Rescue Me – A half-assed cliffhanger

by Scott Tunstall

With the exception of season finales, Rescue Me doesn’t usually resort to cliffhanger episodes. Although, to call last night’s ending a cliffhanger is somewhat misleading. When Tommy rushes into the flames to rescue Damien, we all know he’s not going to die. I mean, it’s Denis Leary’s show; he’s the star; he’s a co-writer and co-creator. He’s not going to kick it in the middle of the season.

Then there was next week’s preview which reveals Tommy walking and talking and in a spirited mood. Since he seemed very jovial, it’s obvious nothing tragic happened to Damien either. In other words, the attempt at a cliffhanger sucked balls.

If writers and producers want us to believe a character is in jeopardy, why the hell do they include a sneak preview? Oh, and don’t peg the main guy and star of the damn show to be the one we’re supposed to be sweating. It would be like having Dr. House drive his car off a bridge in the season’s eighth episode. Even though a number of loyal House viewers would like to see the good doctor succumb to a horrific, fiery death, it ain’t gonna happen. The show is called HOUSE!! What the fuck are they gonna do without him?

Lost is one of the few series I watch regularly that excels at cliffhangers. When they close out a chapter or a season, I am often flummoxed. If season six opens up with the entire cast dead and a whole new bunch of plane crash survivors running around the beach, I will not be shocked one teeny tiny bit. I’m convinced J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof gleefully enjoy turning the screw on their dedicated fans.

Back to Rescue Me. Last night’s episode was interesting for 30 minutes. Tommy being revisited by his dead relatives and best pal was intense and overdue. I especially enjoyed Tommy shutting Johnny’s mouth by setting him ablaze. Tommy using fire as a weapon was a nice touch. After all, it’s the one thing in his life he can tame. Shooting a grown-up Connor with a shotgun was a little strange, but I guess Tommy still blames himself for Connor’s death.

The remainder of the episode was hodgepodge. Just like last week, they threw in another pointless scene involving Teddy at a VA hospital. It’s apparent the writers are not committed to the Teddy character. Two scenes in two weeks is ridiculous and misplaced. Stop with the Teddy stuff, please.

Mike has a band. Where did that come from? Sean’s cancer is escalating. They need to dedicate an episode to his struggles. How is he dealing with the disease? Has he accepted his condition or is he pissed off? So far, we’re not getting much on the Sean front. Hopefully, that will change soon.

Overall, it was a good, not great, installment. Much better than last week’s debacle, but still a little disjointed. Season five is losing some steam at this point. I’m confident it will get back on track. Right now it’s kind of like baseball in June. The initial excitement of a new season is over, the All-Star game is still a ways off and the leadup to the playoffs isn’t even on the radar. If I’m writing about baseball, it’s time for me to go. Bye, bye.