Rescue Me

As Sheila watches Damien for any signs of improvement, Tommy confronts Janet about her pregnancy as she is leaving her doctor's office. Though he wants to be a part of this baby's life, Tommy is unwilling to abandon Sheila and her now wheelchair-bound son and argues that the decade of emotional fallout following 9/11 is evidence that their family will never be "normal" – prompting Janet to try to run him down in the parking lot before the doctor stops her. Five months of Janet's pregnancy have led to her and Sheila becoming fast friends. Meanwhile, at 62 Truck, the boredom of nearly two weeks without a call has caused the firefighters to turn on each other, and especially on Tommy. As Black Shawn uses the time to decide to ask Colleen to get married, Tommy discovers that having Sheila pitching in at home has made him nearly obsolete. Pointing to how she and Janet have bonded, Sheila tells Tommy that, unlike in the past, his wife has no interest in having sex during this pregnancy. Meanwhile, when Tommy heads to the bar where Colleen is now working, he is stunned to find that Mickey is her new rehab sponsor and that he and Uncle Teddy now own the place. Upon returning from an errand, Tommy uses the inside information Sheila gave him to appear the sensitive and caring husband. And even though a slip of the tongue makes it clear he was tipped off, Tommy still pledges to honor Janet's wishes to forgo sex. Finally, after accepting Shawn’s marriage proposal, Colleen celebrates with a drinking binge. And when called to help, Tommy breaks into the storage room where she has passed out and, after facing down a challenge from the Gavin family's ghosts to take a drink, sprays the bar with shotgun fire before taking his daughter home. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Stressed out after working for three weeks without a call, Tommy is taking Black Shawn to task for proposing to Colleen without asking his permission first when he learns of a TV news 9/11 anniversary story about his late cousin, Jimmy Keefe. Restrained from going after the camera crew, Tommy not only learns that the project has been approved by the FDNY brass, but that Sheila has given her permission, too. Back at home to confirm what he's been told, he discovers that the three women in his life – Janet, Sheila and Colleen – have united against him. And when sent on an errand to buy feminine hygiene products, Tommy is spared an encounter with the store manager by his ex-girlfriend and breast cancer victim, Kelly. Meanwhile, when it is time for their annual physical exams, the crew hatches a plan to make sure Lou passes. As Tommy makes plans to see Kelly following her next chemotherapy treatment, the men of 62 Truck are taking turns pretending to be Lou in an effort to fool the fire department's medical team. However, while they are able to keep the doctors in the dark as they take Lou's tests and get his vaccinations, their ruse gets harder to maintain when Mike is chosen to stand in for the psychiatric exam. Meanwhile, Needles worries after finding Chief Feinberg wandering around in a daze. And after taking Kelly's advice, Tommy returns from the drugstore with all the items on the list along with chocolates for the women, only to discover that, in his absence, they scheduled him to be interviewed for the news story. After Lou barely squeaks by on his exam, Shawn heads to a bar in Harlem where Colleen narrowly avoids a fight with some of the other patrons as she re-proposes marriage. And even though Shawn says that he will abide by his prospective father-in-law's wishes, when Tommy refuses to bless the union, Shawn still tells Colleen that the wedding is on. Finally, after three tortuous weeks without any work, the men of 62 Truck are elated when they are called to fight a tenement fire. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In the wake of their pitching in to get Lou through his physical exam, the firefighters are upset when he continues eating the same unhealthy foods that got him into trouble in the first place. When Lou goes after Franco for his harsh critique, Needles breaks up the brawl and insists his men respect the chain of command, regardless of what they think of each other personally. And as Needles is forced to deal with Chief Feinberg’s increasingly erratic behavior, when Tommy discovers that he is suddenly of little use at work or at home, he gets a call for help from his friend Kelly. Meanwhile, upon realizing that he is getting in over his head with the wedding plans, Black Shawn asks Mike and Garrity for help. Arriving at a restaurant to meet Kelly, Tommy watches with some pleasure as she quickly dismisses her date so that they can spend some time together. And as Tommy confesses that he has given up drinking, he listens as Kelly talks about how her breast cancer has left her both resentful and covetous. Meanwhile, after finding her at a bridal store with Uncle Teddy, Shawn does everything he can to keep Colleen from going overboard with the wedding. And as Mike’s efforts to help find a dress lead the clerk to assume that he and Garrity are the happy couple, Colleen asks Uncle Teddy to give her away at the wedding instead of her dad. After he and Kelly conclude their date by discussing how a Catholic school upbringing shaped their approach to life, Tommy arrives back at the firehouse to find Lou craving cupcakes and donuts. However, denying his old friend a chance to scarf down more food as he makes clear how his bad habits are jeopardizing the lives of every man on their crew, Tommy then asks Lou to be the godfather to the baby he and Janet are having. Finally, after giving Lou four months to get his health under control, Tommy prepares to be interviewed about Jimmy. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

