Tommy Gavin

Tommy Gavin is the main character of the FX television series "Rescue Me". He is portrayed by Denis Leary. Leary was nominated for a Golden Globe (2004) and for two Emmys (2006, 2007) for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Tommy. The character was created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan. [http://www.eonline.com/celebrities/profile/?uuid=5747a5a7-808d-45ab-a7e5-f98440b84bf4 Denis Leary Profile,] E! Online.]

Character biography

Tommy Gavin (full name: Thomas Michael Gavin) is a New York firefighter of Irish descent.cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/arts/television/30heff.html?pagewanted=print/|title="Rescue Me," With Denis Leary, Returns to FX for Its Third Season] He is a tortured character and a relapsed alcoholic.

;Season 1Throughout the first season of "Rescue Me", Tommy is living across the street from his estranged wife Janet. His cousin Jimmy, a firefighter who died on 9/11, visits him as a ghost. Tommy starts an affair with Jimmy's wife Sheila. When confronted about this relationship, he refuses to end it because Sheila is pregnant. At the end of the season he requests a transfer after a breakdown during a rescue that threatened his co-worker Franco's life. His wife and children leave their home.

;Season 2Tommy is working at a different firehouse at the start of the season. Sheila miscarries but does not tell him. He and his brother Johnny discover that during their childhood, their father had a long-term affair that produced two children. They suspect that their half-brother, a priest, is a pedophile. Tommy and his family reconcile. His son Connor is killed by a drunk driver. Johnny finds out that the driver may not do time, so Tommy's uncle, Teddy, kills him.

;Season 3Tommy is again living on his own. He discovers that Johnny is having an affair with Janet, [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14173614/ Denis Leary plays with fire on 'Rescue Me',] 2003-08-03, MSNBC.] and that his co-worker Sean is having an affair with his sister Maggie Gavin. Janet becomes pregnant. Johnny, a detective, is killed while investigating a drug case.Steinberg, Jaques, 2007-06-12, [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/arts/television/12lear.html?_r=1&fta=y&oref=login He’s Cornering the Market on Misfit TV Heroes,] "New York Times"] In the last episode of the season, Sheila drugs Tommy and accidentally sets her house on fire.

;Season 4Tommy is living with his wife and children. Janet is suffering from postpartum depression, and Tommy sells her son to Sheila. Tommy then shares custody with Sheila. The last scene in the last episode shows Tommy and his father watching a baseball game in which Tommy tries to get the attention of his father only to realise that he has passed on, so Tommy puts his arm around his father and continues to watch the game. Meanwhile, Chief Feinberg writes him up for a section 8.

Controversial storyline

The character was involved in a controversial storyline in "Rescue Me's" third season. In the episode "Sparks", first aired on June 20, 2006, Tommy sexually forces himself on Janet. Janet fights back, but then appears to accept the situation and appears to enjoy it. Tommy smirks when he leaves the house. Television reviewers, bloggers and fans complained about the scene. There was debate about whether Tommy had raped Janet. Janet's reaction and Tommy's expression caused as much reaction as the assault itself, with critics saying that it made rape look unimportant and that Tommy's actions were condoned. Leary did not apologise, saying that what happened between the characters was not rape, and that the scene made sense in the context of Tommy's dysfunctional relationship with Janet.Collins, Scott, 2007-06-13, [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07164/793509-237.stm 'Rescue Me's' Leary dismisses protests over rape episode,] "Pittsburg Post-Gazette".] In a later episode, Tommy is drugged and sexually assaulted by Shiela.

Peter Tolan, co-creator of "Rescue Me" and co-writer of the episode, discussed the storyline in a forum on the website Television Without Pity. He defended the scene, but acknowledged that some viewers may not have interpreted the scene in the way he and Leary had intended.Porter, Rick, 2006-06-26, [http://www.zap2it.com/tv/zap-rescuemecontroversy,0,340551.story?coll=zap-tv-mainheadline Controversy Over 'Rescue Me' Rages On,] Zap2it.] John Landgraf, the president of FX, stated that he knew that the scene might be controversial when the scripts were being written. Leary stated that he was glad the show was on FX rather than a broadcast network that would not have supported the storyline.

References

External links

* [http://www.rescuemetv.com/ Sony Pictures Rescue Me Site]
* [http://www.skyone.co.uk/programme/pgeProgramme.aspx?pID=7 "Sky One Rescue Me site"]
* [http://www.tvsquad.com/category/rescue-me/ "Rescue Me"] on TV Squad
* [http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/rescueme/ "FX Original Rescue Me site"]