It’s the big day for Colleen, Shawn and the entire Gavin clan.
Gambling, racism, threats of violence; the only thing missing from this typical Gavin wedding ceremony was, of course, the drinking. As I watched Tommy (Denis Leary) argue with his family and the crew bust balls, I felt, for the first time, the regret of losing one of my favorite shows. It’s been an exciting seven seasons and the world of TV is better for them.
A big regret that I felt watching this episode is the fact that we’ll never get to know Black Shawn’s (Larenz Tate) family. They seem like a pretty interesting bunch what with the mixed race and the Hennesey. Oh well, maybe they’ll come up with a spinoff.
I was wondering what in the world would ever make Tommy actually quit leading his dangerous life and it never occurred to me that his other daughter, Katy, would be the motivation. Clearly, she is the last Gavin to have a chance at a life that isn’t filled with embarrassing moments, so if taking a desk job can help ensure her a trouble-free future, it’s all worth it.
I never really saw Sheila (Callie Thorne) as a sympathetic figure until this episode. In fairness, it’s hard to sympathize with someone who drugs a guy, rapes him and then burns down her house, but a dead husband and a disabled son are a lot to bear especially when you’re half nuts to begin with.
Another character I will miss is Mickey (Robert John Burke). Whether he’s a priest or just a dude, he never fails to bring a unique take to an interesting situation. Frankly, if the Catholic church had more priests like him, they’d be a lot better off.
I really thought that the entire episode was going to take place at the wedding. After seeing the last scene, however, I’m really glad it didn’t.
Some stats and info about Rescue Me, “Vows”
TV SHOW – Rescue Me
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 7, Episode 8
AIRED ON – August 11th, 2011
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – FX
GENRE – Drama, Comedy, Office Culture
CREATED BY – Denis Leary, Peter Tolan
CAST – Denis Leary, Michael Lombardi, Steven Pasquale, Andrea Roth, John Scurti, Daniel Sunjata, Callie Thorne, Natalie Distler, James McCaffrey, Lenny Clarke
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.