Nurse Jackie

I spent the afternoon on Saturday catching up on the first few episodes of the new Showtime television show, Nurse Jackie. Thanks to "on demand".

I am so intrigued -- it could be another example of television at its best but I'm not quite sure yet.

Think ER meets House meets Maude meets Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde meets Ugly Betty.

The truth is I can't figure out if I like it or not. Partly because I can't figure out if I like the character Nurse Jackie or not.

On the one hand she's "good". She's a highly skilled nurse who really cares about her patients and does everything in their power to help them get better. The nurse in Nurse Jackie does really good things.

On the other hand she's "bad". She lies and manipulates. She cheats the system and her husband. The nurse in Nurse Jackie does really bad things. Shockingly bad things.

Nurse Jackie is human. Real human. She wants to be good, but she knows that she's going to be bad. It's part of being human.

Edie Falco is amazing. When I watch actors like Edie I realize how hard their work really is. She transforms herself in this character. There is not a shade of Carmela Soprano anywhere to be seen. As a viewer, you feel every single bit of the good and bad in her.

I'm not sure, but I think the reason why I find this show so intriguing is because the Nurse Jackie character is much like the healthcare system in which she operates. Both good and bad.

Good because it helps people in trouble. It heals people and puts them on a path to recovery. Bad because it does bad things. It makes bad decisions and it hurts people in the process.

Nurse Jackie is very representative of the healthcare system. Good and bad. Take it or leave it.

Check it out and see what you think. I'm intrigued.

Hope this finds you well -- Jim.