Hawthorne (TV Series 2009–2011) Poster

(2009–2011)

User Reviews

Review this title
36 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
7/10
Love this show
helenadair3230 August 2020
I just begin this series today, I have passed it by for years, because I thought it would be boring, imo, it's a great show Jada is fabulous and believable, however the character as her daughter to me, is a good actor just not believable as her daughter, she definitely doesn't look like a teen in high school, a college freshmen, yes, but that's why I gave 7 stars for that reason, Jada is intelligent, a great mom, empathetic, sympathetic, kind, and a great friend, in this role, she's also ruff and tuff when she has to be but still professional. I also feel the rest of the cast work well together in this series, I wish I would of watched in 2009 when it began.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Good show but not Great!
macknic6 February 2021
Good show but not great because I did not like Season 3. I dont like how the writers put Christina and Tom apart. The writers started off season 3 with an intense impact and that turned me off. I love love seasons 1 & 2. They should return the show but with a new twist. Leave out that Nick character. That character was awful.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Worst main character ever
Kijofreg8 April 2019
Christina Hawthorne is the most selfish, manipulative, condescending main character I have ever seen! The way she thinks she's always right and won't ever take no for an answer, and the way she constantly breaks rules because SHE thinks the rules are stupid... Just... UGH! I can't stand her. I added an extra star for Bobby and Kelly. Oh, and the show itself is uninteresting at best.
6 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Finally, a show about Nurses
kevinisha11117 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
First, let me express my excitement at Jada Pinkett-Smith's return to television after 18 long years. The wait is over and this comeback is definitely a good one! Jada portrays Christina Hawthorne a nurse, widow, and mother still grieving over the death of her husband. In one of the first scenes you could immediately tell the devotion of this character to her patients as she takes a house-call from a patient attempting suicide. I have to say that it is a bit calculating because it's very easy to guess what an outcome will be; nonetheless, the show is very promising with a strong headliner like Jada. Yes, it's another medical drama that gives an ER-like feel, so many may feel it isn't original, but that is what I love about this show. No it isn't an original idea, but it gives audiences the chance to experience televised, hospital drama through the nurse's perspective. I also like the fact that there are many different ethnicities depicted in this drama which is also one of the reasons why I love Grey's Anatomy. I admit, my opinion is a bit biased because of my admiration for Jada, and medical TV shows, but in all honesty I believe this show is great and it is an excellent addition to TNT's already amazing lineup.
31 out of 63 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2/10
I'm over this show
dawh17 July 2011
Over the years there have been a number of hospital shows whose basic premise goes something like this: Hospitals have very strict rules and protocols about who may do what. These rules and protocols generally make sick people sicker. But once in a while some really daring hospital employee, a renegade doctor, a nurse fresh out of school, breaks the rules and saves people's lives, but he or she has an uphill fight to do it, because the hospital administrator, the chief of surgery, the ethics committee, the mayor, or whoever, does everything to prevent it, even knowing (and not caring) that lives are at stake. I for one don't buy that premise. I have been a hospital patient several times, and real hospitals do a very good job by following their rules and protocols. This is just one more show of the type I described. And to make matters worse, it's just bogged down in the personal lives of the characters. I like a good hospital show, but this is not one.
20 out of 26 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
This is TERRIFIC!!
sammikat00725 July 2010
I see by other reviews that this is one of those love-it or hate-it kinda shows & I'm definitely in the LOVE IT camp! Jada Pinkett-Smith is at the top of her form & so is the rest of the cast. I know some reviewers on this site don't seem to like the fact that the show centers around its title character, but PLEASE. I don't find Mrs. Smith's portrayal anything short of a FLAWLESS portrayal of a flawed person. She doesn't always have the answers, either. Sometimes her methods don't work the way she wants them to & she recognizes it. Other characters are given plenty of screen time as well as plot lines and this show is a breath of fresh air for the hospital drama genre! Keep it coming TNT, this is your best original program EVER!!
15 out of 28 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
going downhill
cal194622 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The first two seasons were OK, I like Michael Vartan and most of the other actors did credible jobs, portraying what it must be like to work in the frenetic atmosphere of saving lives in a hospital. The new season is quite different. The writers have changed direction and the show feels like what I would expect General Hospital to feel like, all about the personnel and very little about the patients. Christine is attacked and remembers the ring the attacker wore, which the Detective Nick presents to her at the end of the episode, no explanation. The second episode mentions the ring but nothing else is said. Morrissey replaces Christine as CNO and will not tell her what he has done or why he has done so. The show feels disjointed, too many story threads left unfinished, too many characters missing with no explanation and not enough medical and too much angst. Michael buys a gun with no explanation. Camile is changed into a vamp who has to be taught how to pray...Come on. I hope they can get the show back on track.
10 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Just what I'd hoped it would be.
Emmjewels5 August 2009
A special word of "Thanks" to Jada, Michael Vartan, and the rest of this wonderful cast. It's been a pleasure to see a truly uplifting show, which gets "better" week after week, with some surprise endings I couldn't even imagine.

