After weeks of buzz and excitement, Nurse Jackie finally premiered last night, and as expected, star Edie Falco was, you know, excellent, and the show clearly has the balls to make her character interesting. She’s a no-nonsense ER nurse with a pill-popping problem. Somewhat unfortunately, everyone else on the show could be swapped in from an episode of ER, Grey’s, St. Elsewhere, Nurses, Chicago Hope, Green Wing, or the upcoming Mercy: the hotshot doctor is an incompetent jerk, and the new nurse is super naive. How totally unlike other hospital shows!
Showtime is touting Jackie as a “dark comedy,” but I didn’t get that aspect of it at all; it played more like House or Dexter to me than anything humorous. Yeah, there are some shenanigans — an inappropriate boob-grab, a casual Heimlich maneuvering — but I’d call the show a stylized drama before I’d call it a comedy.
Complaints aside, I can’t wait to see more episodes. There’s a lot of potential here, and as the show grows into its voice a bit more, it could be great, especially with Falco getting so much screen time. EW TV critic Ken Tucker seems to agree with me: “With Falco front and center, you don’t really care if Nurse Jackie gets silly, as with the patient whose cat attacked his scrotum (er, eek). You just want to keep on watching Jackie snort and snicker her way through another day and make it home with a tired smile.” (Check out the rest of Ken’s review.)
Did you watch last night? What’d you think? Did it feel like a “dark comedy” or more like a drama? Or maybe we’ve just had enough hospital dramas for one lifetime?
But aren’t House or Dexter really “dark comedies”?
ste, you are right. house and dexter are dark comedies even though i think they are technically billed as “dramas”. sometimes dexter’s humor is so dark and disturbing people don’t get it.
I haven’t seen a nurse wearing a cap in 25 years.
I loved the episode, I usually steer clear of anything with lawyers, doctors or freaking cops cuz that seems to be all tv networks can produce but ever since I saw the promos, there just was something about this show that wink at you.
the little twist at the end was good and can’t wait to see more.
Wow, I really loved this! The humor is definitely dark but I found it still accessible, and it totally reeled me in. More Nurse Jackie!
I tell you what, with Dexter and Weeds and Californicatino and United States of Tara and now Nurse Jackie, Showtime is quickly becoming my favorite channel on the dial. Go Showtime!
Wow, Nurse Jacki is looking good! I need a probe! http://www.cuteguysandgirls.com/
I ABSOLUTELY HATE HER EXTRA-MARITAL AFFAIR. I’ll quit watching if she can’t get her act together quickly. Those two cute lil’ girls and a wonderful husband? It’s not right and I won’t support it.
Impossible not to compare it to House, I think it has promise/potential so I will stick with it. I love the line “god, make me good, but not yet”
@Adriene Escoe
You seriously need to calm down and take a pill. it’s a tv show, stop projecting.
The twist at the end was EXACTLY the same as the first ep of Mad Men. Not impressed.
what do you think’s gonna be better – nurse jackie or the new jada pinkett smith show hawthorne? i would say nurse jackie hands down, but the jada can bring it so and stranger things have happened, so…
The first episode was really captivating and I am already really excited about this show! Edie Falco was a brilliant casting choice and this show will definitely showcase her talent.
Showtime is now my favorite network with shows like Weeds, United States of Tara and Dexter. H.B. Who anyone?
There is a reason nurses don’t wear caps anymore. They are a carrier of germs- going from patient to patient.
Most hospitals leave a stethoscope in the pt room rather than take them from room to room again spreading infection.
I hate medical shows that are so far out of touch
I have to confess I haven’t seen the show, but from the reviews and promos I can tell you that as a nurse with 30+ years of experience: her attitude seems incompatible with the collaborative nature of health care. And she would definitely get caught with her hands in the drug cookie jar. Also, in this era of severe and worsening nurse shortages, I think it is deplorable to showcase this drug-addicted, caustic person as a role model. She may not be intended to be, but it happens.
I just watched the 1st episode. What a disappointment. I love Edie Falco but this show is a piece of junk and lacks technical accuracy. The major problem is that non medical viewers may think that all nurses are like Nurse Jackie. The Nurse Jackie show is offensive and insulting to nursing professionals who work so hard to achieve credibility and professional respect. If I used the F word as much as Nurse Jackie does I would be fired, not to mention falsifying an organ donor card, allowing a student nurse to take pictures of a patient’s injury with her camera phone (privacy violation), getting it on with a pharmacist in a supply room, or snorting stuff up her her nose etc. Nurses need to complain about this show. I wasn’t expecting Mother Theresa in scrubs but this is like Carmella Soprano goes to nursing school. I intend to contact nursing web sites and publications to voice my disappointment with the way that nursing is portrayed on this show.