Rescue Me Season 5 Thread

DeToxRox · 04-07-2009, 11:18 AM

22 episode season starts tonight!

Michae J. Fox joins the cast, and half the season relates to a 9/11 Conspiracy. Should be crazy shit.

Who is watching?

judicial clerk · 04-07-2009, 11:42 AM

I'm in

hawk4669 · 04-07-2009, 02:07 PM

Been in since the first episode. A lot in my profession don't like the show....but to me it is nice to see the fire service portrayed with a more human light. It's not always the glorious rescues and heroic actions....guys in my profession are flawed too.

Plus, despite how others may feel about the man, I'm a big Denis Leary fan. He's a huge friend to the fire service and does a lot of good in that arena. Many don't know that the was related to one of the six firefighters killed in the Worcester Ice and Cold Storage fire that occurred December 3rd, 1999.

Cheers!

DeToxRox · 04-07-2009, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawk4669

Been in since the first episode. A lot in my profession don't like the show....but to me it is nice to see the fire service portrayed with a more human light. It's not always the glorious rescues and heroic actions....guys in my profession are flawed too.

Plus, despite how others may feel about the man, I'm a big Denis Leary fan. He's a huge friend to the fire service and does a lot of good in that arena. Many don't know that the was related to one of the six firefighters killed in the Worcester Ice and Cold Storage fire that occurred December 3rd, 1999.

Cheers!

If I may ask, what is it they don't like about the show? I am curious since I haven't heard how the profession really feels about it.

hawk4669 · 04-07-2009, 04:45 PM

Good question. The Fire Service is a very traditional, very straight laced culture. I love it and have been a part of it my whole life and has put food on the table for my family my entire life (my dad is a retired firefighter and I've been one my entire adult life).

As a whole, the profession is very protective of its image. That being said, a lot of the profession is very much about only seeing movies that portray the heroic family oriented guys who rescue babies, slay the dragon, and go home to their loving wife and 3 kids kind of thing. While that is a reality for a lot in the fire service...there is also the side where you have guys who're burnt out and turn to drugs and alcohol...Guys who are deadbeat dads in the job....guys who are flat out thieves...guys who have problems with fidelity...guys who are fire-setters (for glory, etc), and any other amount of problems.

In short, we're all humans too. By nature of being human, we have our flaws and are not the "perfect" type of people that you see in a lot of movies, etc.

(Keep in mind when I say "guys"...that encompasses both male and female firefighters.)

Fortunately, the types of people in our profession are far and few between. By and large, everyone I work with is professional, and are people that I do love to have in my home and with my wife and kids. Hell, one of my co-workers and his wife are God Father and Mother to my children.

For some reason, large contingents of firefighters freak out when firefighters are portrayed as having these relatively common problems. They really want to portray us as white knights who do no wrong. Some get downright arrogant and unrealistic with protecting that image. In fact, a few years ago there was a movie in production called "Truck 832" or something like that. The concept was a fictional ladder truck company (a group of guys assigned to the ladder truck rather) that decided to use their status and trust as firefighters to pull off a bank heist. Fire Service organizations freaked out, protested, and eventually killed the project. Now, as a Fire Officer, I would hate to see trust eroded by a movie...but in the same token, I realize it is JUST A MOVIE and for entertainment only. It is not a depiction of a common problem in our profession. Others don't see it that way.

So with Rescue Me, it portrays a lot of the above listed stuff. It is ramped up a bit to make it more entertaining obviously....but again, a lot of guys won't watch it as they feel it is "unrealistic." Personally, I think the realism is pretty darn good (not so much the actual firefighting aspect, but the post 9/11 trauma and coping mechanisms, the relationships, etc).

In closing, I like the show and will continue to watch it. It's a good comedy drama. If you want the feel good, white knight type of movie...rent Ladder 49 (also not a bad movie...but again...just a movie).

Cheers!

judicial clerk · 04-07-2009, 07:32 PM

The above-post is made more awesome by the fact that you are a tatted-up fire captain who is into rockabilly and punk rock.

