# Rescue Me (2004)

> A traumatized New York firefighter drifts through grief, addiction and a crumbling family life in the years after 9/11, with dark humor cutting through the wreckage.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/4129

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 93
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, comedy
- Created by: Peter Tolan, Denis Leary
- Network: FX
- Cast: Denis Leary, Adam Ferrara, Andrea Roth, Jack McGee, John Scurti, Daniel Sunjata, Tatum O'Neal, Michael Lombardi
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381798/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: bleak, irreverent, raw, melancholic, darkly comic

## What critics say

Audiences broadly rate the series as acclaimed, praising its raw portrayal of post-9/11 trauma and firefighter life, with the early seasons considered its strongest.

## Synopsis

Rescue Me (2004-2011) is a US dark comedy drama series created by Peter Tolan and Denis Leary for FX. Denis Leary plays Tommy Gavin, a New York City firefighter who is recently separated from his wife Janet (Andrea Roth) and their three kids and is haunted by recurring nightmares of his fallen comrades, especially his late cousin Jimmy Keefe. Working alongside veteran Lt. Kenneth 'Lou' Shea (John Scurti), Franco Rivera (Daniel Sunjata), Sean Garrity (Steven Pasquale) and rookie Mike Lombardi (Michael Lombardi), Tommy battles alcohol and drugs while trying to remain first and foremost a firefighter. The engine of the series is his blunt, self-destructive attempt to hold together a family and a firehouse that are both falling apart, and each episode is built from profane firehouse banter, bar brawls, runs to burning buildings and tense private confrontations. Across seven seasons it plays as one continuing serialized story rather than a case-of-the-week format. Set in post 9/11 New York City, it balances raw grief and guilt with pitch-black humor, a register fans of The Shield and The Sopranos will find resonance in.

## Shows like Rescue Me

- [American Gigolo (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/105674)
- [Shameless (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/31582)
- [Hightown (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/73551)
- [Nurse Jackie (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/16723)
- [Chicago Fire (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/40027)
- [Feed the Beast (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/58489)
- [9-1-1: Lone Star (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/75831)
- [Sirens (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54219)
- [Brotherhood (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/2090)
- [Lights Out (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/32288)

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