“Rescue Me” – 9/5/07

I think Tommy’s moving toward a meltdown or implosion . . . actually the same thing. He’s being very erratic and doing crazy things. He finds Jimmy Keefe’s firefighter jacket -- Jimmy was his cousin who died in the Towers on 9/11 while Tommy made it out unscathed. Tommy wears the jacket and hides in trucks from other squads. He jumps out at the fire destination, rushes into the building without being seen by the crew and rescues someone. He brings the person out and then disappears in the crowd. Jimmy used to appear to Tommy as a ghost and they’d have long conversations, but that has ended. Now is Tommy trying to be Jimmy?

The rest of his crew is having problems. Lou is screwing his brother’s big, black lady friend because she cooks so well, and he can’t give that up. Franco’s having trouble with his ex-girlfriend and Black Sean is fighting with Mike who is no longer a Probie – Black Sean is now. Colleen’s boyfriend dumped her (I had been calling her Kathleen which was very wrong) and she, of course, blames her dad for finding out and just about everything else. Gina Gershon (Valerie) gives Tommy shit for not thinking they’re having a relationship. Tommy feels like it’s just a booty call as he’s there for only about 5 minutes, and Valerie says that most guys would think that’s an ideal relationship.

Mickey Gavin, the ex-priest and AA leader, thinks maybe Tommy and he should just go to regular meetings. He’s worried about Tommy and his search for religion and spiritualism. Possibly Tommy needs help? That’s an understatement! But Tommy says he needs the family one with all the fighting and mayhem. They have a family meeting again that doesn’t go well, and vote to never have another one for three years!

Chief Feinberg gives Tommy shit every chance he gets. I don’t like that man and hope he’s gone by the next season. Anyway, he’s on Tommy’s case this week for, among other things, molesting his daughter on their date. Tommy says he didn’t molest her, he just gave her a hug and accidentally brushed his hand across her tit. This infuriates Feinberg who shouts that if Tommy ever touches his daughter again, he’ll crucify him. Tommy replies that if he ever touches his daughter again, he’ll crucify himself.

Some of the other firefighters are saying they’ve seen someone wearing a jacket with Keefe written on the back. The see him at a fire, but never his face, and he doesn’t stick around when things are done. They’re wondering if they’re crazy or what. In the last scene, Tommy, in Jimmy Keefe’s jacket, saves a horny young woman during a fire, finally managing to get her out of the worst part and leaving her for the other firefighters. She tells them some cute guy with sandy hair rescued her and they all say that sounds like Tommy. Lou is standing on the sidelines and saying nothing, but he knows what’s going on.

Tommy is definitely unraveling and needs help which may possibly come from his father. There’s so much about his life that needs changing. I would hope that the show can get back to the squad room where all the guys sit and talk and joke around. I think those scenes are some of the funniest and best-written scenes of the shows. Of course, Tommy needs to clean up his act. Also, GET RID OF CHIEF FEINBERG!!