Nurse Jackie: Season One

Just a couple of facts to begin: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. health-care industry employs about fourteen million people (in 2008), of which 15% are registered nurses. In addition, physicians and surgeons form only 3.6% of the total health-care workforce. Of course, this meager number of surgeons and physicians in the U.S. means that writers saw this as a market opportunity to draft new medical shows that explore personal interrelationships from the perspective of experienced and prospective doctors.

Now we now have an overcrowded list of urban medical shows such as “ER,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scrubs,” “House, M.D.,” and “Nip/ Tuck” that depict the professional and personal lives of surgeons and physicians alike. Looking at the sheer number of medical shows on TV, one would think, “Do we need another one?” and our answer would probably be a resounding no. Up until now, there is an unexplained disparity why there are not many shows that depict the lives of the supporting medical staff such as nurses, paramedics, and pharmacists. It is probably, in this aspect, that the show “Nurse Jackie” is trying to fill a void.

Obviously, the big selling point for this show is Edie Falco, who plays the lead character of Nurse Jackie. Many viewers will remember Edie Falco for playing the unforgettable character of Carmela Soprano, the wife of the mobster Tony Soprano in the HBO series “Sopranos,” for which she won numerous awards. Although she made a few appearances in a couple of other shows, including the HBO show “Oz” and the NBC show “30 Rock,” “The Sopranos” remains her major acting credential. Nonetheless, her performance in “The Sopranos” brings an experienced demeanor to her role in “Nurse Jackie.”

The first season (12 episodes) of “Nurse Jackie” premiered on Showtime in June, 2009. The first season is a journey into the world of Jackie, her family, and peers in the hospital. In the opening episode, we see her as a pill addict, trying to find a remedy for her chronic back pain. As a mechanism to gain access to a free flow of pills, she starts having an affair with the pharmacist at the hospital, Eddie Walzer (Paul Schulze). However, as we get an inside view into Jackie’s world, it is revealed that she is married and has two daughters, Grace Peyton (Ruby Jerins) and Fiona Peyton (Daisy Tahan). In the hospital, she is very close to one of the doctors, Dr. Elenor O’Hara (Eve Best), and they occasionally go out for lunch, which gives them the opportunity to discuss their day-to-day activities. O’Hara is fully aware that Jackie is leading a double-life.

Meanwhile, Grace is undergoing physiological changes as part of her growing up. However, her changes are a bit of a concern for her school teachers because her paintings are always devoid of colors. In addition, at home she likes to watch documentaries that capture or pertain to a gloomy state of human lives, be it a war or deaths. Jackie takes issue with the school committee on this matter. In one episode, Jackie comes to the conclusion that there is definitely a concern about Grace’s behavior. Along the way, we find out that Jackie’s husband, Kevin Peyton (Dominic Fumusa), owns a bar and is responsible for handling the kids while Jackie is at work. Jackie has occasional run-ins with the new doctor, Dr. Fitch Cooper (Peter Facinelli), although later in the series they both acknowledge their willingness to work professionally.

“Nurse Jackie” is a difficult series to judge on the basis of season one alone. Its main protagonist, “Jackie,” is an addict and has deep under-rooted moral and ethical issues. There is hardly anything loveable about her character. She consciously indulges in an affair, while hiding the fact that she is married. It is difficult to comprehend the reasoning behind her actions, as she routinely has sex with Eddie during the noon hour and then with her husband Kevin at night. The tone of the show resembles another Showtime series, “Dexter,” in its depiction of addiction. However, the “Dexter” series excels primarily because of its superior writing and better-developed characters. Additionally, at least the character Dexter is committed to his girlfriend. It is in this aspect that “Nurse Jackie” fails.

There have been numerous shows about interrelationships from the perspective of male doctors where sex, extramarital affairs, and professional and personal mess-ups were part of their daily doings. Having said this, “Nurse Jackie” reverses the role, and we see the lead female having an extramarital affair. The show questions the very basis of conventional scenarios attached to women, and instead in “Nurse Jackie” we have a woman following a familiar pattern of what men have been doing in their professional lives forever. Maybe, this is where the show retains its uniqueness.

