I should probably be harder on Showtime's "Nurse Jackie." I should probably chastise it for its flaws, including characters who are constantly shifting personalities (is Anna Deavere Smith's Gloria Akalitus a pompous buffoon or a capable administrator? Is Paul Schulze's Eddie a decent guy or a borderline psycho?). I should probably argue that it's frustrating that we're at the third season -- debuting Monday at 10 p.m. -- and the title character, played by Emmy winner Edie Falco, has evolved so little. Yet, it's hard to bring myself to criticize the show.
That's because "Nurse Jackie," for all its flaws, is just terrifically entertaining. At some point, that might not be enough but, right now, it is.
I think we can all agree that this year's Emmy nominations, while overlooking a lot of great shows and performers, were a bit better than normal. After all, the academy finally gave nods to eternally snubbed "Friday Night Lights" leads Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler, and gave lots of love to some promising newbies, like "Glee" and "Modern Family."
But, no matter what they say, it's the win that matters. When the awards are handed out on Aug. 29, who will win? Here are my predictions on who will win in the major categories -- and my thoughts on who SHOULD win in the major categories.
Putting together a list of this year's top 10 shows proved harder than I anticipated. While last year was a relatively spotty year for TV (with the exception of excellent final seasons for "The Shield" and "The Wire"), 2009 offered a lot of reasons to love the boob tube. Several returning shows had particularly strong seasons and there were some truly smart and imaginative new offerings. To accommodate all the year's notable programming, I present not only the traditional top 10 list, but also an honorable mention and a list of runners up. Do you have a problem with that? I didn't think so. On to the list. 1. "Breaking Bad," AMC: After a strong, but uneven, first season, AMC's wrenching drama "Breaking Bad" blossomed into a devastating, much-watch series in its sophomore outing. With the initial exposition out of the way, the tale of drug-dealing chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston, whose brilliance goes without saying at this point) and his slightly more seasoned sidekick Jesse (Aaron Paul) went into overdrive. The guys got deeper and deeper into the drug biz. They built up a crew, acquired a lawyer (the excellent Bob Odenkirk) and unleashed a whole lot of hell. At its best, "Breaking Bad" is smart, darkly funny and deeply unsettling. It's the year's best show and, along with "Mad Men," cements AMC's reputation as the new home for great drama.
2. "Lost," ABC: Yes, I know the new conventional wisdom is that cable is king and broadcast is yesterday's news. But this year, the networks offered a lot of top-notch programming, including the best season yet of ABC's fascinating sci-fi drama "Lost." This was the show's penultimate season, and it was a doozy. We had time travel, the surprisingly touching romance of Juliet and Sawyer and perhaps the year's most shocking finale. What if, it proposed, everything we'd been watching these five seasons could be undone? The show's final season will, presumably, provide the answer. I can't wait. In the meantime, check out one of the season's funniest moments here. 3. "Big Love," HBO: How does "Big Love" do it? How does it manage to make a drama about a polygamist family seem like just another family drama (albeit an incredibly well-acted and well-written one)? Three seasons in and I'm more hooked than ever on the story of Bill Hendrickson (Bill Paxton) and his three wives, played wonderfully by Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin. This season, everyone shone but Sevigny was a particular highlight as her increasingly unstable Nikki Grant battled her daddy issues, her insecurities and a host of secrets. 4. "Mad Men," AMC: Granted, this season of the period drama "Mad Men" was a little slow. There were too many episodes focusing on adman Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) home life, particularly his increasingly dreary wife Betty (January Jones). But the season's best episodes were so phenomenal, they made up for any lags. How can you deny the brilliance of "My Old Kentucky Home," which includes the now-classic line "My name is Peggy Olson, and I want to smoke some marijuana?" Or the visceral shock of the lawn mower scene from "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency?" Or the devastating genius of this scene, in which Don finally reveals the truth about his past? It all led up to the unforgettable, game-changing finale, "Shut the Door, Have a Seat," in which the "Mad Men" world we knew unraveled, and morphed into something new and exciting. Truth is, I'm willing to put up with this show's slow spots, because it delivers the goods more often than not. And when it delivers the goods, few shows are better. 