"Rescue Me" and Pan Am

[mirrodie]

So only last season did I ever get into the show Rescue Me with Tommy Gavin/Dennis Leary in the lead.

I've noticed on multiple episodes that his character is in a Pink/fuscia PAN AM Tshirt.

Wondering if anyone knew any background to this?

[PhilDernerJr]

Not sure what you mean by background. It's pretty common for average people to wear vintage Pan Am clothes and bags around NYC. Although I'm not exactly sure where they are getting them. Hmmmm

[mirrodie]

I mean, I wonder since he's a co creator of the show, if he's an aviation or Pan Am fan.

the only other clothing he wears in the show are hockey tshirts( and he is a huge hockey fan, with his own ice rink in his backyard.) and also he wears a lot of Irish/Ireland Tshirts (he holds dual citizenship US/Ireland)

So was just curious if he was a fan of the airline, unions, vintage or what have you.

[PhilDernerJr]

Good point. Now you've got me wondering.

[moose135]

I've noticed it a few times as well, Mario. I've been watching since the first episode (and it's been rough the past couple of seasons...) but I've never seen anything explaining the Pan Am shirts.

[mirrodie]

What do you mean (its been rough? You mean the show or being able to watch it?


Funnny thing. We only got into it last season. Then a month ago, we got seasons 1-5 and started watching them all, like 3 episodes a night.

We're on season 5 now while watching the current season. hard to keep it in order but great series.

[moose135]

What do you mean (its been rough? You mean the show or being able to watch it?

The show. The first couple of seasons were outstanding, well written, good stories. It began to meander from there, turning into Days of Our Gavins and getting away from its central theme. This last season wasn't as bad, but for me, it really got to the point that I had seen it through to this point, and like a car wreck you can't look away from, I wanted to see how it all ended up. I was underwhelmed by last night's finale. It wasn't bad, but not what I would have expected after their strong first couple of seasons.

I frequent a forum where this, and other television shows are discussed (Television Without Pity) and with all the dream sequences that have been used over the course of the show, some opined that Tommy had really died in the Towers on 9/11, or was in coma, and the whole thing was a dream. I remember remarking that if in the finale, he woke up next to Suzanne Pleshette, I was going to throw something at the TV...

Back to your original question - I asked on the TWOP forum, and if anyone has an answer, I'll pass it along.

[mirrodie]

Thanks for your view, Moose. I somewhat agree about the first 2-3 seasons.... really great.

I wanted to have Tommy Gavin's sex life. (Although, I have to admit that the steaminess between Gavin, his ex and Sheila made for some interesting evenings at our residence :D)

But I think that once Janet and Tommy split after Connor died, the show lost some direction. But we were commiteed to see all the episodes through. (I think Leary also knew, which is why they threw in the Gina Gershow character...it needed some spice at that point and Gina sated me)

So as of 2 nights ago, we're still in the mid of season 5, around when Lou bangs frenchie.

As for the finale, I was somewhat sated. I liked how it began w/ Lou and was shocked at the outcome. That was well done. The ending w/ Lou as well as the venue, the training academy which IIRC is where the first scene played out, was poignant. The boat in the harbor, again, I feel was Learys personal homage, as I understand he donated Fireboats in the wake of Katrina.

So it didnt end with the bang it started with but it left us with some closure.

Dude, it it were a dream sequence, which I too had sensed for a moment, I'd have been pissed. The show pays homage to FDNY, hockey, etc but if it ended off paying homage to an old show, I'd be pissed too.
Wasnt that how the old ...Mary Hart,....wait! ...Bob Newhart show ended? or some 70s shhow? I forget.

Love ot hear what TWOP says. glad you picked up on it too.

[Roush6NY]

Well, I'm not sure what the tee's are .. BUT I am a HUGE HUGE fan of the show ! This is the only TV show I have followed in my life and it was sad that it came to an end last night.

I did manage to do something pretty awesome last minute by looking on Denis Leary's foundation site, I donated $ and in return got to go to the final screening with the whole cast and crew last night in city with my wife, it was pretty crazy that while watching the show on a big theater screen, Leary was to my left 2 rows down and I was able to see his own reaction to his own show. There was a after party right across the street which we were allowed in as well, me personally wanted to meet him and get a pic but after about 45 into the party he zipped outta there :/ But, I did manage to pretty much meet the whole crew and thank them for the past 7 years !

[moose135]

I wanted to have Tommy Gavin's sex life.

That was part of the problem with the middle of the run. As we said on TWOP, it was all about Tommy and his MUD (Magic Unicorn ****)

As for the finale, I was somewhat sated. I liked how it began w/ Lou and was shocked at the outcome. That was well done. The ending w/ Lou as well as the venue, the training academy which IIRC is where the first scene played out, was poignant. The boat in the harbor, again, I feel was Learys personal homage, as I understand he donated Fireboats in the wake of Katrina.

Actually, I think that was shot down around Brooklyn Bridge Park. I thought it was the training academy at first also, but looking at it again last night, I'm pretty sure it wasn't. I don't remember if the opening scene was at the academy or down in Brooklyn. I thought his speech last night felt a little trite and forced as compared to the first time.

Dude, it it were a dream sequence, which I too had sensed for a moment, I'd have been pissed. The show pays homage to FDNY, hockey, etc but if it ended off paying homage to an old show, I'd be pissed too.
Wasnt that how the old ...Mary Hart,....wait! ...Bob Newhart show ended? or some 70s shhow? I forget.

Yes, that was my Suzanne Pleshette reference. At the end of the finale of Newhart's show where he owned the inn in Vermont, he wakes up next to Pleshette (his wife from his earlier show) and say something along the lines of "I had the strangest dream..."

[mirrodie]

But at the start of hte run, pre-MUD, it was great! I'd love to toss Janet a spankin!

His speech at the end, I felt, having seen the original and it being relatively fresh in my mind, came from a slightly more sage and perhaps somewhat more humbled Gavin.


...I think I was a zygote during that Newhart episode! ;)

[PhilDernerJr]

I was just telling my lady the other day about Rescue Me...and I described it exactly as Moose did....great at first to hook you, and then becomes too much of a soap opera. I just couldn't deal with the back and forth with the same women and the stagnation in the guy's life.... something's gotta give at some point and it was essentially a repeat of the same episode over and over to me. Still a funny and exciting show, but I just figured there are more interesting shows out there to get into.

[Gerard]

My wife and I really enjoyed this show but do agree there were some episodes that were too much Gavin sexcapades and a little far-fetched. There was a fine line at times between funny and stupid. I loved how they filmed all over the city. The firehouse was down in LIC near the Queensbridge houses which is in my old neighborhood. In fact they used my grammar school and church, St. Ritas (12 street/36Ave), in many scenes over the years.
The fire scenes were filmed in spectacular fashion. Gotta give the stunt coordinators a big thumbs up for that. The fire in the next to last episode was amazing.
And yes they were in Brooklyn at the end there. My oldest sons best friend Matt, who is a Volly out here with the Dix Hills FD, was in that scene as a probby and actually had some good screen time as they panned down the line. He told us some time back he was in the Finale but was pretty much sworn to secrecy about anything else. Now maybe I can find out how they were chosen.
I enjoyed the final episode and thought it was a good ending to a very good television show!!