NURSE JACKIE “…Deaf Blind Tumor Pee-Test…” Season 3 Episode 12 – Slippery, slippery, slippery. That’s our Jackie. And we’re now accustomed to her somehow ducking the knockout blows, especially in season-ending episodes. There’s an ungodly amount of luck (or perhaps karma, given that Jackie helps so many other people in her own subtle, secretive way) in her continued survival. I was sure it was curtains for her – and not because Kevin suspected her and Eddie (I saw that as a red herring early on) but because I thought he had discovered something concrete about her drug use.
I didn’t see “I had an affair” coming. And I also didn’t see her “Get out” reaction coming.
But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Jackie’s addiction is stronger than her marriage—she’s proven that time and time again. This gets Kevin (and possibly the kids) out of the way so she can abuse to her heart’s content. Actually, no, I take that back—I think she will fight to keep the kids. They could end up being either her salvation or her downfall.
(And I sort of love that both kids have issues now. A self-harmer and a pyromaniac. Both before hitting their emo teens. Awesome.)
Not much Zoey in the season finale, but what we got was classic crazy Zoey, busting in on Jackie and O’Hara’s bathroom conversation. “…But I have to use the bathroom!” Still interested to see where they take her and Lenny and the mawkish cop dude next season.
Thor (Thor the VERY BAD DIABETIC, by the way—THOR, PUT DOWN THE CAKE!) is getting some of the best lines now.
Thor: “Oh! The tall one is her daughter!”
O’Hara: “She’s one-hundred!”
Thor: “Grand-daughter!” (Panicked pause.) “Great-granddaughter!”
And:
Thor: “We’re talking about nerds, not perverts!”
Jackie: “Person can be both.”
(Troo dat. World of Warcraft. Moon Guard. That’s all I’m saying.)
I’m such a Thor whore.
And yes, Nurse Jackie is one of those shows where you have to watch it to know how funny the lines are.
Jackie: “She’s dead and I’m jealous.”
Coop: “Anyone seen my crackhead?”
Coop’s screwed wedding plans were a disaster in the making. It was quaint how the hospital staff turned it into a birthday party, but the hurt was clear in his eyes.
… Still. That’s funny. And he created the mess. I was not shocked at the runaway bride. But I loved the fact that Eddie shared Coop’s “Just Married” carriage ride.
So what are we to make of next season? Liz Brixius and Linda Wallem (show-runners / writers / directors extraordinaire) have been running the same game for a while, with change coming subtly and (as some people complain) slowly. I kind of like Jackie’s teflon existence (and wasn’t Tony Soprano much the same?) but I don’t think they can go five, six, seven seasons of it being the same. But Brixius and Wallem have proven adept in the past, and I’m trusting they know what to do with the little gem of a series.
Damned good show, that Nurse Jackie. Can’t wait to see what they give us next year.
Follow me on Twitter! That’s @Axechucker, you buncha Thor whores!
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