For the second week in a row, "Rescue Me" ends with a cliffhanger. Last week's was whether Tommy would get busted for his latest romp with Sheila. This week's is a tad more serious.

But before we get to Tuesday night's dramatic ending, let's get through the less than dramatic beginning. Tommy, after getting caught by his cousin Mickey rolling around with Sheila, is certain he is headed for trouble. And Tommy is nothing if not prescient. Just when he thinks he is in the clear with his wife, Janet, who had warned him to steer clear of Sheila if there was to be any chance of saving their marriage, Mickey appears out of nowhere, which makes for a very awkward situation.

Looking to make Tommy squirm, Mickey starts talking about Sheila, much to the chagrin of Janet. All Tommy can do is keep jamming food in himself to avoid answering increasingly uncomfortable questions. Eventually he has a choking fit and Mickey performs a Heimlich Maneuver that wouldn't be sanctioned by the WWE. Sheila then rushes in to Tommy's home, which only makes matters worse as she and Tommy try helplessly to explain why their little romp was anything but sexual. Mickey decks Tommy and peace is restored, at least temporarily.

Seeing the bizarre love triangle of Tommy, Sheila and Janet come to an end would be nice, but somehow one can't help but think it'll linger on. Tommy and Sheila have far more heat than Tommy and Janet. Already breaking the promise he made to his wife, Tommy later calls Sheila under the guise of trying to make amends for his past behavior, but as Sheila correctly notes, "Neither of us can call without an ulterior motive."

Back on the job, Lou makes a much-needed visit to the doctor and learns that he has had yet another heart attack. The doctor tells Lou his heart is severely damaged and that he needs to retire. Lou goes to Needles and seems to be on the verge of telling him that his days of firefighting are over, but at the last minute he can't bring himself to utter the words.

While Lou can't find the words to quit, Damien can. Tommy's godson has always seemed to have somewhat mixed feelings about being a firefighter and the moments of fear he gets on the job -- which has never stopped him from putting his life on the line -- are bothering him more and more. He tells Feinberg that he wants off. Feinberg, in a nice turn by the under-utilized Jerry Adler, tries to talk him out of it but falls short . None of us really believe that Damien is ready to walk away, and later he goes back to Feinberg and tells him he changed his mind.

Unfortunately, it while Damien didn't walk away, he will be carried away in a box. Lou's resistance to step down despite his ailing heart may seem like courage to some. In reality, it is a selfish move that is putting his men in grave danger. Last week, a fire victim had to help Lou out of a building and this week he can barely move three feet without gasping for air. He ends up slowing everyone down and then collapses. Unfortunately, while Tommy and the gang are tending to Lou, Damien gets crushed by falling debris. While Tommy will not doubt take the blame from Sheila and others for the end of Damien, this one is on Lou, who knew he had no business being in that building. Unfortunately, Lou may not be around next week either.

There was not much in the way of comic relief in tonight's episode. The one light note was a discussion about how Pat Mahoney, the fireman who died of cancer should be memorialized. Mike thinks having a road named after him would be a good idea, but Franco points out that means drivers would be cursing his name all day and makes a rather tasteless but on-the-money joke about the decision to rename the Triborough Bridge the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge that alas, I won't repeat here.

Between Tommy's latest attempt at a peaceful domestic life and the demise of a key characters, it is clear that creators Denis Leary and Peter Tolan are starting to prepare viewers for the show's conclusion. Let's hope that at least a few characters are still left standing along with Tommy Gavin when that day comes.

For the record: This episode was screened on a DVD without the tease for next week's episode which shows that, as expected, Damien did meet his demise. This critique has been updated to reflect that fact.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: John Scurti of "Rescue Me." Credit: FX.

We know that Jennifer Lopez's love don't cost a thing, but getting her to join "American Idol" definitely does.

Reports that the singer-dancer-actress' deal to join the judge's panel next season is done are premature, according to two insiders close to the show. Fox has a deal "in principle" with Lopez but she has not signed on the dotted line.

What's the delay? Her representatives are trying to sweeten the deal with other perks which could include a development deal with the television and movie empire. 

It's not all about incentives for Lopez. Her camp also wants to wait to gauge the public's reaction to news that she is in line to become a judge on America's most popular television show.

