Rescue Me

Written by Bill Sherman
Published July 23, 2004

Gotta admit that I wasn't holding out much hopes for Rescue Me, fx's new teledramedy about New York City firemen. I'm not much of a Denis Leary fan - his performances as both actor and comedian frequently hit the same monotonous note - while the show's overplayed promo with its gung-ho "I'm no hero" sound bites didn't promise much either. Yet after viewing the premiere ep in its commercial-free airing, I was reminded of one of the cardinal rules of teevee watching: don't rule out a series just because the networks are too dumb to know how to properly sell it. Turns out Rescue Me makes a promising addition to fx's lineup of basic cable edge-skirters.

The show revolves around the men of Engine 62, a crew of rough-hewn firefighters who struggle to carry on with their jobs three years after 9/11. Years after being lionized for their role in an event that cost them the lives of four of their own, they find themselves struggling against city politicos who attempt to shortchange 'em, a public that once more takes what they do for granted ("All that pussy I was gettin' after 9/11," Franco, the station's ladies man moans) plus their own dark memories of that catastrophic day. Though disdaining the efforts of a woman shrink brought in to help them with that last, each of the veterans we see displays clear signs of Post-Traumatic Stress.

At the center of this is Leary's Tommy Gavin, a mouthy near-burnout who is haunted by the ghosts of those he has failed to rescue and who's driven to take deep swigs from a flask every time he has to go into a burning building. First time we see Gavin, he's giving a Patton-styled speech to a group of firefighting upperclassmen where he emphatically pronounces that he's uninterested in being a hero and that he just wants to be able to come home to his wife and kids every night. This sterling sentiment flies in the face of reality, however: in actuality, his marriage is on the rocks and Gavin's moved into a house across the street where he can spy on his estranged wife Janet (Andrea Roth) and her financier lover, occasionally bribing his kids for updates on the family.

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Bill Sherman is a mostly harmless pop culture nerd who can either be found at the Pop Culture Gadabout blog or in his capacity as Comics & Graphics Novel review editor at this here site. He once wrote a history of underground comix for a Spanish comics encyclopedia - which he can no longer read since he lost the original manscript and can't read Spanish.
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Rescue Me
Published: July 23, 2004
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Section: Video
Filed Under: Video: Television
Writer: Bill Sherman
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Comments

#1 — July 30, 2004 @ 06:03AM — Darrel

The first show was promising. But the second show was awfull. Is this going to be like the old CHIPS series, with a scateboard episode followed by a hangliding episode and then maybe dirt bike episode? Get writers with some imagination and mix it up like The Shield does.

#2 — May 30, 2006 @ 23:13PM — Sheila

Did anyone catch the name of the song they played near the end? I could only catch the cmon cmon on the credits.

But I liked the show. Thought though it was a little unrealistic how much he beat the poor little girl to a pulp trying to bring her back to life. Also, Tatum O'Neil looks great.... she really played the part of a Princess control freak. Great job on her part.

But if any one can come up with the song.. I would really appreciate it.

Sheila

#3 — June 2, 2006 @ 19:55PM — rach

I think your talking about the song by stereophonics its called devil

#4 — June 5, 2006 @ 02:16AM — Rob

Sheila, you read my mind. In my search to find out the name of that song "Bear My Devil...(something), I came across this blog. The singer had a hell of a voice IMO. Would love to hear from anyone who knows who that was!

Rob

#5 — June 5, 2006 @ 02:19AM — Rob

Guess I should have read fromthe top down ;) Thx for the lowdown rach

#6 — June 7, 2006 @ 00:29AM — Jason

does anyone know the name of the song that played on the 6th?, the show was called "DISCOVERY" and the song said something about playing with fire...anything would be helpfull, thanks

#7 — June 7, 2006 @ 20:04PM — ty

i would also like to khow what the song was at the end of the june 6 "discovery" show

#8 — June 8, 2006 @ 16:02PM — ty

song is by twilight singers and title is bonnie brae

#9 — June 8, 2006 @ 16:16PM — bart

sheila: the theme song, "c'mon c'mon, is by the von bondies

#10 — June 9, 2006 @ 23:28PM — Jason

Hey thanks for the song name, I donwloaded it..this is kindof a weird question but does anyone know what kind of leather jacket Tommy wears?

#11 — June 10, 2006 @ 19:57PM — ty

i dont know co makes it ,but the style is called a Driver or a driving jacket

#12 — June 11, 2006 @ 17:26PM — Jason

I have been looking everywhere for that jacket he wears at his dad b-day party and I cant find it...thanks for the help though...

#13 — June 30, 2006 @ 14:35PM — Brennan

closest I can find to tommy's jacket is this one:

#14 — August 30, 2006 @ 00:25AM — robert

what was the name of the song played on the commercial for the season finale?

#15 — October 2, 2006 @ 20:44PM — Matty Joe

Brennan, thanks for the link. Def gonna buy that jacket.

#16 — November 4, 2006 @ 13:19PM — Dan [URL]

actually it's a Cafe' Racer style. I am 99% sure the maker is Brooks. It is a vintage 1970's jacket. There are tons on ebay. Good luck.

#17 — July 24, 2007 @ 04:49AM — Jason

Hey, hopefully that;s the real jacket he wears because I have been looking for that ever since he started to wear it.

#18 — July 27, 2007 @ 12:36PM — Christine

What was the name of the song at the end of the episode called "Balance" where Tommy was sitting in his truck reading his "bible?" Part of the lyrics went "get on your high heel shoes."

#19 — August 6, 2007 @ 03:45AM — Jason

Alot of songs from the movie are from the group STEREOPHONICS, and the song that talks about the devil, is called DEVIl by them..

#20 — August 6, 2007 @ 03:46AM — Jason

Ooops, I meant the show

#21 — August 7, 2007 @ 01:18AM — Mike

Apparently the high heeled shoes song is called "Wedding Dress" by Abel. I have had a hard time finding anything else about it, almost like it only exists for the show.

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