Don't worry if others put you down, say you're not worth watching, or any other comments like this, as the exact same thing has been said about other shows that have turned out to be 'rare jewels'. I wait in anticipation every time Tuesday roles around, just so I (and quite a few others) can see what's coming next.

Keep your heads up, your prayers towards God and heaven, and let the 'true' fans of your show, show you just how much they enjoy what you're doing. "Nursing at it's very best, fun also included!" Thanks to one and all.
19 out of 44 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
Ugh
skeptic-phd30 July 2010
Seriously, does anybody believe that a chief nursing officer has time for patients? In the real world, even the nurses have to make an appointment to see her.

Where is your budget headache Christina?

How many JCAHO issues do you have on your plate to resolve?

What sort of feathers are you pursuing for the nursing caps? Magnet? Speciality certifications? Anything???

In all the hospitals I've worked, I have NEVER seen the CNO on a first name basis with patients and families or even the staff beyond her circle of management nurses. If a family has a complaint, it goes to the patient care advocate, not the CNO. Sure, RN is the first in the list of alphabet soup behind her name, but you can bet your *** you'll find MBA in there too. CNO is not a "nurse" position, it is an executive position.

Ridiculous show and an insult to real nurses who get how it is in the real world.
26 out of 38 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Hawthorne: Exceptional Show. Bring It Back Jada and John Masius!!!
chrisonlineofficial31 December 2019
Hawthorne was an Exceptional Show despite other audience reviews and critics, Jada Pinkett-Smith Nailed this and she was indeed fierce in this one. Hawthorne was dramatic, romantic, different, and fresh. The entire cast was also great and a big thanks to John Masius for creating such an outstanding show for those who love drama and of course nurses. Some audience may feel this show was boring, too much over acting, or whatever they feel, but you're missing out. Everyone loves Jada and every show and movie she has been in has been a must watch because we love seeing her on screen and Hawthorne was another side of her in my point of view. I agree with most Jada's performance in Hawthorne was epic and flawless. This show is a must own and a must watch. Hawthorne should've continued on longer than three seasons after the ending of the episode "A Shot in the Dark". Jada and John Masius should bring Hawthorne back for sure.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Awesome Drama
young-erika6511 May 2019
Bring back Hawthorne!!! Even though it's 2019. A lot of Angry Viewers/Fans were very unhappy about the cancellation of this show. Each episode was so good. We could not wait until next weeks episode of Hawthorne. Jada Is a Phenomenal Actress. Never disappoints in any role.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
Nurses are better than doctors
auntydle18 August 2010
I wanted to like this show but I was completely turned off by Christina's behavior in the first major scene of the pilot episode.

I figure we were supposed to be cheering her on. After all, she's a crusader (maverick, rebel, whatever) who cares more about the patient than the rules. Because the rules are stupid, right? Never mind that she didn't have her id badge and looked like a lunatic, barefoot and unkempt, that night. If someone comes crashing through a security checkpoint in any building, and has no ID, they will be arrested. Seriously, what did she expect? Christina does whatever she feels is best for the patient, never mind the doctors, rules, or laws for that matter.