Although Fox executives would ideally like to present their new "Idol" panel to reporters on Monday at press tour, that's not going to happen. In fact, network sources told the Times Friday afternoon that there will be no "Idol" announcements on Monday.

Lopez's publicists have not returned phone calls or e-mails requesting comment.

--Joe Flint and Maria Elena Fernandez
twitter.com/JBFlint
twitter.com/writerchica

Photo: Jennifer Lopez at the 2010 Apollo Theater Spring Benefit in June. Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Didn’t get enough “16 and Pregnant” with the show’s season finale Tuesday night? Well, I did. That last one was a doozy. But it didn’t matter. Before I could switch over to a less emotionally draining program, there was Dr. Drew (Pinsky). A reunion special? Couldn’t we wait a week? And it’s 90 minutes? Oh, brother.

The special offered inquiring minds an update on the teen moms from season 2 … and a lot of crying and awkward moments -- including an uncomfortable marriage proposal. Seriously, I cringed.

So where are they now? Here's an update:

For a minute during Tuesday’s season finale of “16 and Pregnant,” I questioned whether I was really watching “The Twilight Zone.” 

In the episode, we’re introduced to Kailyn of Pennsylvania. And it was clear right away that the teen mom’s life was anything but normal. Her father left when she was little. Her selfish mom is largely absent -- too busy hanging with her man and searching for a job. Jo, her teen boyfriend, is, shockingly, immature. The only stable thing in her life? Jo’s parents.

Teens. Music. Pregnancy. If you managed to tear yourself away from that "other" show -- "Glee" -- and tuned in to MTV, the all-too-authentic reality of what can happen when a pregnancy intersects with teendom was unfolding.

In this week’s episode, we’re introduced to Lizzie of Smithfield, Va.  As required by her age group, she likes to party and have fun … and play the flute? That’s different. Seems Lizzie has aspirations of going to college and playing for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra one day.  But as a teen mother, can she fit quarter-notes and scales in with all the crying and diaper-changing?

I have four words: What was all that?

In Tuesday’s episode we’re introduced to 17-year-old Leah of Elkview, W.Va. A senior in high school, the former cheerleader finds herself pregnant with twins. If that wasn’t a double whammy, there’s also this: She had only known the father, Corey, a month before she got pregnant. Or as Leah might someday tell her kids: “We met at a party one night and one thing led to another.” Oy.

Trying to act responsibly, they decide they should move in together. Uh, did I mention they only knew each other a month before she got pregnant?  It was almost a setup for failure. And both seemed to acknowledge that they wouldn’t be together if it weren’t for the babies. Sure, they had there cute moments -- the moment Leah peed her pants, the moment of laughter they shared made me think there might be something there.  But that’s all it seemed to be for Leah: moments. When a friend asked if she was happy, her response said it all, “I am … I am. Or, at least, I’m really trying to be.” 

Once the babies arrived, it looked like Corey and Leah had a shot. They were a tag team when it came to parenting their children. But Leah wanted to reclaim her life pre-pregnancy. She scrunched her hair and went out with friends. And she clung to her ex-boyfriend, Robbie, while Corey was at home with the kids. As a result, her problems with Corey continued to escalate. They eventually broke up -- that scene in the car with Corey crying was so heart-wrenching -- -and Leah, who apparently lives in fantasy land, wanted to pursue a relationship with Robbie. Right. Cause he’s father material. Not. He did what we all knew he would: He stopped returning her calls. And when Leah learned Corey had moved on, she began to question her decision to ditch him. If she hadn’t constantly complained about how miserable she was while in the relationship, I might have believed that. But, really, she’s just sad that Robbie didn’t want her and now Corey didn’t either. 

In her closing summary, a crying Leah had this to say: “I hate my life. I really do.” 

Show Trackers, what did you think of this week’s episode?  Do you think forcing a relationship to be there just for the sake of the kids is the most responsible thing to do? Do you think Leah and Corey could have made it work?

-- Yvonne Villarreal

Photo: Leah with babies Aleeah and Aliannah. Credit: MTV

In this week's episode, we're introduced to 16-year-old Nicole from Florida.  As has become a norm on the show, unprotected sex with her boyfriend Tyler, who barely turns 16 during filming, led to the pregnancy. That's right. No condoms. No birth control. But slightly more alarming than the sex free-for-all the two were having is one not-so-subtle detail about the teen father: Tyler dropped out of school when he was 13 and hadn't been back since. 

