SkimIt
Rehab continues on Nurse Jackie, while back at the hospital, Quantum Bay makes its presence felt.
Let's Stay in Bed
Clearly Jackie (Edie Falco) is having a hard time of it, as the episode opens with a montage of her lying in bed for almost a week. And being served some lovely looking food, admittedly. But she does have a kooky elderly roommate, Doris (Mary Louise Wilson) (I think characters like this are always named "Doris"), who pokes her foot with a fork. Eventually, she makes it to a group session led by Laura (Laura Silverman, doing really fine work here). Jackie is resistant to the process, and claims that she only takes pills so that she can work better.
The Boy with the Green Hair
The other rehab patients are a colorful bunch, naturally. Aside from the profane Doris, there's Trish (Margaret Colin), who spent a fortune on porcelain clowns while under the influence. There's also an out-of-control athlete (Knicks star Carmelo Anthony(!), making his acting debut), and a too-cool-for-school green-haired teenager, Charlie (Jake Cannavale, son of Bobby, who plays Dr. Mike Cruz) who's been in and out of rehab enough to see through Jackie's subterfuge. Cannavale is an appealing presence here, though I'm not sure the hair dye was necessary.
What Would Jackie Do?
Cruz, meanwhile, is stirring things up back at All Saints. After finding out that O'Hara (Eve Best) is pregnant, he makes her switch with Cooper (Peter Facinelli) to a less physically demanding position, and gives her Akalitus's (Anna Deavere Smith) old office. He also has plans for a new heliport on the roof, and all the employees have been issued new ID badges with which Quantum Bay can track their movements. Jackie's presence is sorely missed, with more than a few co-workers acting snarkier than usual to pick up the slack.
It Works if You Work It
After confessing to Charlie that her drug use started after she gave birth to Grace (Ruby Jerins), Jackie breaks the rules by asking O'Hara to bring Grace by for a hug. I was worried when Laura kicked Jackie out, not just because it's bad for the character, but because this rehab stuff has been pretty fascinating, and because Silverman is just knocking this hard-assed-because-she-has-to-be character out of the park, and I didn't know she had it in her. I look forward to seeing more of her work here.
I like the way the second season has been going so far. There's a lot of hope for Jackie's future, thought it's not going to be easy, and the culture at All Saints appears to be on the verge of a lot of change, which will only make it harder.
Best Lines:
"I am a nurse. That's it. I'm a nurse."
--Jackie's brief self-description to the group.
"Helipad? Hell-i-yes!"
--Cooper expresses enthusiasm for Cruz's fancy renovation plans.
"You're good at your job, and you suck at life."
--Laura tries to get Jackie to adjust to rehab.
"Painkillers kill pain. You did not get this sick by yourself. Trust me, there's gonna be a lot of 'F__k you's. You're gonna write 'em down. You're gonna burn 'em. If you do it right, you'll feel better."
--Laura explains part of the process to Jackie.
"You're not a nurse. You don't work here. The only life you get to save is your own."
--Laura, after Jackie pretends to be an employee while meeting with Grace.
Recommendations:
