Rescue Me's characters can be separated into three distinct categories: 1: FDNY ("62 Truck", Other FDNY; 2: The Gavin Family, 3: Non-Gavin/FDNY Recurring Characters (Family Characters Non-Gavin, Non-Related Recurring)
" 62 Truck"/The Crew
FDNY Senior Firefighter Thomas Michael "Tommy" Gavin
" There's no golden ring at the end of the ride... it's all bullshit."
Thomas Michael Gavin (born December 19, 1960[2]) is a third generation New York City Fire Department Firefighter. He is a tortured character and a often relapsed raging alcoholic, as well as a chain-smoker and prescription-drug addict due to what he saw as a first responder to the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11.Tommy started his career at a firehouse in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan and has transferred several times to firehouses in both Brooklyn and Staten Island. Tommy is currently the Senior Firefighter of New York City Fire Department Ladder Company 62, also known as "62 Truck", located in the northern Harlem section of Manhattan.Tommy's fire company, Ladder 62, lost four men during the attacks of 9/11, one of whom was Tommy's cousin, best friend, and fellow firefighter, Jimmy Keefe. Tommy has been a firefighter for over 25 years and is also a motivational speaker/consultant for the FDNY Fire Academy, as seen in the pilot and final episodes.Tommy is married to his childhood lover Janet Gavin. The two are "divorced" numerous times, but the announcement is occasionally followed by Tommy stating that they never filed for divorce, making the couple technically still married throughout the series. Their relationship is mostly unstable, however at some points they appear to be united. At the start of the series they have three children, two girls, Colleen and Katy, and one boy, Connor. Connor is killed in a hit-and-run accident, putting further strain on Tommy and Janet's relationship, and causing Tommy to become a fully relapsed alcoholic.They have a fourth child and second son, Wyatt, however, the child is strongly believed by both Tommy and Janet to be the product of Janet's affair with Tommy's brother, NYPD Detective Johnny, though a paternity test was never done. They also have a fifth child and third son, Shea Gavin, in the series finale. Tommy is also throughout the series in an off-and-on affair with his dead cousin's widow, Sheila Keefe. The two are seen sleeping together numerous times on the basis of sharing mutual grief over Jimmy Keefe's death, fueled by Tommy's rocky relationship with Janet.Throughout the series, a recurring theme is that of Tommy being visited by "ghosts," deceased people from his past - most frequently his cousin Jimmy - as well as fire victims he could not save. It is left ambiguous whether these are really ghosts or figments of Tommy's imagination.
Abusive Parents - While some accusations he receives are unfairly thrown at him. Selling his possible son/nephew for $500,000 to Sheila DEFINITELY slides him into this territory.
Conditioned To Accept Horror - Applies to most firefighters. Even more so for Tommy, as he can deal with the truly horrific situations that freeze up the rest of his crew.
Deadpan Snarker - A trait shared by nearly all characters in this show. Tommy is their king.
Domestic Abuser - Odd example. No mention to any abuse while together, but Tommy definitely abuses Janet after they break-up. From pushing her onto the hood of a car after she tries and stop him from attacking his brother, after discovering that the two of the them had been sleeping together behind his back to raping her
Is also on the receiving end of this in emotional abuse from nearly every romantic partner he has had. Is also sexual abused by Sheila and one or two other temporary partners.
Drowning My Sorrows - The primary cause of his alcoholism and a major issue he must overcome.
Extreme Doormat - Takes a myriad of abuse from his family. Tends to forgive them pretty quickly or brush it off all-together.
Heroic BSOD - Is constantly battling with himself to avoid having one of these. Due to the universe really wanting Tommy to experience this. he is nearly always one second away from BSOD.
Iron Woobie - GOOD! FUCKING! LORD! Tommy has the worst 10 year span in the history of any fiction set in the real world. Lets do a note with a list of all the crap that happens to Tommy in the 10-year window we get see of his life. WARNING!!! HEAVY SPOILERS IN NOTE:note 2001; He was one of the many Firefighters that responded to the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Tower One collapsed on top of him. He knew at least 50 different men who died that day. 4 of the good friends from his crew, one of which was his best friend and cousin, 2004; Because of 9/11 he shuts down emotionally, which causes his wife, Janet, to separate from him and seek divorce, 2005; He loses another friend from his firefighting crew AND a couple months later his mother, then Janet moves their three children over a thousand miles away without his permission, without leaving any method of contact, 2006; His only son, Connor, is killed by a drunk driver, then his uncle, Teddy, goes to prison for killing the driver responsible, after they were informed he was likely to walk on the charges due to having powerful friends. Plus his ex-wife blames him unjustly for their son's death, 2007; Janet hates him, blaming him for their son's death, and he believes her. He asks his brother, Johnny, to act as a go-between between he and Janet to maybe repair their marriage. Johnny and Janet start having a secret affair they keep from Tommy. When Tommy discovers the affair he beats the crap out of Johnny, slams Janet violently onto the hood of a car and stops speaking to either one of them. Then Johnny is shot to death for $8,000 to stop him from testifying, this happens minutes after Johnny calls Tommy and leaves a tearful messaged on Tommy's answering machine apologizing for the affair and betraying Tommy, a message Tommy does not receive until several hours after Johnny's death, 2008; His friend/former-chief commits suicide after being forced into a desk job. His father dies sitting next to him at a baseball game, 2009; His Uncle Teddy's wife dies and in his grief Teddy shoot Tommy and leaves him to die, 2010; His godson, his cousin's only son, is left brain damaged and confined to a wheelchair after being injured in a fire, 2011;His best friend Lou is killed in a fire, Tommy is the one that finds him, and he finds him with Lou's face burned into a unrecognizable greasy, gray skull. and he still muscles through his life, the same way, every day.
