Rescue Me: Sanctuary by Sabrina A Taylor

It’s pretty deep that this episode is titled Sanctuary because many of the characters were stripped of their safe havens or places of rescue and we watched them face some pretty harsh realities.

Tommy is sober and dealing with more than a hangover. It’s nice to see Janet acknowledging this attempt at sobriety and being supportive in a dry Janet way. However she does still scoff at him when Tommy tells her that he is going to try and get Colleen to go to a new meeting that Cousin Mickey invited him to join.

The firehouse gets called to help at a single car drunk driving accident. The driver is a pretty wasted girl Colleen’s age and her much younger sister doesn’t make it. As much as it is a routine call, Tommy is very affected by at as the girls remind him of his own daughters. When the firehouse gets the next call of the day Tommy freezes. Capitan Needles jests that it is because Tommy doesn’t have the asylum that alcohol usually provides him and encourages Tommy to push through the fear but we actually see Tommy for the first time with serious performance anxiety. Frozen with fear we are treated to Peter Gallagher on the show again as Tommy seeks advice from Father Phil who also calls him out for being afraid.

Tommy’s reaction and absence from the call has brought out some tension with the rest of the guys. It’s usually Tommy making mayhem amongst the guys but with him as a distraction the Tension between Franco and Black Shawn comes to a head. Franco, still upset with Tommy over Janet, starts calling Tommy out as a coward behind his back and Black Shawn show’s his loyalty to the Gavin clan by calling out Franco as a coward for trying to hook up with Janet behind Tommy’s back. Of course the Episode has levity, of course, by Mike and Sean as they try to fulfill a life long wish of the their cancer ridden comrade by taking him to the ballet.

Tommy’s new AA meeting turns into a Gavin family reunion with Maggie, Cousin Mickey, Uncle Teddy and a drunk Colleen all in attendance. However, It’s only a matter of time until the meeting turns into an all out Gavin family brawl. Tommy at the end of his rope with Colleen drags her off to see Father Phil in hopes that he can make a difference. When Colleen ends up drinking the priests booze and storming off Tommy decides an exorcism/baptism ala The Godfather is in order. He hand cuffs Colleen, fills up the baptismal with all of the Father’s remaining booze and proceeds to baptize Colleen by force and ends up practically drowning her.

We’re left with Tommy being removed from the church by the police.