In an otherwise humdrum episode, the struggle Tyler faced to get his life back on track was just as captivating as the couple's attempt to ready themselves for a baby in the midst of mixed responses from their families. Realizing the responsibility he was about to face, Tyler enrolled in a program to get his GED. Sure, he waited to sign up a few days before his daughter, Brooklyn, was born ... but it's still a step, right? He even notified his instructor when he was absent.  And he tied his long, flowing hair back in a ponytail for a janitorial job at a nursing home. It's not quite like one of the careers he had hoped for -- a chef, mixed martial arts fighter or professional skateboader -- but it pays the bills. 

It was a welcomed sight given Tyler's hectic childhood. Tyler, who was also the product of a teenage mother, went to live with his grandmother when he was 11 because of his problematic relationship with his mom. And because of the extra time he had on his hands, he developed a close relationship with Nicole's mom. Despite his unstable life, he managed to be a nurturing father figure to his two younger sisters -- a small indication that he might be ready for the daunting task ahead. Heck, he even quit smoking. 

All seemed to be going well. But once the baby was born, the teenager in Nicole and Tyler came out to play. They played musical chairs when it came to baby Brooklyn. They shuttled her between Tyler's grandma's house, Tyler's mom's house and Nicole's mom's house. They often left her in the care of someone else while they went out. They eventually realized they had to learn to involve their daughter in their lives rather than let her be an afterthought. 

So Show Trackers, what did you think of the episode? How would you rate Tyler compared to other teen fathers featured in the series?

— Yvonne Villarreal

Photo: Tyler (holding Brooklyn) and Nicole. Credit: MTV

If you're like me, you probably thought Tuesday night's episode of "16 and Pregnant" was the "Scared Straight" edition. And it worked. I. Was. Scared. I may have cried while watching Lori's story, but Tuesday night I cringed. I used my "mute" button. I even left the room. More on that later. 

In Tuesday's episode, we're introduced to Samantha from Rosenberg, Texas. She finds herself pregnant --or as her younger brother so eloquently calls it, "the shortest fat person in school" -- with her boyfriend Eric's baby. They appear to have a somewhat healthy relationship -- if that's even possible as teens. There's no yelling. No angry texts or Facebook blasts. 

And although there's the requisite scene in which the teens discuss pregnancy prevention (uh, can someone please line up a sex-ed class for the girl who said there's no real way to prevent pregnancy), there's more to the couple's story. Samantha is the product of teen parents. So when her mother, Soledad, found out she was having sex, she made her switch schools and move in with her father in an attempt to prevent history from repeating itself. But Eric's mom would help the teens sneak around. And now Samantha finds herself responsible for something other than her hamster. 

MTV pulled a fast one on me. I’m used to being annoyed or irritated by the girls featured on “16 and Pregnant.” Sometimes indifferent. Always dumbfounded — even by those who aren’t teen parents-to-be. Exhibit A: The dude earlier this season who referred to a paternity test as a “faternity test.” But I’m almost 100% sure I’ve never cried while watching the program. That all changed when I watched Tuesday’s episode. 

We’re introduced to 17-year-old Lori from a small town in northern Kentucky.  Lori was given up for adoption when she was a baby by her teen mother. Now she too finds herself a pregnant teen with a difficult decision to make. For her adoptive parents, the decision seems easy: Give the baby up for adoption. And it’s the only option they’re pushing for. Really pushing for. Perhaps pushing for it a little too much? But it’s not so black and white for Lori. She struggles with her options, longing for that blood bond she never had. 

I was waiting for it all season: the moment when I would finally admire one of the dads. And it happened after Tuesday's episode ... too bad it wasn't the teen dad-to-be. 

In this week's episode we're introduced to Chelsea. The teen from Vermillion, S.D. is all about "having fun." She's about to have a baby with her boyfriend Adam -- he's the kind of guy who calls his girlfriend a "whore" on his Facebook status updates. Charming, right? It's no wonder Chelsea's dad, Randy, whom she mostly lives with now that her parents are divorced, doesn't exactly like the dude. That and, well, the guy got his little girl pregnant.

As he's folding laundry, Randy and Chelsea recall the moment when he found out she was pregnant. He questioned why she didn't use birth control. Her answer? "I can't even take regular medicine." Um, what?