Rescue Me Ends Series On Emotional Note

The series finale of FX's Rescue Me, in which favorite character Lou met his end in the explosion that served as the cliffhanger for the show's penultimate episode, has tongues wagging today. A screening of the show was held in Manahattan on Wednesay night, attended by the cast, crew, and over 30 FDNY firefighters who were present at the events of 9/11 almost a decade ago.

"It was very emotional," Rescue Me star and co-creator Denis Leary told People. "But I couldn't really cry there. There were firefighters there … it wasn't one of those things where you could cry if you were a guy." Rescue Me began as an homage to the members of the FDNY who were present at the 9/11 national tragedy. If the show seemed realistic, it was partly due to the real firefighters who served as consultants behind the scenes. "Truthfully, these are the guys who made us fake, pu*** actors look like we knew what we were doing," Leary said.

Leary may not be shedding a tear, but his costar, Callie Thorne, who played Sheila Keefe on the show, didn't hold back about the show ending. "It was really traumatic for me to think about not seeing these people every day," she said. "I loved this family so much. I don't even want to admit that it's over!"