5. "Friday Night Lights," NBC/DirecTV 101 network: Sadly, many people still haven't seen any of the fourth season of the wonderful drama "Friday Night Lights." That's because you can only watch it on DirecTV's 101 channel. The season won't air on the show's other home, NBC, until the summer. That's a shame, because this is possibly the show's best season since its first. The series reinvigorated itself with a brilliant story about Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) being forced to helm the football team at East Dillon High, a hardscrabble school far less well-off than his former home, Dillon High. The show has also successfully introduced new characters and started to close out stories for some of its returning characters. These include tortured good guy Matt (Zach Gilford), whose character has been through the ringer this season. It's disappointing that this series has to fight to be noticed (to even be seen, in fact), because it's easily one of the most moving, intelligent shows on TV. 6."The Good Wife," CBS: 2009 presented a bunch of promising candidates for best new show, but CBS's "The Good Wife" gets my vote. "ER" vet Julianna Margulies plays a familiar type -- the betrayed wife of a scandalized politician. Left behind to raise her family after a dalliance with a prostitute lands hubby in jail, Margulies's Alicia Florrick returns to her legal career -- as a junior associate. Turns out, she's pretty good at her job. The show manages to be both procedural and compelling character drama, with Margulies giving a brave, powerful performance. Bonus: the husband, played by Chris Noth, is portrayed not as a complete jerk, but as a flawed guy who still loves his angry wife. Good, adult entertainment. 7. "Nurse Jackie," Showtime: The next best new show of the season, "Nurse Jackie" stars Edie Falco as the title character, an excellent nurse who is also a philanderer, drug addict and general rule-breaker. But you kind of love her anyway, thanks to Falco's spot-on performance. Bonus: Merritt Wever's performance as newbie nurse Zoe, maybe the year's funniest new character. 8. "True Blood," HBO: A surprise hit in its first season, HBO's vampire soap "True Blood" got even better in its second season, thanks to some truly insane plotlines, the deepening of several characters and LOTS of sex. Yes, the storyline involving Michelle Forbes's quasi-demoness Maryann was uneven, but it was never boring. And all the show's supporting characters were in top form this season, especially Alexander Skarsgard's Eric, Ryan Kwanten's Jason and Chris Bauer's hilarious Andy Bellefleur (I chuckle every time I think of Bauer's reading of the word "pizazz"). With so many elements clicking, there's only one thing I can say: bloody good show! 9. "Modern Family," ABC: Imagine if the Bluth family of "Arrested Development" was made entirely of well-meaning, decent people instead of self-centered brats. It sounds awful, doesn't it? Well, ABC's new sitcom "Modern Family" isn't awful. Not even a little bit. The show has the dry wit, wacky characters and mockumentary format of "Arrested," but has something else, too: a heart. This family isn't stabbing each other in the back. They love each other. And you know what? Loving families can be funny, too. Especially if the family members are played by deft performers like Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet. Don't believe me? Take a look at this. 10. "Dollhouse," Fox: Yes, I know that Geek Nation is up in arms because Fox didn't renew its challenging sci-fi series "Dollhouse" for a third season. But come on! It's a show that deals with heady topics such as personal identity, exploitation and our culture's growing dependence on technology. We should be happy it even got two seasons. Particularly since the show's second season has been nothing short of excellent. The show centers on a company that imprints mind-wiped humans, or "dolls," with new identities to meet the needs of clients. This season, doll Echo (Eliza Dushku), has developed a personality and free will. Other characters have deepened as well, including Dollhouse tech Topher (Fran Kranz) who has gone from a smarmy geek to a truly complex, compelling part of the show. So yeah, I'm sad this is the last season. But I'm glad we got to see "Dollhouse" at all. Honorable Mention -- ESPN's "30 for 30": Technically, this isn't a TV series but a series of occasional specials ESPN is running to celebrate the network's 30th year on the air. But it's too good not to mention. Each special focuses on a different story or personality in sports history. Each is helmed by a different director (Peter Berg and Barry Levinson are among the contributors). And each provides a truly fascinating look at the world of sports. Well-worth watching. Runners up: 1. "Dexter," Showtime: For John Lithgow's awesome performance as the season's chief villain, Arthur Mitchell. 2. "White Collar," USA: For being one of TV's most entertaining new shows, and providing a star-making role for the charming Matthew Bomer. 3. "The Closer," TNT: For being one of the few procedural dramas with a sense of humor that goes beyond darkly comic puns about body parts. 4. "30 Rock," NBC: For Alec Baldwin's continually great performance as Jack Donaghy 5. "Glee," Fox: For proving that a scripted series with musical numbers can work (take that, "Cop Rock!"). Also for Jane Lynch.