I saw a bit of another episode and it was more of the same crap. A friend of Christina's had a sick baby and was allowed to skip to the front of the line. The doctor who tried to follow protocol is an a$$ who doesn't really care about the patients.

Her behavior is supposed to be seen as courageous, I guess, because she's bucking a system that doesn't really work. But her methods aren't about changing the system. She only helps individual patients with their immediate problems. It's a sad truth that the only way to change a system is through the administration. So she's basically disregarding the best way to help the majority of the patients for the satisfaction of showing up an single doctor or administrator.
22 out of 32 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Intense and riveting
maltesemom-0440229 January 2022
Jada and a few others were outstanding in this series. I have watched it a second time. Jada was excellent as the RN and her skill and talents as an actress supercedes any female I've watched. She is an extraordinary actress. I am disappointed they ended the series in 3 seasons. I hope to see her in another series in the future. If not, it's wasted talent! Kudos to the entire cast for their hard work in bringing this to the screen. I loved it.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2/10
Over Acting Defined
SpokaneMan10 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I will probably sound like a hater in this review, but please understand that I have really, REALLY tried to like this show. I also understand that reviews are simply one person's opinion - even though I may have strong feelings, I don't discount the enjoyment others may get out of this show. My wife likes it, and so I have continued to watch it with her. Please consider this my vent about my feeling on this show that I can't say to her! Also, I seem to remember liking the first season a lot more than the current season. OK, my gripes: 1. OVER/BAD ACTING - Seriously, the acting is just horrible. I think the actors are probably good, so perhaps it's direction? Regardless, it just seems over the top and cheesy most of the time. I could start pulling out examples, but really, any segment between commercials will bear this out.

2. DISJOINTED STORY LINES - The plot is all over the place, with situations coming and going without any cohesion. I saw another reviewer call this out with examples, so I won't reinvent that wheel. However, last night's episode, with the creepy guy with the beard and the ring showing up at the hospital and the funeral. It's like these people are dogs or babies; the moment something/someone leaves their purview it's like it doesn't exist for them anymore.

3. WTF Christina?? - I am just not getting the whole cheating on her husband thing. The time line is disjointed, so I can't get a bead on how long she and her new husband have actually been married. However, I have lost respect for her character over that. I know, I know, it's fiction, but still, you're actually supposed to like the protagonist in a story. Horrible acting aside, any validity her character had just went down the drain for me.

4. AN ENTIRE SEASON OF HAWTHORNE NOT BEING AN RN - I thought the HawthoRNe was the entire point of the series, and yet the writers have effectively kept her out of the hospital (as a staff person) for an entire season. And the fact that her boss dismissed her for the most ridiculous of reasons (because she was attacked on their property??) and this doesn't become a major plot line is beyond me. These people could be working in a brokerage firm for the amount of actual patient care they were shown doing this season.

Okay, I'll stop. Again, this is the pent up frustration of watching this show for nearly the entire second season hoping/praying it will get better, only to be disappointed more each episode. I typically look forward to season finales, but not usually just so the pain will end.
10 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Review Time
Tactrix18 August 2010
OK first lets address all the hate thats been floating around this show, all I've seen from the people who hate it is whining about how its none believable and how there are whiny characters, but none of you actually watched more then 1 episode! Next time watch some storyline before giving a review.

