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26 reviews in total

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59 out of 74 people found the following review useful:
An Instant Hit!, 2 June 2009

Author: yossarian100 from usa

I work with Nurses and Edie Falco does Nurse Jackie perfectly. Earthy, gritty, with hard hitting humor and heartbreaking drama. Sure, it may be derivative but it's seriously well done, and realistic, too.

I loved the first episode and they had me five minutes in. That's pretty amazing. I already feel like I've known Nurse Jackie for years, I understand her, I feel what she feels, and I know why she feels that way.

You guys did that with one episode. I'm impressed.

Even the supporting characters seem real, as well as the patients, and nothing comes across as rushed or hurried. The director is taking his time, getting it right.

I'm sure this will be an instant hit.

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36 out of 51 people found the following review useful:
Nurse Jackie can give me a sponge-bath any day! Just hands off my pain meds!, 31 May 2009
Author: GeddyKat from United States

WOW. I watched episode 1 of Nurse Jackie this morning OnDemand. I LOVE her INSTANTLY! Edie Falco has brought to life a character I can really enjoy. The supporting cast is not full of stereo-typicals, and they compliment the show. I am so looking forward to next weeks' episode! I have heard a lot of comparisons of Nurse Jackie to Dr Gregory House. I doubt any of these critics watched the show. Being injured & dependent on Pain Meds is where the likeness ends. Dr. House is a louse. Nurse Jackie CARES. She has HEART. She FEELS. The show reminds me of the original E/R from way-back-when. The one with Elliot Gould, Jason Alexander & baby-face ACE...a young George Clooney. I really enjoyed that show too.

If the show were real, I would trust Nurse Jackie with my life...just not my Pain Medication. Please give this show a real chance & watch it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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28 out of 38 people found the following review useful:
Outspoken. Raw and visually revealing blended with laughs, yet at the same time it's touching and emotional., 9 June 2009

Author: Danny Blankenship from Petersburg, Virginia

I must say give a big thumbs up for the new hit Showtime series "Nurse Jackie" which features one of the best and most hard working TV actresses around Edie Falco. Unlike Edie's award winning days as Carmela Soprano the elegant and naive mob housewife on HBO's "The Sopranos" this time her character is more blue collar yet she still has a dark nature to her no matter how caring she is. Edie is Jackie Peyton a nurse who charms and lights it up in this dark natured and raw funny comedy series one of the better made for TV in a long time.

Jackie is tough and outspoken and tells the doctors like it is in the ER she certainly has a caring heart for all patients. Yet she's hardly a saint her life and work doesn't come without problems for one she's trying to cope with a bad back that gives her chronic pain. This problem has lead her to become a pill popping and snorting addict which the scenes vividly display. Also she's having a bump and grind love affair with the hospital pharmacist(Paul Schulze)who's also her pill provider. Also the drama is always at an interesting and tense pacing while she deals with Dr. Cooper(Peter Facinelli)who's a cocky young hotshot who thinks he knows it all. Plus juggling a friendship with a gay nurse and fellow co worker Mo-Mo(Haaz Sleiman)as with most jobs she also puts up with a wicked witch of a supervisor who's watches her every move and turn while she trains up and coming nurses. And to top all that off she has her marriage to manage with hubby(Dominic Fumusa)and plus raise her two daughters.

So that sounds like some interesting stuff for the goings and happenings of a New York city hospital and it shows that this is one nurse with a complex and mixed up life. As always Falco shines and the supporting cast blends in well, it looks like Showtime has found another winner for a TV series. This is one drama that shows the pains and drama stress of real life and it shows how it's connected with work life something that many can relate to. So big thumbs up for this smart, outspoken, and visually raw and emotionally affecting new series.

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30 out of 42 people found the following review useful:
Best show on TV, 4 August 2009

Author: william-351 from Los Angeles

I saw an ad for this series and didn't think I would like it. And it turned out it has the most brilliant pilot in my opinion. I love the subtle, undertone jokes. The drama is quite real, unlike, soap-opera "grey's anatomy." You get enough taste of every character and the things that nurses would have to deal with their job. I think the script is brilliantly written. If you expect typical hospital drama, you may not like this show. The humor is off-beat and quirky. This is the only show that I eagerly wait each week. Great characters and casts. I just wish the episodes are longer than 30 minutes and more than 10/12 episodes a season. I'm a big fan.

