Tommy and Husky Rookie in “Unfinished Business”

Tommy

[to a group of rookies like in the first episode] You are staring at the names of 343 heroes. 343 American heroes. 343 men who ran in while the entire world stood waiting and watching. First responders on the front line of a war that may never end. I want you to stare at these names. I want you to memorize them. Go home tonight, get on the Internet and look up these names. Find out who these men were and what they did on that day. And then you'll realize this ain't a job. It ain't an occupation. It's a calling! A need. A desire that you feel in your bones and your brains and your nutsack! [One husky rookie chuckles a little] What's so funny, asshole?

The...the nutsack thing, sir.

Tommy

The what?

The nutsack thing! Sir...

Tommy

Ah-ah-ah, did I ask you another question?! Anybody else?! I didn't think so. I know you assholes have passed the written test and you passed the physical test. But that don't mean nothing. Just a bunch of civil servant bullshit! 'Cause the real test of whether you're chickenshit or not will come the day you get to do what these men behind me did. 'Cause if you're lucky, one day soon, you'll get to run into a burning building while everybody else is running out. And you'll take the stairs, two at a time. With steel in your eyes and ice water in your veins. And you'll come back down with a civilian on each shoulder. And instead of puking or crying or pissing your pants, you'll wipe your brow and run right the hell back in. That's the day, that's the moment you're gonna find out if you're a real firefighter or just one more asshole who bit off more than he could chew. 'Cause maybe one day you run in, and the guy you ran in with, your buddy, your best friend, your cousin, your brother, maybe you come out but he don't. 'Cause he got crushed or incinerated or burned to a crisp. And you're gonna ask yourself, why did I walk away, but not him? I'll tell you one thing. The answer to that question is not at the bottom of a bottle. You can't drink or fight or screw your way to figuring out the answer to that question. People die. We're firefighters. We die a lot. I lost my buddy, my best friend, my cousin, my brother. Some people say it's God's will. I don't know. I don't even know if there is a God. I hope there is. 'Cause that would that one day, all this shit is gonna make some sense. That's all I got for you assholes. I'm gonna turn you over to one of my brothers right now, my new commanding officer, Lieutenant Franco Rivera. [Franco approaches and the two men exchange salutes] Good luck, douchebags.