On the night of the Jimmy Keefe news story everyone at 62 Truck is waiting with bated breath for trouble. And while most of the broadcast leaves them relieved, their worst fears are finally realized when Tommy uses his interview not only to go public with his complaints about how he and his fellow firefighters are treated, but to also to make a spirited defense against the charges of racism that have dogged the FDNY for years. Angered more than ever by the inflammatory remarks, Franco turns on Tommy. However, after finding that his family actually appreciated his display of candor, Tommy learns that his ex-girlfriend, Kelly, also welcomed his performance. Just as Colleen and Shawn are about to lock down a hall for their wedding reception, word that the bride's family is Irish causes the owner to back out. As Colleen and Shawn move ahead with the wedding plans anyway, Kelly calls to invite Tommy over. Listening to him complain about his daughter’s choice of husbands, Kelly points out that, all things considered, life could be much worse. Then, after accidentally ruining a batch of marijuana brownies sends Kelly into a rage, Tommy does his best to comfort her. But as a reward for his efforts, she thanks Tommy for his help and then sends him packing. Worried that the antics of his fellow firefighters are threatening to destroy his career, Franco asks Chief Feinberg to help get him a better assignment once he’s passed the lieutenant’s exam. Before Franco can begin to move on, however, he and his colleagues are called to a fight a brownstone fire. Unaware of the danger that awaits him, Needles sends in Franco. And after the rest of the crew realizes that the entire building is gutted, it's Tommy who catches Franco before he falls to a certain death. Yet, despite his heroism, neither he nor Franco is willing to set aside their mutual animosity. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

As a result of his angry television interview, Tommy is suspended from the firehouse for 30 days. Worried that things will get even worse now that reporter Pam Keppler has started digging up even more dirt on Tommy, Needles warns the firefighters of 62 Truck that they could be hurt too if the inquiry continues. So, in an effort to draw the focus away from Tommy, he offers to make himself a target, while Mike offers to expose a gay FDNY lieutenant who seduced him at a headquarters Christmas party. Although Pam refuses to take the bait he’s laid out for her, Needles does get a tip from a cameraman about some incriminating information in the reporter's past and sends Tommy to follow up by calling on his nemesis on the NYPD hockey team, Todd Carroll. However, even when Tommy offers to throw an upcoming charity game, Todd refuses to help. As Mike sets out to identify the gay firefighter for his blackmail attempt, a tied firefighters-versus-cops hockey game erupts into a brawl. And while certain that Todd wants to use the riot as a way to settle their personal scores, Tommy is surprised when the cop gives him a tape of Pam having sex with a police officer to avoid being arrested on a cocaine charge. Meanwhile, returning home to find his family in chaos, Tommy lays down the law, insisting that everyone accept that Sheila will be paying for Colleen’s wedding. And after ordering Sheila to end her futile efforts to find a cure for her disabled son, he enlists her in his plan to stop Pam’s investigation in its tracks. Having agreed to an interview that seems guaranteed to portray Tommy in an even harsher light, Sheila seizes the moment to reveal the existence of the sex tape. As the threat of exposure forces Pam to back down, Sheila then turns her attention to the FDNY inspector spearheading the investigation of Tommy. And after Mike exposes the lieutenant who seduced him, Tommy is suddenly reinstated at 62 Truck as the investigation into his antics is dropped. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Over Tommy's protests, Chief Feinberg insists that he face his fears stemming from 9/11 and forces him to return to Ground Zero. Though he handles the ordeal better than expected, Tommy still reacts to the stress by ending up at Sheila's apartment, where he unconsciously rifles through her things and finds a letter written by his cousin Jimmy O'Keefe before he died at the World Trade Center. And after Tommy is discovered and thrown out by Sheila, he lands back at work where he and his fellow firefighters answer a call to check out a gas leak, only to find an entire family killed by the deadly fumes. Meanwhile, after Franco decides that staying at 62 Truck is a career dead-end, Feinberg sends him to see a hard-nosed lieutenant at another firehouse. As Colleen and Shawn move ahead with their