Rescue Me: Walking Towards the Light

Hey, remember that really good moment last week when Tommy lied to Katy about denial and being an alcoholic, and then prays with Garrity’s mom, and I was thinking, “Wow – that was good. I bet that will lead to something.” So far … nothing! Why that continues to surprise me, I don’t know. I should be used to, by now, all the things on this show that refuse to develop.

For example: Garrity’s musical dream sequences continue and his brother remains an uncaring ass. Really, can we lose the brother? This week, Garrity wakes up to find Teddy trying to smother him with a pillow. What the what? Did Teddy kill any of those old vets after all? He claims to be doing Garrity a favor, as the doctor’s prognosis suggests this may be the end for poor Sean. Maggie arrives later to make her peace with ex-husband Garrity. And by peace, I mean, naturally, to have sex with him. Which we all knew was coming what with Maggie being a woman and all.

Speaking of women, Candy the Hooker’s here! Lou arrives home to a cleaned up apartment and a cleaned up Candy, with every intention of letting all bygones be bygones and to head into the bedroom for some very-delayed make-up sex. However, Candy wants to move slowly, so … Lou, much like the audience, has no idea what to make of a woman on the show not interested in sex.

And that concludes the light-hearted portion of this week’s episode, because for once in a long while, Rescue Me becomes a compelling drama. The crew arrives on the scene of a car accident which left several people dead and cars burning. The boys remain lighthearted until Lou spots a dead child ejected from one of the cars, the burned body too gruesome for us to see (thank God), and too gruesome for Lou and Black Shawn to handle. Franco, Needles, and Tommy all take it poorly, but Tommy stoically volunteers to wrap and remove the body before news crews and onlookers arrive. It’s an incredibly well-shot moment, and you certainly hope that the actors didn’t receive any on-site training for this kind of thing. It also makes you realize that real people are doing this job every day. A very sad moment.

I’ll mention that Franco has a moment with Carla at the gym where she helps him focus his grief over the accident into fight motivation.  In case this is relevant later, which I’m slowly learning – it won’t be.

As for Tommy, he’s having difficulty dealing. He leaves Lou with Candy at the apartment and settles in at the bar with the family DVD, a blowtorch, and some whiskey. I don’t know the blowtorch’s original purpose in this scene, but after watching the DVD with no reaction and a quick visit from some familiar faces (Connor, Johnny, Jimmy and Dad (and boy does Charles Durning look awful)), Tommy’s not shedding the tears he’s desperately searching for, and turns the blowtorch into a knife. It’s time for some cutting, Rescue Me-style! Tommy drops his drawers and blowtorches a big, fat burn on his inner thigh. Not having done this before, he realizes he needs a first aid kit and the bar isn’t well-equipped, so it’s off to Sheila’s for some TLC.

She provides the first aid and refuses Tommy sex until he’s completely healed because she’s grossed out, by the injury and by his actions. Tommy, on his self-inflicted pain kick, then convinces her to have sex with him immediately. It’s difficult to say if this little episode holds any significance for Tommy – that little talk with Katy didn’t seem to leave any lasting impressions.

We end this week as the boys visit an ailing Garrity, who’s looking worse and worse. They see cancer-stricken children and watch them play through a window. The nurse tells them to take their sad faces somewhere else and stop depressing the children, or go in and say hi. So the crew leaves. Except for Tommy, who goes in and bonds with the kids. His crew stares on in wonder.

So I suppose I should stop looking for growth or change in Tommy the Alcoholic. The show isn’t about his journey to sobriety or “cleaner” living or personal realizations – it seems to be about watching how a functioning alcoholic makes it through life. I’m not so sure that’s a character I really want to watch.

Next week: Garrity’s thieving ways revealed, and finally, some boxing!

Season 5, Episode 13: Torch (originally aired June 30, 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