Now on with the review. This show is about nurses who advocate for their patience, yes they do tend to go a little overboard here and there but people this is a drama, it's not drama if it's exactly as bland as real life is it? Hawthorne is the head nurse of an hospital that has as many different personalities as it has problems, the cast is solid for their jobs although it's my personal belief that someone should give the new people a little more credit then being a complete Bambi and not knowing anything at all, in all these shows they seem to just float around endlessly(they went to school too give them credit). As for the drama part of this show its all intertwined around lost love and new relationships, nothing out of the ordinary. All and all I give this show a 8/10 good cast, good acting, need some more plot points.
7 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
too bad to live
morganshs9918 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
God, I loathe this show. I've given it 3 watchings and it just gets worse and worse. Please, don't anybody think this is representative of any real nurses in any real hospital on the planet Earth. Nurses, especially ER nurses, do not have time to discuss their "relationships" at length while at work, or interfere in patients personal lives. That male nurse and the blonde nurse are both so dumb its amazing they ever got through nursing school. And why does Jada Pinkett Smith walk around with a mean, don't-cross-me look all the time? Unless of course she is being the patron saint of all nurses. Here's a recent exchange in the last episode: Patient: You really can perform miracles! Hawthorne: I try! Lord - hand me a bucket, projectile vomiting will commence in 5 seconds!
28 out of 48 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Really, really, really, really bad.
Isle197022 May 2010
I gave this 2 stars because I think the basic premise is admirable - a show about the contribution and perspective of nurses. But that is unfortunately not what this program delivers.

I love Will Smith, but I believe it is his clout that created this show for Jada - and it is his clout that just got the thing renewed for another season. I like Jada, but she is a one-dimensional actress: beautiful, feisty, independent woman who gets things done. You can't build an interesting drama when that is the gist of every episode.

I had a bad feeling from the previews, this feeling was supported by the weak pilot, and the fact that I haven't made it through another episode has solidified it.

Though I now watch more cable programs than network, I have never been taken by The Closer or Saving Grace. I'm sorry, but southern accents radiate up and down my spine like Styrofoam on a chalk board. But those programs utilize interesting supporting casts and story lines in such a way that the lead character seems truly involved in an event. With Hawthorne, everything seems plotted to give the title character a chance to flex her muscle and sainthood.

If they insist on keeping this show on, I would suggest an overhaul. Send daughter off to college and lets see her once or twice a season. More about the other nurses and their job performances. Maybe a nurse with a suspected drug problem. A nurse in crisis because they may have made the wrong career choice (can't handle the death aspect of the job). Is there a thin blue line among nurses like there is with cops? Between doctors and nurses? Between or amongst hospitals? How about an impostor nurse snatching some baby out of NICU on her watch and the political fallout from that; etc.

There is just so much that could be done to EDUCATE people about the impact those types of events on our nursing staff and to let their story stand apart from the group dynamic of the "medical community".

This review is longer than anticipated, but yeah-as it stands, I recommend passing this show right on by.
17 out of 36 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Lame season 1, brilliant season 2!
vus2926 August 2010
This show was pretty dire for the first season. God knows, if i had to wait a whole week to watch each episode, i would be slating it just like a fair number of reviews. Fortunately, i got through that first season in one sitting. Nothing at all memorable. Things have picked up though this second season. A lot more character development. Less of a focus on Nurse Hawthorne. Entertainment galore. Love interests which had the wife shouting at the TV urging the progression of relationships. Cliff hangers leaving you wanting more, more thought evident on the scriptwriting. Whilst the first season was definitely broke, they went away and fixed it. Am definitely looking forward to season 3. In football, they would call it a show of two seasons.
4 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
if you want creative and fresh TV go somewhere else
donfischi15 September 2009
this show is everything but creative. that alone is not enough to call it bad, but when it also lacks realistic or at least believable tension and interesting main characters you can call it bad in my opinion.

the main character has all character treats of a saint - and i mean that in a bad way: she is the caring mother, the heartbroken widow, the funny and loyal friend, the tough but also caring (again) chief nurse who bends and breaks the rules when it is called for, but only then. she is also nearly always right, makes no mistakes and stands up against the arrogant doctors. all way to perfect to be interesting and really likable.

the story lines also seem to be written only to show her holiness in the right light. even if she makes a mistake, it all turns out OK, everyone forgives her when she apologizes at once and all is well again. that leaves pretty little room for serious character development too, unless you want to destroy this picture of a model citizen.