Leeroy Jenkins - Avert this trope, most of the time, due to sheer dumb luck. Franko, unfortunately was there when Tommy's luck ran out.
Love Hungry - As emotionless as he is perceived by his family and friends, Tommy spends most of his free time trying to get or stay in his families good graces. His fight against his alcoholism is fueled by this.
Love Martyr - His devotion to Janet after her emotional treatment of him.
Revenge Before Reason - After hearing a French writer criticize America's thirst for revenge over 9/11, Tommy fully admits to wanting revenge for 9/11.
Schemer - Thinks up many schemes to try and get back together with his wife.
Trauma Conga Line: Scroll up and look at that Iron Woobie entry again. That's just the season highlights. Each episode usually has him go through a minor Conga as well.
"Ask yourself this, Tom: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to see it or hear it, would you still be such an asshole?"
Affectionately called "Lou" on account of his rank, he is among the smartest of the crew as well as the resident "philosopher" of the group. Lou is known as the "King of The One Liners" for his sarcasm.
FDNY Firefighter/Lieutenant Franco Rivera
"Yeah, it's a science, and I'm the mad scientist."
One of the most skilled and reliable members of the crew. Franco is of Puerto Rican/Mexican descent as well as Tommy's former protégé within the main group of firefighters. As the resident ladies' man of 62 Truck, he finds out that he has a 5-year old daughter named Keela, whose mother died of a cocaine overdose in a nightclub. Franco gets injured after a ceiling collapses over top of him, while trying to help a disoriented Tommy. This causes conflict between Tommy and Franco, which was eventually solved when Tommy transferred back to 62 Truck. While injured, fellow firefighter Laura Miles helps Franco with Keela. This leads to a romantic relationship between the two. When Franco and Laura break up later in the season, Laura quietly transfers out of 62 Truck, causing Franco's emotional breakdown in front of her old apartment. Sometime later, Franco loses custody of Keela to a wealthy former girlfriend. when she finds out that he had custody of Keela despite signing away his parental rights. He is revealed as one who believes that 9/11 was an inside job, which causes controversy inside and outside the firehouse. This also led to a physical confrontation between 62 Truck and a bunch of other firefighters from different firehouses. After Needles and Lou see Franco in the basement pounding on a punching bag, they recruit Franco for the department's underground boxing organization. During this time, he starts dating a fellow female boxer who later turns out to be a lesbian. Franco also helps out Janet with the kids and around the house while Tommy is hospitalized after Teddy Gavin shot him. Franco becomes close to Janet to the point where the two almost kiss. This leads to conflicts with both Tommy and "Black Shawn", with Franco and Shawn having a physical altercation.Later on Franco is a little more fearless and outspoken towards his fellow firemen, including his superiors. As Lou's health is failing, Tommy is suspended for cursing on national television, and Chief Needles appears to be doing nothing to change things, Franco steps up and suggests he would be a better leader. After one more disagreement between Lou and Franco, Lou (out of anger) suggests that Needles appoint Franco to Acting Lieutenant. Even though Franco has the house cleaned and well-organized, he shows poor judgment during a call. Lou tells Franco that he's not ready to wear the lieutenant's shirt, and Franco's temporary leadership role ends. Despite this, Franco passes the Lieutenant's exam, and waits for his new assignment. After Lou dies in an arson fire, Tommy is initially promoted to Lieutenant but then resigns from active duty. Franco takes over the Lieutenant's post permanently, much to Tommy's respect as the two salute each other at the end of the series. Franco's final moment in the series is drilling the newly-graduated probationary firefighters, shortly after Tommy gives them a speech about life lessons after 9/11.
FDNY Firefighter Sean Garrity
" It's like my dick is some sort of weapon of mass destruction."
