After leaving rehab early, Jackie Peyton (Edie Falco) finds sobriety and relative happiness — but that is the calm before the storm. With her marriage coming to an end, a careless accident sends Jackie to her own All Saints Hospital for emergency care. While recovering, she meets NYC policeman Frank Verelli (Adam Ferrera), whose flirtatious advances may lead Jackie into uncharted territory: dating.
Stepping out of her usual comfort zone, challenged by new colleagues, Jackie faces her one-year sobriety anniversary. She has a lot to be annoyed about a divorce and custody battle, two daughters acting out, and an unexpected new romance. But she faces everything as usual head on and in her own way. And there is plenty of heart with she and the staff of All Saints hospital saving lives and trying to solve the problems of their patients every day.
Some shows falls apart after a few seasons. In fact many studios fire the original script writers once the show is successful to save money, knowing that fans will watch the final one or two seasons out of loyalty and habit. Lucky for us Nurse Jackie is still original, meaningful, complex, beautifully acted, and funny as all get out.
Dr. O’Hara played so well by Eve Best leaves rather abruptly, and I would have loved to see Jackie and Zoey (Emmy winning Merritt Ever) play out longer as roomates, she and Edie Falco as Jackie have a priceless dynamic with Falco’s straight man to Merritt’s zaniness. But that said both new and old characters provide great comedy. It is hard to picture comedy amongst the chaos and tragedy of an urban emergency room but, having worked in one myself it is completely possible.
Another great character is a self centered and vacuous Dr. Carrie Roman who meets her match in equally vain golden boy Dr. Cooper. Jackie is well Jackie, even after giving up the OxyContin, adderal, and Percocet, she is as blunt and irritable as ever. She has a lot to be annoyed about a divorce and custody battle, two daughters acting out, and an unexpected new romance. But she faces everything as usual head on and in her own way. And there is plenty of heart with she and the staff of All Saints hospital saving lives and trying to solve the problems of their patients every day.
Character to watch: Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton.
Journal your answers to the following questions after you watch the series.
- How does this particular character’s journey compare with yours?
- Did the character develop certain characteristics during the movie that you have or that you would like to have? If so, what are those characteristics?
- What obstacles did this character face? What was his or her biggest challenge?
- What would you have done differently if you had been in the same position as the character?
- Is this character the type of person you would be friends with? Why or why not?