Introducing “Nurse Jackie”

After months of heavy advertising, Showtime finally unleashed “Nurse Jackie” last night. The dark comedy marks Edie Falco’s full-time return to the small screen (she did have an awesome guest run on ’30 Rock’). The hype paid off: after record ratings, Showtime immediately ordered a second season.

Jackie (Falco) is a no-bullshit nurse with strong instincts when it comes to her patients. She also has chronic back pain which has resulted in her addiction to painkillers. It’s the Showtime version of “House, M.D.“- darker and dirtier than anything on network tv. So far, so good.

Jackie sums up her character with one line of dialogue: “I don’t like chatty, okay? I don’t do chatty. I like quiet, quiet and mean. Those are my people.”

Dialogue like this gives Falco the opportunity to show how sharp-tongued and witty she can be. It’s quite a departure from the slightly dim, mostly shallow Carmella Soprano. It immediately reminded me of her brief stint on “Oz” as a corrections officer. After all the years as Carmella, I still knew she was a talented actress, but I forgot how smart and funny she is.

As a medical show, I’m also mostly pleased with the accuracy so far. I’m an RN, so this is my TV pet peeve. Timothy often makes fun of my outrage over a misplaced tube or misused needle. (So I’ve yelled at the screen… more than once.) It’s not my fault so many shows are chock full of inaccuracies and pure bogusness. I was relieved that “Nurse Jackie” has very few. The only one worth mentioning is her scrubs. Form-fitting, stylish scrubs are nearly impossible to find.

On the other hand, as a comedy the show’s tone is uneven. There are many funny scenes, but a few play like laugh track laden sitcoms, while most inhabit a heavier and darker realm. This isn’t uncommon for a pilot, and I’d guess the writers and directors will find their rhythm by the second or third episode.

Overall, “Nurse Jackie” looks like a keeper. This looks like the perfect role for Edie Falco, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s Emmy buzz in her near future.

Showtime has made the pilot available free for download on Amazon. Download it here.

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