his own as a young man, Candy (!) reappearing in Lou’s life, and Tommy taking ownership of his decision to start drinking again (before slipping right back into full-tilt alcoholism), it feels as though we’re at the dawn of a new batch of story arcs about to unfold.

Considering the length of Season 5 – there will be 26 episodes in total, a rarity for a premium cable show such as this – it’s appropriate that some of the plot points have been rolling out in slow motion, soap opera style. Despite the breadth of the season, though, each episode to this point has been funny, vibrant, and moving – a real feat considering the sheer amount of hours that they have to work with.

This week's scene in which the guys discussed their favourite weather girls was one for the highlight reel, and set the scene perfectly for Tommy to tell them about his decision to start drinking again. Sean’s careless brother, Terrence, was also given ample room to shine, and helped give context to what it means to grow up Garrity. Explains a lot, come to think of it...

In extra-curricular news, Franco is shaping up to be a contender in the ring, and Mike and Damien are moving forward with their decision to play music together. (Too bad it’s embarrassingly earnest post-grunge, but what else would you expect from Mike?)

Watch "Control" again—or for the first time—at the Showcase video centre, where it's streaming for a limited time.