How sorry I will be when Nurse Jackie wraps up its season on Showtime next week. Last night’s episode continued the upward trajectory of an already-excellent new series. Edie Falco’s Jackie is one of the most vivid characters on television, and already I feel nostalgic for various moments: Jackie’s anger at the school meeting she’s forced to attend about daughter Grace’s anxiety; the filling-in of a bit Coop’s character when we learned his parents are two women (brava, Swoosie Kurtz and Blythe Danner) and that he’s a sensitive heel with women he comes on to; the ache in Eddie’s face when he first spies Jackie’s family; and the constant delight of rookie nurse Zoey.
Last night, Victor Garber’s movie-critic patient was crisply crusty. Overall, Edie Falco is giving a magnificently self-effacing performance, tough yet controlled. She’s an all-knowing, all-wise nurse, but at a time when every cable-TV hero must have those pesky “flaws,” Nurse Jackie never makes moral judgments about the way Jackie oversees her private or her professional life — the show credits us with enough interest in ambiguity to draw our own conclusions.
Next week’s finale will leave me wanting a second season of Nurse Jackie as soon as possible.
How about you?
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I’m two behind on TRUE BLOOD and I haven’t watched MAD MEN yet, but I made sure to catch NURSE JACKIE (and HUNG) last night. I’d forgotten how much I missed Edie Falco and it’s gonna kill me to have to wait, what, 9 months for season two? And Zoey is a comedic revelation. “You’re gay! I just got that!” Brilliant. I miss it already.
this show has tightened substantially since its first episode – Zoey, is, I think my favourite supporting character on tv – she is brilliant – my only complaint? the show is too short – I usually scream “NO!” when the closing credits start to roll.
Zoey is my favorite character. I hope that actress gets some Emmy love in the future.
This is one of my favourite shows on television and I can’t believe it’s already wrapping up!
Jackie is unlike any other character on television. I wonder how Eddie will confront her next week in regards to her family.
It will be a long wait for season two – which luckily was given a green light after the pilot aired!
i LOVE this show! its very well written and the actors are top notch!! Total hidden gem.
You didn’t mention one of my favorite characters: Gloria Akalitus, played by Anna Deavere Smith.
The scene, in which she dances with the abandoned baby, though brief, was impeccable. As was her attempt to amuse herself in the stalled elevator.
In fact, there doesn’t seem to be a weak link in the cast.
Excellent show.
after 3 episodes I was hooked. each and every supporting member of this cast is, in their own way, perfect. Zoey cracks me up. O’Hara is the most endearing bitch on tv and Mo…what a beauty.
Watch your back Tina Fey, next years emmy for lead actress in a comedy may not be yours already.
I love this show,laughed my butt off when Akalides tased herself in the elevator! Now that is good television people!
Brilliant writing and acting on this show. I look forward to it every week and I’m sad as soon as it ends.
Love Nurse Jackie! The characters are so quirky and I love every minute of it!!!
sorry, i gave it up after the 2nd episode. i’ve had it with bitter dysfunctional witches being passed off as brilliant writing. yeah, the world is crazy, there’s little integrity, but shows like this don’t help. they add to the problem by not showing a balance. right now i prefer hawthorne where i can see my friends in the medical profession portrayed a little more realistic.
Well,sorry. You’re missing an amazing show. Maybe HawthoRNe is more your speed.
I get enough ‘realism’ all day. I love the interesting, sometimes heartwarming, sometimes gritty ride of Nurse Jackie.
Really? Hawthorne? It’s a huge joke. “Don’t mess with me, I’m a NURSE!”
If you gave up on the show after the 2nd episode, then why are you here reading this article. Go Away.
this show is more than fantastic… itmakes a familiar genre, with familiar characters, suddenly so new. so refreshing
Great show! And I love MoMo (the gay nurse Mohamed) – a refreshingly *real* gay everyman.
I’m glad to see so many fellow “Nurse Jackie” fans here. I love everything about the show. Edie Falco is great as Jackie but the supporting cast is outstanding – Zoey is a gem, MoMo is real without being reduced to a silly stereotype, and Dr. Fancypants (the British doc, I think her name is O’Hare or O’Hara, but I call her Dr. Fancypants) is hilarious. I can’t wait for season 2!
A very good show. Definitely the best of the summer season. The only problem is that the episodes are very short. Jackie is the most fascinating character on TV right now.
Anyone else realized that the British doctor looks like Christian Bale in a wig?
Love this show! Love Zoey! Really, the whole cast is wonderful. Can’t wait for next week, but will definitely miss it when it’s on its hiatus.
Love this show!!! LOL!! Zoey is hilarious every week.
I LOVE the show!!!! I am a nurse myself and “Nurse Jackie” shows so many aspects of a nurses job in actual reality. I can relate to the character on so many levels, as I’m sure many others do. However, the drug use is very bothersome. While there are some in the healthcare field that do abuse drugs, NOT ALL OF US have that problem. This may make the character more “real” because we all have flaws, but, I think it could cause the general public to
think that most nurses/healthcare workers have drug addictions. Does anyone else have an opinion on this?
Lisa P.
I don’t think the character Jackie is suppose to represent all nurses. She’s just a character on a TV show (a great character BTW) and if people come to the conclusion that all nurses are drug addicts after they watch the show than they probably think there’s a magical island traveling through time or that vampires exist as well.
I watched all of the episodes On Demand (Comcast). Has anyone else seen the finale? It is available On Demand, watched it last night and it was very good.
Yes, I had to watch it also. I just couldn’t wait! I’ll watch it again on Monday when my neighbors who don’t have cable come over to watch it. I’ve got them hooked on it too!
Bravo to the casting director for one of the strongest casts on television. These seemingly disparate characters work due to the brilliant casting leading to the brilliant acting. Bravo!
I love this show! As many have mentioned, it is a great bunch of actors/actresses that have come together along with excellent writing and directing. It is so unjust that only those of us paying a premium for Showtime get to see it! I can’t wait for season 2 and PLEASE, make the show an hour!
I never blog, but I had to jump on this one. Zoey is THE funniest and most refreshing character I’ve seen in a long time. I hope we see a lot more of her next season. She’s built up some nerves with Jackie, (like when she announced, with an attitude, she’d gotten all of the boring cases that day). Hoping to see her “Buck up” to the Dr. in next season!
Yup, cant wait for the next season! good show!
Nurse Jackie owns HawthoRNe all the way. I watch both the shows and theyre both good but Nurse jackie is the more down to earth show. HawthoRNe is more of the fairytale hospital work you here about and Nurse Jackie shows the true hardships of working in the ED of a busy city. I work in an emergency room as an intern and i know from experience that nurse jackie is definetly the closest to what a day in the life of an ER really is
Mad Props Showtime!!!!
Nurse Jackie is a disgrace to all nurses.Nurses are not allowed to talk to patients,doctors ,etc,the way she does or we would be fired.I have been a nurse for 41 years& hospitals today consider patients as customers. W e must take verbal& physical abuse daily.We are told to suck it up so the hospitals get good scores.Nurses are not allowed to call out or they receive hell.we are told to come in.The shows on nurses today are not reflective of true nursing!What happened to respect for all!
Then we sit around and wonder why there are so many failed marriages, failed relationships, and generally so many miserable human beings on the planet?! Only two detractors of such vile conduct; that is being broadcast as “normal” and “real”, and the response to one of these people is to “Go Away”?! This is not only a disgrace to the profession, it is dangerous to society, but I guess, humanity prefers lawlessness and chaos over decency and order any day. Pssh! The day I die can’t come soon enough to leave this wretched nasty place!