RESCUE ME
SEASON ONE

"Come on, Come on"

Guts
New York City fire-fighter, Tommy Gavin, cannot escape the ghosts of those who have died around him as he faces the everyday challenge of saving lives while trying to fix his own.

Gay
When a retired gay fire-fighter makes a published claim that several firemen who died in 9/11 were closeted gays, Chief Reilly is determined to set the record straight. While attempting to mask the pain of losing his wife and kids, Tommy does Jimmy a favour and spies on his widow which leads to a surprising discovery. The probie must deal with the unexpected repercussions of being a hero after making his first save in a fire.

Kansas
Tommy decides to make life a living hell for his wife's new boyfriend by wreaking havoc on his business and finances. Meanwhile, Chief Reilly faces possible suspension as the result of an altercation with a fellow fire-fighter and Lou decides to share his poetry.

DNA
A "friendly" date between Tommy and the widow of his dead cousin takes an unexpected turn when she makes a move on Tommy. Franco's ex-girlfriend shows up at the firehouse and claims he's the father of her five-year-old daughter, turning his life upside down.

Orphans
Tommy comes to terms with the reality of his broken family as a result of a shocking experience with his father. When a freak accident occurs, Franco must make a life-changing decision, and Chief Reilly is forced to expose a family secret in order to save his career.

Revenge
Tommy takes one step forward by convincing Janet to leave Roger but two steps backward when she stumbles onto his latest fling. The boys convince Sean to date a woman but neglect to tell him that she is actually a he. Franco discovers he can't shake his newfound fatherly instincts.

Butterfly
When Tommy asks for extra vacation time, Chief Reilly tips him off on how to get a free two-week vacation from headquarters. While building a deck for Tommy's neighbour, Tommy takes advantage of his "free" advice, which leads him to make a bold move in reconciling with Janet.

Inches
Tommy attempts to handle the insanity of his father while defending Colleen's new lifestyle to Janet. At the firehouse, Sean and Mike the Probie unknowingly launch a full-blown wager among the crew.

Alarm
When Tommy discovers a secret that Janet is keeping from him, he must come to terms with the possible consequences. At the firehouse, Chief Reilly preps the boys for their new female replacement. With the help of Franco and Sean, Tommy tracks down the man responsible for it

Immortal
When Tommy struggles to help Janet in a financial crunch, he must turn to his Uncle Teddy to help him out. The new female addition to the house fights to be accepted by the guys while they do everything they can to drive her nuts. Just as Mike is getting fed up from sleeping on the firehouse couch, he is offered a helping hand with a free place to stay... at a steep price.

Mom
While Tommy attempts to make reason of the chaos in his life, he continues to defy death while pulling dangerous stunts on the job. Lou admits his infidelity to his wife and receives an unexpected surprise. When tragedy strikes his family, Tommy must come to the rescue of his father.

Leaving
When Janet needs more money to cover house repairs, Tommy turns to Uncle Teddy and his "little" friend to help him out with extra cash. When Franco's father has a stroke, Franco finds himself trying to juggle work and raising his daughter on his own. Meanwhile, a goodwill tribute to the fire-fighters lost in 9/11 goes awry and the firehouse is put in jeopardy.

Sanctuary
The hockey game rematch between the NYPD and the FDNY is right around the corner and Tommy must figure out a plan to save himself from being pummelled by the cops who have it out for him. Tommy's relationship with Sheila is discovered by the guys and they must adhere to tradition to handle it in their own way. When Tommy is visited by his demons during a fire, Franco comes to his aid... with devastating results.

Once in a while a new show comes along that just hits the ground running, instantly drawing you in and making you a die-hard fan. 'Rescue Me' is one of those shows.

Comedian turned actor Denis Leary and his writing partner Peter Tolan move from the police to the fire service to produce a show that is filled with as much comedy as it is drama. As with their previous collaboration, 'The Job', Leary and Tolan create salt of the earth characters that are bound by the job. This is a bond that is prevalent across most of the public services and is shown here with all its camaraderie. It is their sense of fun and the banter between the men of the station that draws you however, making you instantly connect with the characters.

The show succeeds because of the comedy that ensues from the high jinx within the station. The constant practical jokes, ribbing and mickey taking reflects what it is really like within an environment such as that but you know that the men are consummate professionals while on the job. Drama is injected into the show via their lives outside of the station. Most of it revolves around Tommy Gavin, Denis Leary's character, as he tries to come to terms with life after the events of September 11th 2001, when he and his watch went into the World Trade Centre where they lost one of their own.

It is this that drives Leary's character to be reckless and take unnecessary risks, making him complicated and at times not very likeable. Tommy's anti-hero persona is strangely appealing however, as he throws convention, trust and his own self dignity to the mire and drowns in a pool of self pity, guilt and regret. The rest of the watch also have their problems, some just as personal but other not so.

The ensemble cast is superb. Leary leads the line as Tommy but the rest of the watch also earn their own place in the scheme of things. John Scurti plays Lt. Kenneth "Lou" Shea, the man who is just about to put a little more adventure in his life by striking up an affair with another woman. Mike Lombardi is the new probie of the watch, Mike Silletti and therefore the butt of everyone's jokes. Steven Pasquale is Sean Garrity, the easy influenced member of the team and the one who is slightly devoid of the standard number of brain cells. Franco Rivera is played by Daniel Sunjata. He is the playboy of the group who is about to get the shock of his life. Finally we have Jack McGee as Chief Jerry Reilly, the old school fire-fighter who definitely thinks that change is not good.

The first season of 'Rescue Me' is superb. Successfully combining comedy and drama and with the excellent ensemble cast drawing you into the show from the off, this is another fine example of excellent, must see television.

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