Viewers don’t get any insight on why Jackie is having an affair or the history associated with her pill addiction. I am with the writers on accepting Jackie’s flawed personality without judging her, but by providing virtually no details on the history of her addiction, the writers have created a show that is fairly underdeveloped. As Jackie’s addiction and affair are inexorably linked, it is rather unrealistic to accept Jackie’s elusive behavior as it is. A lot of questions remain unanswered, like for how long Jackie has been addicted to pills, can this addition be traced to her previous employers, and why would she leads two lives? In spite of this, Edie Falco’s portrayal of Nurse Jackie is very well done on the screen and she is the only reason to watch the show. Edie is versatile in displaying the multiple variations required from the character of Jackie. She carries the entire show with her eloquent and brilliant performance. More so, the show partly succeeds due to the experience of Edie Falco.

Similarly, like that of its main character, the writers have poorly developed the supporting cast as well. The story does not delve into the background of the supporting cast enough. Jackie’s husband, Kevin, is shown as a really nice guy who takes care of their kids. Further, he is always kindhearted to Jackie and her situation, and there is no sign of obvious abuse in their marriage. However, beyond this, his character is pretty much one-dimensional. Grace in one episode reveals that her parents were school sweethearts. There appears to be a big age difference between Kevin and Jackie, too, so the logic of school sweethearts is implausible. Likewise, Jackie’s close friend at work, Dr. O’ Hara (played by Eve Best), has clichéd lines, and her performance is sadly monotonous.

It seems to me that the writers were unsure about how to distinguish the show and its characters from all the other medical shows on the air. The pill addiction hardly resonates, and with its dark theme about various relationships and the medical profession, I am not sure at what level the show connects with its audience. In the end, I was left disappointed on how the world of Jackie is developed due to its underwhelming story and script.


Video:
This Blu-ray edition presents the show in its 1080p glory utilizing an AVC format that averages in the high 30 Mpbs. The picture detail is retained, but for some reason the transfer comes across as a bit flat. The show is shot mainly in brightly lit indoor settings, and as a result the appearance of objects in some scenes is washed out. Mainly, you will see bright whites. The close-ups reveal enough detail and skin tones for most occasions, though.  The scrubs are rendered perfectly. Eventually, for the most part, the transfer looks good if not outstanding.

Audio:
For this release, we get a lossless track in English DTS-HD Master 7.1 audio. The show is mostly dialogue and front-channel driven, and the dialogue is crisp and consistent throughout. The show does not have any loud moments, and the surround channels are rarely used. Overall, I was satisfied with this audio track because it works well with the overall theme. Also included is the option to watch the movie with English and Spanish subtitles.


Extras:
Lionsgate has released the show in a two-disc set.

First up on disc one, we have a short featurette on Edie Falco, “All about Edie” (1080p, 5:23 minutes), in which the show’s writers and producers talk about how Edie is the sun and that everything around her is the orbit in this show. Other actors from the show pour in their thoughts on her ability to juggle multiple roles.

Up next we get a short tribute to nurses called “Unsung Heroes” (1080p, 5:25 minutes). The show’s writers and actors talk about how nurses are the ultimate caretakers and that they are underrepresented in the health-care industry.

Finally, on disc one there are two audio commentaries for the episodes “Pilot,” and “Tiny Bubbles,” involving Edie Falco and other actors in the show.

On disc two there is a short featurette, “Prepping Jackie” (1080p). Actors on the show talk about the character of Jackie and the involvement of Steve Buscemi as a director of three episodes.

Following this featurette, we have a series of segments where real nurses talk about their experiences. These segments are “A 2-year Old with Attitude,” “Big, Tall, Cheerful Blonde,” “Love at First Boob,” “The Noisy Sleeper,” and “The Testicle Story.”

Finally, ending the extras on disc two are two audio commentaries on the episodes, “Ring Finger” and “Health Care and Cinema.”

Parting thoughts:
I really wanted to like “Nurse Jackie,” but unfortunately it didn’t happen. Its main character, Jackie, is inadequately integrated with rest of the characters, and there is hardly any connection to her character. Moreover, there is a serious deficiency of developing story arcs concerning the supporting characters. As a result, the show and the overall concept are hardly engrossing during the course of their twelve episodes in the season. However, star Edie Falco shines amidst all the writing mess. In fact, her captivating performance is the only reason to watch this show. I hope the writers come up with better and more-convincing story lines in the second season; otherwise, this show is a goner.


This Blu-ray contains above-average video and audio qualities, with a slew of brief, informative extras. Fans of the show should certainly check out this Blu-ray release from Lionsgate.