Season 2, Episode 5: Sensitivity

Drama • TV-MA • Directed by: Rescue Me • 45 minutes

With Perrolli asking to Mickey to help make sure his brother keeps his nose clean, all-too-aware of what getting caught will mean for his future, Tommy does everything he can to hide his drug and alcohol use from the chief. And now that Colleen has run away from home to live with him, Tommy is determined to do whatever it takes, even kidnapping, to get his other two kids away from Janet. Meanwhile, as Franco tries to keep Laura from learning that he's dating a nurse who's giving him painkillers, Mike fails to adequately explain what it is he likes about large women. As their dad presses Uncle Teddy to get work as a model, too, Tommy and Johnny are startled to learn that, as a result of an affair that lasted more than thirty years, they have a brother and sister they never knew about. With the truth about their dad's secret family shedding some light on their upbringing, Johnny warns Tommy against doing anything illegal to get his children back. So, to continue keeping Perrolli in the dark about his drug and alcohol problem, Tommy goes to as many A.A. meetings as he can manage. Meanwhile, as Tommy's dad gets some disappointing news about his prospects for a modeling career, when Jerry arrives home to find his Alzheimer's-suffering wife, Jeannie, in bed with a stranger, he calls his estranged gay son, Peter, for help. As a result of Laura's sexual harassment complaint against Lou, the entire crew of 62 Truck is ordered to attend a sensitivity training where Tommy and his fellow firefighters are nearly thrown out after voicing their contempt for the class. Once Lou makes it painfully clear that, unlike her, he has few options other than being a firefighter; Laura takes his confession as an apology for his crass behavior. And in the wake of another hallucination about Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ, Tommy tries to patch things up with a romantic evening with Sheila, only to find evidence that she's no longer pregnant.