Commentary

Addicted To 'Nurse Jackie': Beloved Edie Falco Series Starts Final Season

Another weekend, another busy Sunday night.

That’s the story yet again, as a slew of highly anticipated shows crowd the schedule this Sunday, April 12.

Most of the action is on HBO, with the return of “Game Of Thrones” at 9 Eastern, followed by the comedies “Silicon Valley” at 10 and “Veep” at 10:30. (Sorry, HBO, but we’ll be skipping your comedies in favor of the second episode of “Wolf Hall” on PBS at 10.)

Hopefully not lost in all the attention being paid this week to at least two of the three HBO shows -- “Veep” and “Game Of Thrones” (no one’s really talking about “Silicon Valley”) -- is the start this Sunday night at 9 of the final season of “Nurse Jackie” on Showtime.

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For that matter, two other comedies are soaking up a good deal of the media limelight this week also -- the new sitcom “The Comedians” and the return of “Louie,” both on FX Thursday night.

That’s why I feel it’s especially important to note the arrival of “Nurse Jackie” for its seventh and final season. This is one of those shows that tends to fly a wee bit under the radar, but is well worth savoring. One reason is its star, Edie Falco.

That’s not exactly an original thought because Falco, who became justifiably famous for playing Carmela Soprano, tends to collect accolades everywhere she goes.

In the title role of “Nurse Jackie,” she deserves every one of them. In the show, Falco plays a veteran RN in New York who struggles with drug addiction -- mostly because she works in a hospital where drugs are easy to obtain.

For six seasons, her addiction has created turmoil at work and home. As the seventh season begins, she’s in danger of losing her job (and by extension, her career) and the shared custody of her children following a DUI arrest and subsequent charges on suspicion of drug-dealing. 

The big question underlying this final season is this: Can Jackie kick the habit for good? That has never been the case in previous seasons, so it would appear to be doubtful now.

It should come as no surprise to anybody that Falco handles the challenges of playing this flawed character with consummate skill. It’s not exactly a comedic role, although this show seems to be categorized as a comedy, perhaps mainly because it’s 30 minutes in length and the TV industry cannot seem to let go of the idea that a show is either a drama or a comedy, with no leeway in between (please don’t bring up the word “dramedy” here -- it’s not a word).

Whether Jackie’s story is comic or tragic, “Nurse Jackie” has been one of the best shows of its era. I don’t know how we’ll kick the habit after “Jackie” says good-bye. 

“Nurse Jackie” starts its seventh and final season this Sunday night (April 12) at 9 Eastern on Showtime.

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