Scripted series · FX
Rescue Me
They save us, but who saves them?
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Denis Leary
Tommy Gavin
93 eps
Adam Ferrara
Chief 'Needles' Nelson
45 eps
Andrea Roth
Janet Gavin
93 eps
Jack McGee
Jerry Reilly
44 eps
John Scurti
Kenneth 'Lou' Shea
93 eps
Daniel Sunjata
Franco Rivera
93 eps
Tatum O'Neal
Maggie Gavin
25 eps
Michael Lombardi
Mike Silletti
93 eps
Steven Pasquale
Sean Garrity
93 eps
Diane Farr
Laura Miles
16 eps
Callie Thorne
Sheila Keefe
78 eps
Dean Winters
Johnny Gavin
35 eps
Larenz Tate
Bart 'Black Shawn' Johnston
45 eps
James McCaffrey
James 'Jimmy' Keefe
52 eps
Jessica Leccia
Mary Magdalene
4 eps
Timothy Adams
Chris (Mike's Roommate)
8 eps
Manny Perez
Luis
5 eps
Noelle Beck
Mariel
4 eps
Kate Burton
Rose
8 eps
Charles Durning
Michael Gavin
31 eps
Susan Misner
Theresa
4 eps
Ashlie Atkinson
Theresa
6 eps
Sherri Saum
Natalie
12 eps
Marisa Tomei
Angie
4 eps
Lenny Clarke
Uncle Teddy
48 eps
Artie Lange
Mike Shea
5 eps
Milena Govich
Candy
15 eps
Jarah Mariano
Jarah
5 eps
Peter Maloney
Uncle Red
4 eps
Neal Jones
Peter
8 eps
Paula Devicq
Sondra
6 eps
Patti D'Arbanville
Ellie
14 eps
Susan Sarandon
Alicia Green
6 eps
Chris Bowers
Larry Bird
4 eps
Karen Goberman
Franco's Nurse
5 eps
Michael Mulheren
Chief Perolli
4 eps
Greg D'Agostino
NYPD Officer (uncredited)
7 eps
Trevor Heins
Connor Gavin
11 eps
Paige Turco
Nell Turbody
4 eps
Robert John Burke
Mickey Gavin
44 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Rescue Me actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Rescue Me reads strongest on Character Depth, Emotional Weight and Bingeability.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
The aftermath of 9/11 has left the firefighters of the NYFD traumatized, and no one more so than Tommy Gavin. Recently separated from his wife and their three kids, Tommy drifts between sorrow and anger as he tries to shake the recurring nightmares of his fallen comrades, especially his late cousin, Jimmy Keefe. Working alongside veterans like Lt. “Lou” Shea, Franco Rivera and Sean Garrity, and rookie Mike Lombardi, Tommy battles alcohol and drugs as he struggles to remain first and foremost a New York City firefighter.
The run
Seasons
7 seasons · 93 episodes.
- Poster unavailableSpecials
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
200828 episodes
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
200413 episodes
8.0IMDbBest episode · S01E13 Sanctuary
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
200513 episodes
8.9IMDbBest episode · S02E13 Justice
Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
200613 episodes
8.9IMDbBest episode · S03E13 Beached
Season 4 · Complete
Season 4
200713 episodes
8.4IMDbBest episode · S04E08 Solo
Season 5 · Complete
Season 5
200922 episodes
8.3IMDbBest episode · S05E16 Clean
Season 6 · Complete
Season 6
201010 episodes
8.0IMDbBest episode · S06E03 Comeback
Season 7 · Complete
Season 7
20119 episodes
7.2IMDbBest episode · S07E06 344
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E13
Sanctuary
The hockey game rematch between the NYPD and the FDNY is right around the corner and Tommy must figure out a plan to save himself from being pummeled by the cops who have it out for him. Tommy's relationship with Sheila is discovered by the guys and they must adhere to tradition to handle it in their own way. When Tommy is visited by his demons during a fire, Franco comes to his aid... with devastating results.
- Directed by Jace Alexander, Peter Tolan
- Written by Denis Leary, Peter Tolan
S01E03
Kansas
Tommy decides to make life a living hell for his wife's new boyfriend by wreaking havoc on his business and finances. Meanwhile, Chief Reilly faces possible suspension as the result of an altercation with a fellow firefighter and Lou decides to share his poetry.
- Directed by John Fortenberry
- Written by Denis Leary, Peter Tolan
S01E12
Leaving
When Janet needs more money to cover house repairs, Tommy turns to Uncle Teddy and his "little" friend to help him out with extra cash. When Franco's father has a stroke, Franco finds himself trying to juggle work and raising his daughter on his own. Meanwhile, a goodwill tribute to the firefighters lost in 9/11 goes awry and the firehouse is put in jeopardy.
- Directed by Peter Tolan
- Written by Denis Leary, Peter Tolan
S01E05
Orphans
Tommy comes to terms with the reality of his broken family as a result of a shocking experience with his father. When a freak accident occurs, Franco must make a life-changing decision, and Chief Reilly is forced to expose a family secret in order to save his career.
- Directed by Jace Alexander
- Written by Salvatore Stabile
S01E01
Guts
New York City firefighter, Tommy Gavin, cannot escape the ghosts of those who have died around him as he faces the everyday challenge of saving lives while trying to fix his own.
- Directed by Peter Tolan
- Written by Denis Leary, Peter Tolan
S01E06
Revenge
Tommy takes one step forward by convincing Janet to leave Roger but two steps backward when she stumbles onto his latest fling. The boys convince Sean to date a woman but neglect to tell him that she is actually a he. Franco discovers he can't shake his newfound fatherly instincts.
- Directed by Adam Bernstein
- Written by Michael Caleo
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Denis LearyProducer
- Peter TolanProducer
Writing
- Denis LearyWriter
- Stephen BelberWriter
- Robert KrauszWriter
- Michael CaleoWriter
- Salvatore StabileWriter
- Peter TolanWriter
Direction
- Constantine MakrisDirector
- Rosemary RodriguezDirector
- Adam BernsteinDirector
- Don ScardinoDirector
- Jefery LevyDirector
- John FortenberryDirector
Music
- Christopher TyngOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- HuluStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
If you liked this
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
Chicago Fire
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Another masterpiece of long-form storytelling, chosen to follow this one.
Castle
2009
Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
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A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
The Sopranos
1999
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
Game of Thrones
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Another invented world built with the same seriousness — start at episode one.
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2005
A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
Never stop watching
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