A young firefighter who is known for his dim-witted yet kind-hearted nature, but he is very intelligent and brave when it comes to the fire alarms. Garrity dons a EMT patch on his bunker jacket, hinting that he is EMT trained. It was revealed in a minisode that Garrity was the probie of 62 truck before 9/11. He begins a relationship with Tommy's sister Maggie in Season 3, ultimately marrying her despite her antagonistic personality (only to divorce later). It is heavily implied that he is sexually aroused by the female Gavins. Subsequent back problems ultimately lead to the revelation that Sean has developed renal carcinoma (kidney cancer), most likely 9/11-related. In fear that he will be discharged from the FDNY if he uses the department insurance, Sean skims off the bar profits to pay medical expenses. He has since recovered. Later, he develops a romantic relationship with a woman that turns out to be a post-coital flatulater, as Sean smells a terrible stench after their moments of sex. Sean asks her to marry him and she says yes. After the big fire at the end of the series, Sean puts in a transfer request. However, after Lou's postmortem letter that requests that the crew stays together, Sean stays with 62 Truck.
FDNY Probational Firefighter/Firefighter Mike Siletti
"Nothin'"
FDNY 15th Battalion Chief Jerry Reilly
"What in the sweet chocolate Christ is a metrosexual? "
" I know we got a couple of bad apples. I'm not gonna deny that."
FDNY Probationary Firefighter/Firefighter Laura Miles
"I know you guys are talkin' about my tits and my ass. Just in case you are wondering, I'm a 34-C cup, my nipples are slightly larger than average and stand up like top-hats when aroused. My ass is tight as a snare drum but still soft to the touch. Any more questions?"
FDNY Firefighter Billy Warren
"It wasn't the camera I minded....it was the crew..."
FDNY Firefighter/Chauffeur Niels Jorgensen
Black Shawn: "Neils Knows?"
FDNY Senior Firefighter James "Jimmy" Xavier Keefe
" The fact that you even have a face repertoire makes you... suspect. "
Other FDNY
Firefighter James "Jimmy the Jew" Kelly
Lieutenant John "Stack" Stackhouse
Firefighter Greg Kelly
Gavin Family
THEBig Screwed-Up Family, a group of alcoholic angry emotionally repressed Irish family. They are an old New York family, legacies by the FDNY, the NYPD, and the New York section of the Catholic Priesthood.
Janet Gavin
"He's a Gavin. He was born to hate. You know, come to think of it, I think he's all Gavin."
Sheila Keefe
"Oh, shit. I don't need to reach mid-life to have a crisis. That kicked in after the time I lost my virginity."
NYPD Detective Johnathan "Johhny" Gavin
" You might wanna pick up someone else's blood on the way. Yours is probably still flammable."
Frmr. FDNY Firefighter Theodore "Teddy" Gavin
"Goddamn it! I'm alive. Shit!"
Former Father Michael "Micky" Gavin
"Time for a meetin'"
Colleen Gavin-Johnston
"Blow jobs were so last year, c'mon Dad, catch up."
Frmr. FDNY Firefighter Michael Thomas Gavin
"Shut your hole! Now, I'm warnin' each and everyone of ya right now, anyone who comes up with that happy birthday bullshit, I'm droppin' my pants and taking a leak on this cake and walking the hell outta here."
Probationary Firefighter Damien Keefe
" I'm bangin' my science teacher."
Maggie Gavin-Garrity
"Oh, don't pump sunshine up my ass Tommy. Johnny is scared shitless of me. Always was."
Eddie Gavin
"I'm not a drunk." [Maggie laughs]
Ellie
"All these goddamn faggotty politically correct assholes with their goddamn bibles, and their bumper stickers and their girl power bullshit. Nobody's accountable anymore. You get a drunk driver who kills a kid, it's not his fault 'cause he drank, it's his parents fault because they bullied him when he was a kid. I'm so sick of the people not facing up to the facts. Black people like fried foods. Chinese people, lousy goddamn drivers. Mexicans think that a pick-up truck holds 27 goddamn people. And that's just what I think."
Connor Gavin
Katy Gavin
"Well, I thought it was the stuff that came out of a man's penis during intercourse."
Rosemary Gavin
"Listen, it's all about sex and laughing, right? We can all die tomorrow, happy is the key. You gotta be happy"
Angie Gavin
"Don't worry about those frown lines, sweetie. Just keep smiling no one's gonna notice"
Martha Gavin
Wyatt Gavin
Shea Gavin
Timo Gavin
Main Character Relatives (Non-Gavin)
Keela Valenzuela
Firefighter Peter Reilly
Jeannie Reilly
Mike Shea
Phyllis Shea
Terrence Garrity
Leslie Garrity
Recurring Characters
Natalie Baker
"But, I mean, like how close was it? Did I beat her by a half length or was it a photo finish?"
Rich Baker
Danielle "Candy" Callahan
Alicia Green
Sister Theresa Fallon
Nell Turbody
Roger Mills
Sean Murphy
Dwight Howard
Kelly Mcphee
Father Phil Gallagher
Debbie
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