the only good thing i can say about this show, is that some side characters are made of better material. but even most of them are textbook stereotypes and even solid acting can save little when there is nothing to save to begin with.
30 out of 59 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Hawthorne is a 10
jrbboy_200015 June 2010
I was blown away with this great TV series. Jada's character really draws a person in to the show. There is funny and sad and down right drama, but that's what sets the show apart from other hospital shows. I really also like how this show is realistic in its treatments and procedures. Whats really great is the nurses are from all races and backgrounds. This show really opens up new barriers for all races. Jada's character is very influential and is always about the patients and her nurses. Even if Jada has to step on so toes while doing so, that's what makes this show great I would highly recommend this show to anyone that is seeking a great show. If you haven't picked up Season 1 do so you wont regret your choice.
6 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
This Dog Can't Hunt!!
calcynic-27 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
What a disappointment! The cable networks have been programming some excellent shows over the last couple years, but this ain't one of them. What was TNT thinking? TNT has a superb handful of original series, so my anticipation of Hawthorne was pretty intense. What a waste of an hour, what with the bonehead writing and mechanical acting; I shoulda gone to bed. The Christine Hawthorne character is way beyond belief. Her queen of the hospital role is extremely annoying, especially since her crown is just her halo turned upside down. She's infallible, unstoppable, feared, loved and respected by her fellow badly acted cardboard characters. Everything has a too-well scrubbed, artificial look to it. When looking from inside the hospital toward the emergency entrance, the outside looks so fake, it reminds me of the "outside" on the Soupy Sales show or General Hospital. Seal up this smelly mess and shove it in the dumpster. It can keep "Mental" company.
19 out of 36 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Hawthorne
kgreenway5524 March 2015
this show was awesome don't understand why it was took off air. I would love for it to comeback. I wish i knew who else to contact to make it happen . these actors are awesome on this show. TNT was crazy for not continuing it again. i wish they could pick up where the cliff hanger left off. Michael Vartan and Jada Picket Smith were great together. i also thought all the others did a great job. I could see this being as great as Grays Annomy why it wasn't i will never understand. Does anyone know if there is a chance they could comeback? I would like to know what all them are doing now. They were so great together it is hard watching them apart.
2 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
The anti-ER
gfoster613 July 2009
Hawthorne is a bad as ER was good. This show is absolutely not believable. Not unbelievable, but not believable. In the most recent episode, Hawthorne moves an ICU patient to a storeroom. Sure, she moves out the stuff from the storeroom and brings in some nice touches but are we supposed to believe that this is even remotely possible? PLEASE!!! Give me strength. She's supposedly the head nurse of the entire hospital yet she spends half of her time dealing with her whiny semi-delinquent daughter. The daughter character is enough to kill the show on her own but the Hawthorne character seals it's fate. This show is dead, morte, finito. Hopefully soon. Not that I'll waste one more minute on this drivel.
41 out of 87 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Finally a Great Show about the real People who run an ER
Brandy-2817 August 2009
And I have to say, I was stuck to the television set throughout the entire marathon this pass weekend. This show is fantastic. What's so great about it is, that nurses really do run hospitals. You think it's the doctors or the administration. BS. You go to a hospital these days and all you are going to find are nurses, and maybe a doctor or two.

Mrs. Smith is great in this role as the Head of the Nurses in this hospital emergency room. She takes on everything thrown at her. Even her mixed up crazy daughter.

I'm glad TNT picked this show up for another season. One of the best shows this summer!
15 out of 33 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
A student nurse's pov
vchic3321 October 2010
I'm a student nurse studying to be an RN, many would complain that nurse Hawthorne is generic and stereotypical as the model citizen, but, just as the theme of the entire show, she's a hero and a role model. I'm in a class right now that covers all the controversies of nursing, and so far this show has covered so many that I am learning. She may be too good to be true but she is definitely the kind of nurse I strive to be, which I believe is possible, yes we are supposed to stand up to doctors to be patient advocates, yes we get chewed out for it regardless of the fact that all our books teach us to do so. It's nice to see a show setting an example for that profession, one that is often overlooked and highly under-appreciated. It also reveals how much the job affects their outside lives. It does if you don't believe so. It's life consuming.
3 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed