Grid Effect

Well, the season finale is tonight. Definitely a lack of buzz compard to past seasons, in fact, I can hardly remember what happened last week. Something about Tommy secretly fighting fires without his counterparts any the wiser. I don’t know, it was damn weird, to say the least. I get the feeling that this season is going to end up being a Tommy Gavin dream, because there is nothing at stake going into this finale.

Actually, strike that, Black Sean (new probie) and Mike (former probie) got into something of a dust up when Mike called out Black Sean for using the tips he gave him against Tommy in last weeks hockey game. Really, I’m not entirely sure what else Mike thought Black Sean was going to do with pointers that were nothing more than strategy to be used against Tommy Gavin on a hockey rink. I guess Mike is naive and stupid. Anyways, the shoving ensued after Black Sean accused Mike of wanting to emulate Tommy. So, maybe that will and maybe that won’t be touched on this episode.

One thing that’s been unique about this season vs. the previous three is every scene seems to involve Tommy in some way. The only exceptions I can think of are the Franco-Natalie-Susan Sarandon drama, Lieu’s issues with his brother and former ex-nun girlfriend (though he did discuess much of this with Tommy) and I suppose instances of Chief’s suicide Tommy wasn’t privy to. Other than that, we’ve been inundated with Tommy Gavin, even if its something as mundane as him walking around NYC making/receiving phone calls with a dog that could scare the night.

This issue with him running into fires and making saves while wearing a dead man’s fire jacket (someone named Keefe, cannot remember if we ever met him or not). Needless to say, if this isn’t a dream, then I’m not really interested in whatever the explanation is going to be. Maybe he’s doing it to prove a point to himself, when Black Sean said he signed up to be a hero, Tommy resented the motivation. Maybe this is Tommy’s catharsis in finding meaning in his job without the glorification?

Actually, if this season is an unconscious experience, it sounds like its more of a nightmare than a dream. His wife left him, the two women in his life are fighting over the same kid, and now chief Feinberg (aka Hesh) hates him because he is under the impression Tommy disrespected his daughter, played by Amy Sedaris, on a date (that entire storyline has me confused). Oh, the Gina Gershon thing is still happening. At least Tommy had the foresight to arrive with Fresca in hand. Unless you’re a bisexual married man who cheats on his wife, this is the most bizarre love life imaginable.

Probably my favorite scene from last week was the dualing “guys night out” scene. One with Mike and Garrity proving they’re alcoholics to Lieu and his cousin in a dive bar, and the other with Franco and Black Sean at a trendy NYC night club, full with curtains and multi-colored lighting. This series isn’t really trying to break that misogyny tag when they have Garrity waking up horrified by the woman lying next to him. This didn’t really include Tommy in anyway.

If he is in a coma or what have you, maybe they are in his hospital room discussing the details of either the upcoming evening or the evening beforehand? I know, I’m stretching. But I’ve always said this series attempts to model itself as much as possible after The Sopranos. And when Tony was in his coma, everything his friends and family were discussing with him was reflected in his dream/supernatural experience.

Also, his daughter still hates his guts, even after he was proved right about her now former boyfriend, who married someone else (presumably one of her friends). Tommy completely overwhelming the kid, then being relieved when he discovered the ring the kid bought on his credit card was for another girl, was pretty damn funny. You just have to approve of the self-interest and twisted sense of morals.

Another uplifting, vintage Rescue Me scene I liked was the Gavin AA meeting that ended with the hot-headed lawyer cousin and Lenny Clarke standing in opposite corners, facing the wall, with the schoolroom they were held up in turned upside down by the presumable off screen scuffle. It’s humor like that, that just doesn’t exist anywhere else on television.

Anyhow, that is pretty much it, Here’s somewhat looking forward to tonight’s episode, If only because it’s a finale, and I want to see how they conclude a mediocre and (by all accounts) disappointing season. It can still be salvaged with a decent conclusion tonight, but it will take something remarkable. Like Tommy growing wings and learning to fly, or Mike embracing his homosexuality, or Lieu paying someone in prison to kill the girl who stole all his money. Either way, I’m on the fence as of now, and something needs to happen to guarantee I’m back for a fifth season.