Because I watched most of its episodes far in advance, I never really got a chance to do a week-to-week recap of Showtime's excellent new dramedy "Nurse Jackie." But I wanted to say a few words on the finale, because I do think it's the best new show of the year so far, and I particularly admire Edie Falco's work as conflicted nurse Jackie Peyton. Like most TV characters today, Jackie is a study in contrasts. She's a loving wife and mother...but she's also cheating on her husband with the pharmacist at the hospital where she works. She's a dedicated professional...but she's also a pain pill addict who sometimes lets her addiction cloud her judgment. She lets down friends, co-workers and her kids. She also cares for and supports her friends, co-workers and kids. She's dark and smart and fascinating and, even if I don't always understand her motivations, she's never boring. The rest of the cast is often excellent, as well, particularly Peter Facinelli as a cocky but not totally useless doctor and Merritt Wever as an adorably earnest nursing student. So, without further ado, here are some of my thoughts on the season finale, "Healthcare and Cinema." Spoilers below The season finale of "Nurse Jackie" contained perhaps the most uncomfortable sequence I've seen in a long time: the prolonged conversation between Eddie and Kevin at Kevin's bar. I can't think of the last time I'd felt such suspense over what was, on the surface, just a barroom chat between two guys. But every time Eddie opened his mouth, I kept waiting for him to say "By the way, that married girlfriend I mentioned? It's your wife." But he didn't. Every time Jackie called Eddie, and Eddie pulled out his ringing phone, I expected him to show the caller ID to Kevin. But he didn't. For some reason, his decision not to reveal who he is (and I'm convinced that, even in the parts we didn't see, Eddie never told Kevin that he's Jackie's lover), made the whole thing even more uncomfortable. It had to have been uncomfortable for Eddie, too, especially when he realized that Jackie indeed loves Kevin (the lost look on Eddie's face when Kevin mentioned Jackie making him breakfast after her long shifts was devastating. Excellent work by Paul Schulze). The whole thing came to a head not at the bar, but at the hospital, where a drunken Eddie burst in and, just before being dragged away by security, whispers to Jackie that he met Kevin and saw the bar. Ugh. Jackie, of course, deals with this by taking enough painkillers to drop a horse. It looks like she's pretty incapacitated by episode's end, but we won't know until next season, I guess. Overall, it was a strong finale, but a very serious one, with few of the show's usual doses of humor. Yes, we had Gloria and her ridiculous shenanigans in the elevator, and we also saw Dr. Cooper trying to befriend MoMo now that Eddie's gone. But it was darker that usual, with even the typically cheerful Zoe down in the dumps, wearing gray scrubs to show her remorse over putting the film critic in a coma. Her moping was good for a few laughs, however, especially when she told the model she'd been "stripped over my powers." Ha! What do you want to bet that Zoe imagines herself as Nurse Girl, fighting illness and injustice wherever she goes? Also worth noting is O'Hara's kidnapping off her mother, which results in the gush of emotions she swore she'd never show. Her collapse was sad and crushing, made worse by the fact that her best friend Jackie is too busy raiding the pill machine to rush to her side. Anyway, what did you think? Will you watch next season? What do you want to see happen?
So, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything and, I swear, I haven't forgotten you. I've just gotten a bit busy. But, as you already know, the newly-begun summer season has already presented us with some great TV. Though I reviewed most of these shows when they debuted/returned, I have since neglected most of them, which is a mistake I'd like to rectify. Let me take a minute to check in with some of the best new/returning shows of the summer season. * Burn Notice: Most critics have declared this week's episode of "Burn Notice" the best of this season so far. I concur. This week's ep brought the return of evil gun runner Brennen, played by one of my favorite actors, Jay Karnes of "The Shield." On that show, Karnes played weaselly, yet ultimately decent, cop Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach. Karnes gets to show a completely different side as the gaspingly awful Brennen, and he's absolutely fantastic. I also always enjoy the episodes featuring Michael's brother, Nathan, as they bring out a different side of our favorite superspy. Around Nate, Mike is more vulnerable and human. It always serves as a nice reminder of Mike's humanity. And the moment at the end of the episode, when Mike realized just how hard it is for Nate to be his brother, was very touching. We also got arguably the best scenes yet with Barry the money launderer, who has not only hired a life coach and an intern, but becomes fast friends with Mike's mom, Madeline. My only regret is that we never got to see the Madeline-Barry product party. I did have one small quibble with the episode: when are they going to do something useful with the suspicious cop played by Moon Bloodgood? So far, her role has been limited to "Show up. Glower. Exit. Repeat." Sigh. This story line better be going somewhere. However, that was a pretty small flaw in an episode that gave us Barry, Nate, Brennen and, lest I forget, the cantenna -- a nifty homemade hacking device. Overall, solid stuff. * True Blood: HBO's vampire soap "True Blood" returned this week and, let me say that I've been a little amazed by the critics who have dismissed the Sookie-Bill relationship as the weakest part of the show. Yes, I find the character of Sookie Stackhouse a bit whiny and grating, and wish the TV Sookie was a bit more like the sassy, witty character in Charlaine Harris's novels. That said, I think Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer have fantastic chemistry, and that their love story is often quite sexy and touching. And I still say that this scene is one of the most romantic moments of the TV year. Come on! How can you watch that scene and not get swept up in this relationship? Have you critics no soul? * Rescue Me: I've written not a word about this season of "Rescue Me" since my initial review, but I really do think this is one of the show's best seasons ever. This week, we saw Tommy go even deeper into denying his alcoholism. In particular, the scene in which Tommy tells off his horrified AA group is one of the most powerful in "Rescue Me" history. Denis Leary is hitting all home runs this season. But mention must also be made of Robert John Burke, who plays Tommy's sadder, wiser cousin, Mickey. It's hard to believe that this is the same actor who portrayed ice-veined Bart Bass on "Gossip Girl." He's much different here, and his performance is every bit as good as Leary's. Maybe he should get his own show. *Nurse Jackie: I'm really getting into this Showtime series starring Edie Falco, and I hope you are, too. I've seen the first six episodes, and it only gets better. This week, we learned a little more about the day-to-day anxiety of Jackie's job when an irate patient punches her in the face. I love the way that Zoey, the nursing student played by Merritt Weaver, was almost more horrified by that than she was by the ear bubbling up in the toilet. I'm also fascinated by the whole issue of Jackie's infidelity. We've yet to see in any real flaws in her relationship with her husband. He's sweet, helps with the kids and they seem to have a pretty hot sex life. So why is she turning to Eddie? Is it just because he gets her painkillers? I'm sure someone as clever as Jackie could find another way to procure them. Maybe she wants a part of her life that's secret; that she doesn't have to share with anyone. Maybe Eddie is how she blows off all the steam generated by being a dedicated nurse, mother and wife. It's wrong and unfair, but it's an interesting idea, narratively. My only problem with the episode was the Mrs. Akalitus story line. Really? We're going with the "Uptight boss is semi-accidentally drugged" story line already? Didn't "Taxi" fish this lake dry with Louie DePalma in the episode where Reverend Jim takes his driving test? I'm just sayin'.
So, in case you haven't heard by now, AMC finally announced a premiere date for the third season of its great, Emmy-award-winning drama "Mad Men." It'll be back at 10 p.m. EST on Sunday, Aug. 16. Also, if you missed any of the second season, AMC will run a marathon of all 13 episodes on Monday, Aug. 10, beginning at 7 a.m. To get you revved up for the new season, here's the commercial AMC's running for season three...which, as far as I can tell, contains absolutely no scenes from the new season. Grrr.