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19 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
Seems to be Getting Better as It Goes Along...., 14 July 2009

Author: ConDeuce from United States

I thought Showtime's new series"Nurse Jackie" started off with good intentions and held promise but truth be known, I had little faith in it. It felt like a vehicle for its star, Edie Falco and though I respect her work, I couldn't understand how she could allow herself to get involved with a show that felt a little half baked.

Now a little over a month since its premiere, I'm warming up to a lot (but not all) of "Nurse Jackie" and it's not just because of Falco. The eccentricities are feeling less forced and more integrated. A lot of the actors are really coming into focus and are more appealing. I particularly like Merritt Wever's Zoey Barkow, a trainee nurse under Falco's seasoned Nurse Jackie. She's soft, likable and sincere without being cloying. She's cute in an unforced way. We root for her through our understanding of being in her shoes more than once (the newbie amongst the vets). Wever gets us on her side subtly without forcing any of her bits. She's a real charmer. Eve Best's Dr O'Hara is another winner. Like a lot of my initial reaction to "Nurse Jackie", I thought her character being British was just too much "odd-ballness" for one show that seemed to be trying too hard to be offbeat. But like Wever, she's showing shadings in her character without over doing it (i.e. the episode where she saved the twin brother. Her acceptance of the twin's artwork was priceless. She showed that she understood how clueless she was in how to handle the situation but handled it anyway.) And the dinner conversation between her and Zoey was inspired. Her reaction to Zoey's revelation about her father being in prison for manslaughter was priceless and made me laugh out loud. I'm not completely sold on Anna Deavere Smith's Gloria Akalitis but I think I'm getting there. The shrill, office administrator part can be a difficult one to play. It can become one note very quickly. I don't really like her pratfalls such as her being zapped by the taser. They seem beneath her and don't work. On the male side, "Nurse Jackie" has been even more of a mixed bag. Haaz Sleiman's 'Mo-Mo' is fine. He's a solid, believable presence. Anyone who has worked with a homosexual man knows that he's getting it right. Peter Facinelli's Dr. Fitch Cooper (or "Coop", as he's insisting people call him) is a good, live wire. Unlike Noah Wyle's Dr. John Carter on "ER", (who seemed to be falling asleep even as his stories became more and more super melodramatic) "Coop" is very much alive and seemingly off kilter. Like Dr. O'Hara, I didn't (and don't) like his supposed tourette syndrome habit of grabbing women when he was stressed as it felt (and feels) too forced. But as a character (and thanks to Facinelli's performance), he's more than one note. I'm not thrilled with the other two male characters in the show: Paul Schulze's Eddie Walzer and Jackie's husband, played by Dominic Fumusa. Schulze's Eddie is the hospital pharmacist who is "prescribing" Jackie the drugs (painkillers) that she's seen taking at regular intervals and is having a sexual relationship with. There's something about Jackie's drug habit and her affair that doesn't ring true in the show. Perhaps it looked good on paper, to give Jackie a very specific quirk. But as played, it's feels out of place. Eddie's role is underwritten: we're not sure what Jackie's real feelings are for him: drugs, sex, both? When none of them really seem to be that important to her, his role feels unnecessary. As for her husband, Kevin, Dominic Fumusa is too good looking to be believable. He's a romance novel authors idea of a husband rather than the reality that someone in Jackie's situation would likely be in. He's too much the stay at home father (though he owns a bar), painfully aware of his eldest daughter's anxieties and trying to make Jackie aware of it. I think the writers were trying for a gender role reversal here by having Jackie be the one who is cheating while Kevin is the doting, attentive caregiver but it's not really working. It's not Fumusa's fault (though he's bland) but more Falco's. Falco's Nurse Jackie may well have been envisioned as a depiction of a flawed but human women trying to balance so much in her life that she's resorted to drug use to get through her day. The show as well as the role, has the feel of being workshopped: the actors might have been able to work with the writers in developing all the elements of their respective characters. While that's fine, what one actor thinks might make for an interesting character to play doesn't always project that way to the audience. Nurse Jackie's no slouch. We're with her right from the start. She's strong, committed and human to us and it is immediately apparent. We don't need the additions of obvious flaws like the drug use and the affair to tell us that. All of this is thanks to Falco. With those expressive, yearning eyes, she's got the weary look of someone who's been through (and seen) a lot but still has the time and patience to care even if she's spent.

