Rescue Me is back with the beginning of the end. It's the second to last season and things are already starting to conclude.
Season 6 starts off right where Season 5 left off, as Tommy has died and is being brought to life in the ambulance. Tommy’s life flashes before him and his consciousness takes him to Ground Zero where he is reunited with the firefighters from his house that died on 9/11. His consciousness also takes him to quite a terrifying state before he is brought back to life.
At the firehouse the next day, Chief tells the guys that the fire department is closing a few firehouses and their house is number one on the list. Whether you have been watching the show since Season 1 or became a fan along the way, it will break your heart to hear the Chief encouraging the guys to start looking for other houses to join. Although this could be a good thing for Tommy, since his self destructive ways could get him killed, especially on the job. Mickey (Robert John Burke) attempts to scare some sense into Tommy on the way home from the hospital while pretending to drive under the influence. Even though Mickey has his demons, his love for his family is so strong that he will risk his life for them. Mickey did just that with his reckless driving, building the anxiety in the pit of Tommy’s throat like never before.
Based on what Uncle Teddy and Mickey have done thus far, fans will be itching to find out what the family’s next scare tactics are to save Tommy’s life. Surprisingly though, the one person that is not willing to save Tommy is Sheila. Sheila has tried before to move on in her life without Tommy, but as these are the last 2 seasons of the series, there is bound to be lots of drama before the actual end. Things are quite different for Janet, as she seems to be yearning for Tommy to spend more time with the family. That is not to say Janet and Tommy will not have their share of drama down the line. For now, the two are playing house, which is always comedic to see. This time the hilarity ensues as Tommy finds out that Janet allows the kids to drink in the house. But wait, there’s more! The writers may have begun to build a relationship that would be one of the most engaging affairs of the series. It seems Sean, Lou, and Franco visited the Gavin household many times while Tommy was in the hospital. Of course Sean had his lustful reasons but Lou and Franco took the time out to help Janet. Tommy is not thrilled with the news that Franco was at his house almost every day and that is completely understandable as Franco is the best looking guy in the firehouse.
Later, at the firehouse, Tommy finds himself sitting alone for a moment, asleep, only to be confronted by Jimmy (James McCaffrey). Jimmy grills Tommy about what he saw when he died and does not like what he hears. He urges to Tommy to stock up on prayer, which is quite mysterious given what he knows and the viewers do not. This scene hints at Tommy having unfinished business but it is unknown to what degree and what the consequences are of not taking care of business. The writers have not disappointed thus far, so this should make for quite an engaging story line. Just waiting for this mystery to unravel will have viewers coming back each week. So when Tommy awakens, he finds Sheila (Callie Thorne) by his side talking about how she could have pulled the plug on Tommy when she visited him in the hospital. Because she was so gracious, she demands that Tommy get Damien out of the firehouse using whatever strategies he pleases. Sheila seems to be in a different state of mind every time viewers catch up with her, so it will be interesting to see how stern she is about leaving her legacy in Damien and not just Jimmy’s. Maybe leaving her legacy is enough for her to stop being delusional. Only time will tell.
Night comes and Tommy hits the bar…only to learn that he has to earn his drinks by posing with the locals who want a photo with the firefighter who was shot right in that very bar. Not willing to earn the alcohol, Tommy sneaks a bottle and heads to church, drinking the night away. Ah, Tommy. Will he ever stop?
There are some major story lines being developed this season, building up to the series finale, which also means that the groundwork from season 1 is coming back. Every element of this episode was stronger than ever...truly perfect. This is definitely one of the strongest season premieres for Rescue Me. What do you think?