In other scheduling news, Showtime has already renewed its brand new series, "Nurse Jackie," starring Edie Falco, for a second season. They work quick over at Showtime.
Does anyone play denial better than Edie Falco? For all those years on "The Sopranos," on which she played mafia wife Carmela Soprano, she gave us a woman who constantly suppressed her knowledge of her husband's criminal activities (and her complicity in same). With her tight-lipped smile, set jaw and studiedly calm eyes, Falco's Carmela was a woman who tucked her misgivings and guilt about her life into a place deep inside. On Showtime's excellent new dramedy "Nurse Jackie," which premieres at 10:30 p.m. Monday, Falco takes another character whose survival hinges on keeping certain secrets. This time, she's nurse Jackie Peyton, a smart, compassionate, resourceful voice of reason in a hospital where most of the other employees are either hopelessly callous or eye-rollingly goofy. She offers not just care, but sympathy (and, if needed, a firm dressing down). Jackie is undeniably good at her job. She's also incredibly flawed. The first time we see her, she's laid out on the bathroom floor, preparing to snort painkillers to ease her aching back. Jackie tells herself, and us, that this is necessary ("What do you call a nurse with a bad back?" Jackie asks in a voiceover. "Unemployed! Ba-dum-bump!"). In addition to her drug use, Jackie is guilty of other sins. Though other critics have disclosed these, I won't. But, suffice it to say, her life requires a lot of juggling and secrecy. And hypocrisy. Jackie doesn't bat an eye when admonishing a patient for her prescription drug addiction. Carmela Soprano might not have liked Jackie's short hairdo or ragged nails, but she probably would have related to her plight. So do we. Unlike a lot of TV anti-heroes and anti-heroines, Jackie seems fundamentally good. She does help a lot of people through her work, and offers mostly good, sane advice to her co-workers. She has a good heart, even though she lies, abuses drugs, and flushes the occasional ear down the toilet (don't ask). In fact, I like "Nurse Jackie" the show mainly because I like Nurse Jackie the character. We might not always agree with what she does. But we understand her. And we know, in many cases, the good balances out the bad. In many ways, she reminded me of a sweeter version of Tommy Gavin, the angry firefighter played by Denis Leary on "Rescue Me." Both have substance abuse problems and difficulty with relationships, but are hyper-competent on the job. And they both have dark, nasty senses of humor. However, I'd never want to hang out with Tommy Gavin. I could probably do lunch with Nurse Jackie. Falco, of course, is a perfect fit for the part. She gives Jackie the appropriate gravitas and a nice deadpan wit, and her expressive face is perfect for a character who does most of her talking with her eyes. The rest of the characters, however, are hit or miss. Eve Best is properly aloof as Jackie's glamorous and sardonic doctor buddy, and Merrit Wever is adorable as a naive (but surprisingly perceptive) nursing student. And it's fun to see Paul Schulze, who played Father Phil on "The Sopranos," as a pharmacist with whom Jackie has a special relationship. But I'm not quite sure how I feel about Peter Facinelli, who plays obnoxious frat-boy Dr. Fitch "Coop" Cooper. His bombast masks his insecurity about his abilities as a doctor (and about his various personal problems, about which we learn slowly). Facinelli doesn't quite have the depth as an actor to play this complicated character. However, he can be very funny at times, particularly when geeking out about the hospital getting a new, automated pill dispenser. I have hopes that Facinelli will grow into the role. At least he's given a character to work with. Poor Anna Deavere Smith, as a stern hospital administrator, has little to do other than hover and look imperious. Smith is a good actress, capable of much more. Let's hope the script provides her with meatier material. Overall, though, this is Falco's show and, as such, it's worth watching. Her Jackie is someone you can enjoy spending a half hour a week with. "Nurse Jackie" premieres at 10:30 p.m. Monday. The first episode is also available to view online. Click here to watch.
