Originally posted in 2011
***SPOILER ALERT***
Rescue Me in a word? Insane. But insanely funny, dramatic, well acted, well written. Created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan, the show follows Tommy Gavin and the FDNY Ladder 62/Engine 99 firehouse. Like its predecessor, The Job, also created by Leary and Tolan, the show revolves around Leary’s character and his daily life between work and personal life.
At its core the show explores the aftermath of 9/11 and the effect the event had on city firemen. It is a catalyst for the entire plot over the 7 seasons, spinning Gavin on a downward spiral. Trying to cope with his cousin Jimmy Keefe’s death, a fellow fireman, at the World Trade Center, he turns to alcohol and drugs, mainly prescription painkillers, to survive day-to-day life. Splitting from his wife only makes him more neurotic and apt to self-medicate.
Many say the show is offensive to firemen, it’s a disgrace, it’s not what actually happens in a firehouse. Well, frankly, no shit it’s not what really happens in a firehouse. The writers take it to an extreme level, but at heart, it is always respectful of the September 11 attacks, and the response by NYC firemen. It is about Gavin’s struggle to do what is right in his personal life, while performing his job at a superior level.
Rescue Me is about humanity; how those involved in a traumatic event react. Gavin sees his dead cousin Jimmy, along with other dead firemen, victims he tried to save from fires, and other dead relatives. They are in many ways his conscious, questioning his actions, forcing him to face realities he wants to hide from. It’s about a man who is trying to cope, not able to accept the losses in his life.
We see a dark change in Gavin during Season3, after his son Connor is fatally hit by a drunk driver. The last ounce of normalcy and sanity drains from Gavin as he holds his son’s bloody and broken body in the street. In an absolutely heartbreaking scene, all of Gavin’s future actions become clear as he witnesses his son’s final breaths.
While Gavin cheats on his wife, lies, and pretends to be sober, there is still a soul to the character. On one hand he’s been awful to his wife, who is just as awful back, but on the other hand, he runs into burning buildings even off duty, and puts his life in jeopardy on a daily basis for others. Underneath his drinking and habitual lying, is a guy who has lost his son, lost his cousin, and in many ways the rest of his family.
Rescue Me‘s cast of characters each could have a post to themselves, but they each create an important outlet for Gavin. He seems to find a personal moment with each of them, from the guys in the firehouse to his extended family.
The final season is currently airing on FX, Wednesdays at 10 pm. The final episode, much talked about since FX announced it two years ago, coincides with the 10th anniversary of 9/11, airing the prior Tuesday. The binding thread throughout the years, it will be interesting to see if the viewers finally learn what happened to Jimmy Keefe on that day. I expect nothing less but epic from Leary, Tolan, and the writers.
headphones are on 