Rescue Me: No Resolutions

Let’s start things off this week with Sean Garrity, who reminds me, physically, of Jason Street. Strike one, Garrity. Sean confides in Needles about his cancer and surgery, hoping that Needles will cover for him with the department (which he does) and keep this from the guys (which he doesn’t). Needles freaks a bit and tells Lou, unable to keep the news to himself. Sean preps for surgery as he continues to fight with his brother. Then he’s off into the world of anesthesia … where he dreams in musical form (everybody needs a musical episode, don’t they?), and … continues to fight with his brother. I’m not sure if the musical moment was genius or more WTF? And honestly, I’m kind of over these two and the constant fighting, so strike two, Garrity.

Lou, meanwhile, maintains his distance from Candy, since he doesn’t want to be her sucker again and he has more self-respect than that – Tommy, however, expects Lou will “fold like a card table”. He doesn’t. Not for a few hours, anyway. After Needles shares Garrity’s secret with him, Lou and Needles head to the hospital hoping to catch Sean before the surgery. Unfortunately, they don’t, and Needles confesses that though he and Sean have always been merely colleagues, he feels a responsibility. Something about Needles’ concern touches Lou, who in turn folds like said card table, and he gives Candy a call. Because, you know, she’s changed and Lou hasn’t. Sucker!

In other news, Franco continues his seemingly pointless boxing story. This week, he meets a female boxer with an alpha male personality who can clearly beat the crap out of him. Too early to tell if he feels emasculated or enjoys her strengths …but I think we can all see how this one ends (my money’s on the woman beating up Franco down the line).

But on to the sex! First, Colleen shows up at the firehouse in tears, and instigates a fight between Tommy and Black Shawn, telling Tommy that Black Shawn called her a whore. This leads to some word-play in the firehouse shower, followed by Tommy’s power-hosing down of Shawn (literally) and the revelation that Colleen likes to do things to a man’s ass that include peanut butter. Look, I don’t like sharing all these things with you, but we’re all watching this show for a reason, so don’t blame me. Tommy’s disgusted by his daughter’s whorish ways, and I can’t imagine why, considering the women in his life.

Which brings us to Janet, who stops by the firehouse to “talk about their daughter,” which is code now for sex. Hilariously, Needles catches Janet and Tommy in the back seat of her car going at it – pre-penetration, Tommy later clarifies – giving Needles leverage over Tommy, who would have otherwise missed a fire rescue.

Later, Tommy answers Sheila’s booty call, showing up at her new place to battle Sheila’s jealousy over Janet, and the perverted cable guy. Tommy loses both battles. He broke Sheila’s one rule about having no sex with Janet on the same day as her (penetration issues notwithstanding), so she kicks him out.

Elsewhere in Tommy’s life: Surprise! Uncle Teddy returns! Huh? Well, apparently, that whole bit about Teddy reuniting a dying vet with his estranged son, which the vet uses as an excuse to spew racist invectives at his son, brings a sense of pride and a job well done to Teddy. He reveals to Tommy that while watching old Gavin family movies that include Tommy’s father, Teddy is struck by an epiphany, and his grief and guilt disappear. Well, if that works for Teddy, it can work for Tommy, right?

Tommy asks Mickey for a copy of the DVD with all of the family movies.  Mickey, however, uses the DVD as leverage to force Tommy into an AA meeting. Guess how well this goes? Mickey cons Tommy into admitting that he’s drinking again and into giving the evening’s inspirational speech to the group; in return, he’ll hand over the DVD. Tommy steps up, turns the speech into an attack on whining, recovering alcoholics, and basically says he gets to drink because he’s a fireman and saves people’s lives and he has bigger cahones than everybody else. Overall, a great speech, but it really points out Tommy’s arrogance in an unflattering way.

Tommy wins this battle and the DVD. He follows Teddy’s directions: insert DVD, pour a tall drink, and then prepares for the tears to fall and the healing to begin. Mickey however, gave Tommy a DVD of one of Mickey Mantle’s final press conferences, shortly before he died of liver cancer after receiving a liver transplant. Tommy absorbs what he’s watching. Then finishes his drink and smokes his cigarette, unfazed.

And there you have it. I found the best part of the episode to be the promos for the new season of It’s Always Sunny… That show’s hilarious. As for Rescue Me, this week it just felt like filler, though it had its moments – if you missed it, you didn’t miss much. But trust me – get ready for more Sunny.

Next week: Lou & Candy, Colleen & Shawn, and Tommy & liquor!

Season 5, Episode 11: Mickey (originally aired June 16, 2009)

For another take on this episode, check out Cameron Cubbison’s review here.

Listen to The J Factor with J.B. and Jaimie here or on iTunes.

For more on Rescue Me, click here.

Tuesdays at 10pm on FX

Photographs courtesy of FX and IMDbPro