I love me some rescue me. my wife calls it a man's soap opera and while I agree to an extent, I also think it captures a little bit the human reaction to two unique aspects of being a firefighter. #1, it is a job where your life is at risk. #2, it is a job where your co-workers can be like an extended (albeit dysfunctional) family.

04-07-2009, 02:07 PM	#3
hawk4669 High School JV Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Northern California	Been in since the first episode. A lot in my profession don't like the show....but to me it is nice to see the fire service portrayed with a more human light. It's not always the glorious rescues and heroic actions....guys in my profession are flawed too. Plus, despite how others may feel about the man, I'm a big Denis Leary fan. He's a huge friend to the fire service and does a lot of good in that arena. Many don't know that the was related to one of the six firefighters killed in the Worcester Ice and Cold Storage fire that occurred December 3rd, 1999. Cheers! __________________ Hawk4669 www.hbfire.org

04-07-2009, 04:45 PM	#5
hawk4669 High School JV Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Northern California	Good question. The Fire Service is a very traditional, very straight laced culture. I love it and have been a part of it my whole life and has put food on the table for my family my entire life (my dad is a retired firefighter and I've been one my entire adult life). As a whole, the profession is very protective of its image. That being said, a lot of the profession is very much about only seeing movies that portray the heroic family oriented guys who rescue babies, slay the dragon, and go home to their loving wife and 3 kids kind of thing. While that is a reality for a lot in the fire service...there is also the side where you have guys who're burnt out and turn to drugs and alcohol...Guys who are deadbeat dads in the job....guys who are flat out thieves...guys who have problems with fidelity...guys who are fire-setters (for glory, etc), and any other amount of problems. In short, we're all humans too. By nature of being human, we have our flaws and are not the "perfect" type of people that you see in a lot of movies, etc. (Keep in mind when I say "guys"...that encompasses both male and female firefighters.) Fortunately, the types of people in our profession are far and few between. By and large, everyone I work with is professional, and are people that I do love to have in my home and with my wife and kids. Hell, one of my co-workers and his wife are God Father and Mother to my children. For some reason, large contingents of firefighters freak out when firefighters are portrayed as having these relatively common problems. They really want to portray us as white knights who do no wrong. Some get downright arrogant and unrealistic with protecting that image. In fact, a few years ago there was a movie in production called "Truck 832" or something like that. The concept was a fictional ladder truck company (a group of guys assigned to the ladder truck rather) that decided to use their status and trust as firefighters to pull off a bank heist. Fire Service organizations freaked out, protested, and eventually killed the project. Now, as a Fire Officer, I would hate to see trust eroded by a movie...but in the same token, I realize it is JUST A MOVIE and for entertainment only. It is not a depiction of a common problem in our profession. Others don't see it that way. So with Rescue Me, it portrays a lot of the above listed stuff. It is ramped up a bit to make it more entertaining obviously....but again, a lot of guys won't watch it as they feel it is "unrealistic." Personally, I think the realism is pretty darn good (not so much the actual firefighting aspect, but the post 9/11 trauma and coping mechanisms, the relationships, etc). In closing, I like the show and will continue to watch it. It's a good comedy drama. If you want the feel good, white knight type of movie...rent Ladder 49 (also not a bad movie...but again...just a movie). Cheers! __________________ Hawk4669 www.hbfire.org

04-07-2009, 11:42 AM	#2
judicial clerk College Benchwarmer Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Portland, OR	I'm in

04-07-2009, 07:32 PM	#6
judicial clerk College Benchwarmer Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Portland, OR	The above-post is made more awesome by the fact that you are a tatted-up fire captain who is into rockabilly and punk rock. I love me some rescue me. my wife calls it a man's soap opera and while I agree to an extent, I also think it captures a little bit the human reaction to two unique aspects of being a firefighter. #1, it is a job where your life is at risk. #2, it is a job where your co-workers can be like an extended (albeit dysfunctional) family.

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