wedding plans, Sheila reaffirms her promise to pay for the elaborate – and expensive – ceremony and reception. In the doghouse for violating Sheila’s privacy, Tommy uses Jimmy's letter as inspiration to write some messages of his own to his family and friends, which he then gives to Lou for safekeeping. However, knowing that Lou could never resist looking inside the envelope he's left for him, Tommy sets a trap that tests his best friend's loyalty. Meanwhile, a visit with 84 Truck's Lieutenant Vasquez makes clear to Franco just how lax his current bunch of co-workers have become. Caught with the letter he promised to keep under wraps until Tommy died, Lou does his best to defend his actions before lashing out at his old friend. And though it is clear to everyone that he has been falling down on the job even more than usual, Lou challenges Franco to change places to see if he can do a better job running 62 Truck. Finally, as he looks to make amends with his family for many years of irresponsible behavior, Tommy heads back to Ground Zero where, despite having a nightmare about the tragedy, he resists the urge to start drinking again. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Having accepted Lou's challenge, Franco sets out to remake 62 Truck, while Tommy continues hoping to regain his family's trust in the wake of his having seen the letter his cousin Jimmy wrote to Sheila before he died. And having entrusted Lou with a package of similar letters to his family and friends, Tommy then gives his old friend one that, like the others, he insists can only be opened upon his death. Upon returning home to find everyone planning Colleen's wedding without him, Tommy is told he will only be included if he starts attending rehab every day. But when he tries to comply by attending a meeting being run by Mickey, he only succeeds in upsetting his estranged cousin. Unable to resist temptation, Lou reads Tommy's moving and personal letter to him. As Lou looks to cover his slip-up once Tommy is back at work, 62 Truck is sent out on their first call under Franco's command. But when things at the site of a car accident call for confident and unwavering leadership, Franco withers under the pressure, forcing Lou to step in. Emboldened by having bailed Franco out, Lou heads to see Sheila with the letter Tommy wrote for her. However, while the letter impresses Sheila with how much Tommy cares, Lou's effort to do the same for Janet backfires – and he nearly burns down her house in the bargain. Unaware that Lou has already distributed his letters to everyone, Tommy arrives at the wedding rehearsal dinner hoping to be included. Suspicious of the warm welcome he receives, he looks for an explanation. But it's only when he hears everyone's heartfelt speeches does he realize that Lou violated his confidence by letting them read the letters. Finally, seeing that his family has forgiven Tommy, Lou hopes that his decision to share the letters will repair their friendship, too, only to be disappointed when Tommy accuses him of being a traitor. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In the tradition of the Gavin family, Colleen’s wedding is an emotional if not debaucherous affair. The high spirits quickly fade, however, when the guys tackle the mother of all fires. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Following the arson fire that led to the collapse of a warehouse, the firefighters of 62 Truck are recovering from their physical and emotional wounds – all, that is, but Lou Shea, who died leading his men to safety. As a result of his best friend’s tragic death, Tommy has been made acting lieutenant of 62 Truck, giving him all the responsibility he has avoided during his long career. Along with leading the firehouse until a new lieutenant is appointed, Tommy is planning Lou’s memorial service, even as he remains haunted by the memories of his death. So, as Tommy tells Janet that he has decided to retire, his friends at work also look ahead to their own futures inside and outside the department. Though determined to honor his promise to retire, all it takes is one afternoon at the park with Katy and Wyatt for Tommy to wonder if he can cope with the lifestyle change. Following an unfortunate accident en route to the seaside service that prematurely scatters most of Lou’s ashes across the highway, Mickey leads the late firefighter’s friends in a comic and moving tribute. And when Tommy reads a letter Lou left to be opened upon his death, the men of 62 Truck are reminded that they are a team that deserves to stay together even after he’s gone. Back at home following the memorial, the Gavin family is preparing to relax over a pizza when Janet goes into labor. With her labor too far advanced to make it to the hospital in time, Tommy leads his family in the successful delivery of a baby boy, and then faints dead away on the floor. Knowing that there’s no way he could ever stay at home, Janet suggests Tommy take a job as a drill instructor at the fire department training academy. But after just a few days of driving Janet crazy with his complaining, Tommy returns to duty at 62 Truck alongside his friends and their new boss, Lieutenant Franco Rivera. © 2011 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.