Nurse Jackie

I will admit, I didn't have much hopes for this show, due to my own ingrained prejudices. Halfway through season one, I was hooked and now I genuinely think it is one of the best shows I have seen (nothing will ever quite match up to The Wire however). This show is SO funny, dark, serious and perfectly blends gritty drama with laugh out loud comedy.

It is an important show for me for many reasons, Nurse Jackie, played by Edie Falco (incredible) is the first female protagonist I have seen in a while who isn't incredibly hot and 2 dimensionally fleshed out as a character. She is attractive but regular, and most importantly flawed. She is a real woman, a sort of anti-hero. She compares to typical protagonists like Tony Soprano, Walter White and Jimmy McNulty, but is female and it is so refreshing to see realistic representations of women on screen, (along with the support cast).

I've watched it all now, and I can say she does some despicable things, and we get to learn how she works which makes you squirm, but she also does amazing things for her patients. She's an addict.

For me this show wins out on it's portrayal of women as real people with real lives and personalities, and real/representative faces and bodies. Men are also portrayed well, with screen time showing them concerned with their futures as husbands/fathers as well as their careers. This show does really well to subvert the patriarchal traditional stereotype of how we see women and men portrayed on the screen, and I for one have been crying out for a show like this. Amazing! I only wish more shows could be as progressive as this.

Preamble: People complain about the "unrealistic" nature, over the top drama and even the campiness despite going on to love any other movie or tv show. Every piece of literature takes creative license to bend reality. To say this show is bad because it is unrealistic is to say Sherlock Holmes is irredeemably horrible.

Now for the review, the show is unbelievably intriguing, drawing you in to the downfall of Jackie. The campiness contrasts amazingly with the horrifically dark storyline. Jackie is not a "strong female protagonist." You can watch it and just cheer for women mindlessly as Jackie tells everyone what for, however it's pretty obvious Jackie is a narcissist and menace to her family. There's nothing wrong with watching a show mindlessly. It's entertainment, not a math exam, however it's more enjoyable to rewatch and realize the vile stuff Jackie does. Just watch the show, to understand how much of a conflicting antihero she is, versus reading about it through some schlub on the internet.

For my final point, Edie Falco is phenomenal. She went from a morally just woman in an amoral environment in The Sopranos to the complete opposite: an amoral junkie who portrays herself as an innocent nurse and loving mother. She perfectly conveys Jackie, and for that matter, any character she's ever portrayed. If you truly want to see Edie Falco be a strong, intelligent woman, watch The Sopranos, because this is not it. She portrays an horrible woman in a campy, bright world, where everything falls apart around her from her own undoing here. At the surface level, she's strong and confident, but the creators want to portray beneath the exterior something darker.

In conclusion, it's a great show that was only marred by production issues with contract disputes forcing actors to disappear early in the show. I do not want to count production companies being production companies against the show, but it is what it is. Amazing characters, acting and deeper meanings that aren't necessary to obsess over to enjoy. If you watch this show, and think it was a soap opera, or ill conceived, then maybe rewatch it with a critical view of the protagonist, as hard as it is to hate Edie Falco.

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.

I absolutely love this show, there is a little of everything in it, and the acting and writing is top notch. I quite liked the new characters coming in as the seasons progressed, but did notice the stories quality declining.

I am sorry to say that I was left wholly disappointed in the final (7th) series, especially the final episode. To me it felt as if the show needed a more deserving ending. I'm not sure if the writers had changed or if they just didn't have any better ideas for the show to end. Such a shame.

The acting throughout is top notch, and Edie Falco's and Merrit Wever's Emmy awards were so deserved.

Definitely a show to watch, just don't expect to get the ending it (and we) deserved.

Medical shows can be quite interesting with the patients, but with it being a Showtime series, I knew they would make it more intense. Plus with Edie Falco from the Sopranos and OZ; I thought it had a very good chance of being an enjoyable show.

I watched all 5 seasons recently and it definitely hooked me in. I was worried I wouldn't see Edie as anyone other than Carmela Soprano. Nope. It was all Nurse Jackie. She was so good as a drug addicted pathological lying nurse; I found myself hating her at times. Despite her flaws she is a great nurse with the patients best interest in mind (most of the time)I love Dr. Cooper (Facinelli). He is just brings a comedic aspect to the show that is needed and appreciated. Then you have Zoey (Wever) who brings an awkward presence that cannot be beat.

I would recommend Nurse Jackie as comedy/drama with great actors and story.