Watching "Nurse Jackie" is like watching a tight rope walker: I'm hoping for the best, that the show will make it across while at the same time, I won't be surprised if it falls apart because the whole show is trying something new and not conventional. For that, we should be thankful. I'm just hoping it does not turn out to be a one season wonder.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Jackie Goes To Rehab?, 3 April 2012

Author: italo505 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

She's a drug addict, a cheating wife, a mother of two troubled daughters… Oh, and did I mention she's also a nurse? Eddie Falco stars as Nurse Jackie from All Saints Hospital where she's an outstanding, yet very unorthodox nurse: She's flushed a patient's severed finger down the toilet, given free meds to patients that can't afford them, helped terminally ill patients die mercifully… And I'm not even talking about the new season which premieres on April 8th on Showtime.

In the season 4 opener, Greenday's lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong has a brief cameo as an addict that Jackie plans to have a sexual encounter in her own home now that she's "home alone". As you may recall, her husband Kevin (Dominic Fumusa) has left home after confessing he also cheated on her in the shocking last season finale. Let's just say that things don't go very well for Billie so Jackie reaches out for her best friend Dr. O'Hara (Eve Best) as well as the hilariously chirpy Zoey (Merritt Wever) and her paramedic boyfriend Lenny (Lenny Jacobson).

The events that take place lead Jackie to make a very important and overdue decision that she should have done a long time ago: she checks herself into rehab. It's not an easy decision to make because she believes to be on top of her addiction. Another crisis is brewing when Jackie exits rehab in 28 days (if she even lasts that long) and gets confronted by her husband after he finds out the truth about Jackie's infidelity.

Meanwhile over at All Saints Hospital, things have been shaken up by a new visitor Mike Cruz (Bobby Cannavale) that threatens to take over Gloria's (Anna Deavere Smith) supervisory position and make some radical changes around. Jackie doesn't leave a good impression on Mike Cruz since their first casual meeting so he will do whatever he it takes to get rid of her.

Phew… Where are those pills when you need them!!!

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
First six episodes..., 4 January 2013

Author: Awfully-Big-Adventure from United Kingdom

Halfway through season one and I have developed an unexpected fondness for this dry, subtle and somewhat dark medical drama.

The show is centred around tough and candid Nurse Jackie who juggles her work, boyfriend, husband and kids all whilst dealing with her secret addiction to pain killers.

Nurse Jackie moves away from the typical soap opera territory where many hospital based dramas reside and in so, does not rely on outrageous medical situations nor heroic, attractive doctors to capture its viewers.

The true triumph of Nurse Jackie is its intriguing characters and outstanding acting, without exception, from the cast.

Edie Falco portrays every dimension of her character with real conviction. Despite Jackie's complicated domestic life and obvious addiction, she is a surprisingly stable and strong character. Just six episodes in and I'm gripped by her story.

Alongside Falco, Merritt Weaver plays enthusiastic nursing student Zoe. Impressionable and talkative, Zoe renders a perfect counterpart to Jackie and has provided some of the shows funniest moments. Eva Best plays Jackie's best friend and eccentric British Doctor Eleanor O'Hara. Much like Jackie, O'Hara is contempt and bitter yet instantly likable. Another great performance comes from Peter Facinelli who plays Fitch Cooper, a new doctor who is confident and smug despite his inappropriate groping impulse.

Whilst I am a big fan of the beautiful doctor love-fest that is Grey's Anatomy and the laugh-a-minute cry-a-minute comedy drama Scrubs, Nurse Jackie (so far) is a refreshing change of pace from typical medical dramas. The show is dark yet hilarious with outlandish yet realistic characters. The episodes are well measured in their half-hour slot, each with individual and on-going stories.

Nurse Jackie maybe lacklustre for fans of hard-hitting, edge-of-seat dramas, however the show is smart and gritty and certainly has potential.

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Still Good, 9 March 2013

Author: Orange Jones from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Season one and season two were great. You fall in love with the short-haired, tough and doesn't get jacked-around with nurse, Jackie. It's exciting, it's fun and ... it's a growing culmination of events that are so deliciously great as they go on but you know they cannot last. It's exciting, her life is alive, she commands authority, and she learns to play the rules to get the job done.

