Rescue Me: When Picking Up Chicks, Paralyzed Friends Work Better Than Puppies
On last night's season finale of Rescue Me, it was revealed that Damien isn't dead after all, merely paralyzed and seriously brain damaged. No longer able to fight fires, he can still help the guys out with the ladies.
Last week's penultimate episode ended with what appeared to be the demise of Tommy's young protege. Following the trailer for the finale, suspicions of Damien's death were strongly reinforced. After a very misleading opening, it is discovered that he was not in fact killed, but has suffered serious injuries that have diminished his quality of life. Still a member of the team, the guys of Ladder 62 try to honor Damien's dedication by involving him in social activities, which is how we arrived at this clip. Instead of caring for their fallen brother responsibly, his fellow firefighters take Damien to a bar and get drunk while force-feeding him peanuts and making jokes at his expense.
While hilarious, as much of Rescue Me's dark humor is, the video tiptoes around the offensive. Don't be surprised if you hear of some disability group's objections to how the show portrayed the treatment of the mentally challenged in this episode.
[There was a video here]