Now, after season 4, I will say that they did a good job of growing it and taking it to a new level. It doesn't have that same zest, badassery and excitement or edge that it did at the outset. We'll see where they take it for season 5.

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1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Great Season 1..but season 2 not as great., 13 March 2011

Author: copperncherrio from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

An addict to her job and painkillers, Jackie Peyton (Edie Falco) is an emergency room nurse at All Saints' Hospital in New York City. Despite her personal indiscretions, she handles doctors, nurses, and patients with stable grace. Nurse, addict, mother, wife, we wait and watch as Jackie's secrets unravels before our eyes.

Review during Season 2: Needless to say, all the characters in Nurse Jackie are lovable. They deliver funny lines but play mostly as Jackie's confidant. Sadly enough, besides Jackie and her best friend, Doctor O'Hara, we only have a glimpse to the other character's history. Hopefully as season two progresses, the other characters will develop some drama of their own. I am just too greedy. After all, the name of the show is Nurse Jackie.

*Vanity note: As much as I love Edie Falco, she looks very butch in her short hair cut. In season two, she looking more Ellen with her tan and highlights. Just when I lose a bit of hope, she surprises me with her rocking body: modest boobs but tight figure. Doctor O'Hara is my professional dress fashion icon.

Review during Season 1: Currently my favorite new running comedy!

Looking at the posters scampered around the Internet and the city, Nurse Jackie (Edie Falco) looks like a butch and bitter nurse, but something about the poster is intellectually seductive and I was hooked from the start! Overworked and secretive,Nurse Jackie hands out her own view of justice, while crossing major ethical boundaries. Adultery, drug addictions, and well written adult comedy is what you would find with this gem of a show. Another Showtime success! Just think of her as the female dramatized version of Dr. Perry Ulysses Cox of Scrubs: a veteran of the medical field still caring and mentoring with a pills to keep her going.

The plot carries from episode to episode with excellent writing, character development, and acting… award winning acting that is. Nurse Jackie encompass interest without unthinkable scenarios of inter-sex orgy found Grey's Anatomy, the chronically irrelevant plot of Scrubs, and …yes… another inter-sex orgy, soap opera of developing douche bags on Nip/Tuck (a show I loved once… for season 1 & 2 only, after season 2 it was a gang bang of drama, not the pleasant jerk off gang-bang to but dark and deary back alley possible STD infected ones).

My favorite character thus far is Eve Best's Dr. O'Hara, Jackie's best friend. She's is spoiled with taste and money, but upfront, funny, and astoundingly sincere. She's very similar to Sandra Oh on Grey's Anatomy, but better dressed and not so cold and contest driven. O'Hare is a doctor that I would want and a friend any girl (such as myself) would love to have.

Each episode starts and ends with character narration (also found the Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives,Scrubs just to mention a few). Instead of the pure heartfelt conclusion with a character pan tying each character to an metaphoric observation, Nurse Jackie displays brutally beautiful truth of herself (most of which is peppered with a realistic view of herself). So far each character is intriguing and unique…. not to say that I have yet to be introduced to a straight male nurse… but fingers crossed!

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1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
another excellent performance by Edie Falco, 16 February 2011

Author: T R from Australia

When I heard that Edie Falco was in another TV drama I definitely had to check it out. I had hoped the writing was good, and I wasn't disappointed. Edie Falco as Nurse Jackie is brilliant as usual. She was great in The Sopranos and she doesn't disappoint in this. She is so gifted, she could make an alphabet recitation interesting. The character Jackie is troubled, complex and caring and she draws you in. The storyline is complex as I'm sure the character arcs will be.

It's refreshing to see a drama with the central focus on a nurse. I tire of the hero worship of doctors on TV and film. Obviously many TV and film writers have little idea generally speaking of what most hospital doctors are like. I can appreciate certain parts of this show since I have been an RN myself for many years. Nurses of course are highly under-appreciated and underpaid.

Eve Best also plays an excellent character as Dr. Eleanor O'Hara. I look forward to her appearance each episode.

This is not a hospital soap opera like "Greys Anatomy" or "ER". It's quirky and complex. I am really looking forward to this show having a long run. I hope Edie Falco continues to get quality roles in her career. She is remarkable.

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