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<i>Nurse Jackie</i> Series Finale – “I Say a Little Prayer” Retrospective. The Fat Lady Has Sung.

  • By

  • June 29, 2015

  • 7 mins to read

Season 7, Episode 12

Air Date: Sunday, June 28, 2015, 9 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

 

WARNING!! Spoilers Ahead!

 

“It just blows. This whole thing.” – Zoey

Pardon me while I wipe the tears from my eyes. Not only is it a sad day for the doctors and nurses at All Saints Hospital, it’s a sad day for the fans of Nurse Jackie as “I Say a Little Prayer” bids adieu to our favorite drug addicted nurse once and for all. While the majority of the series finale is happy and fun to watch, the ending is anything but.

It’s nice to see everyone acting like a family again, having a good time.

As “I Say a Little Prayer” opens, Jackie sits in church, asking God to “make me good.” What a nice tribute to the original pilot for Nurse Jackie since it, too, began the same way. This scene marks the start of one of the happier scenes in “I Say a Little Prayer” as Kevin (Dominic Fumusa), Fiona (Mackzenie Aladjem), and Grace (Ruby Jerins) all come full circle with Jackie, acting like a real family as Fiona rehearses for her church confirmation. It was nice to see them in this farewell episode because for the most part, Jackie’s family members have been absent in this final season as the story lines have dealt mainly with Jackie and Dr. Bernie Prince (special guest star Tony Shalhoub).

One of the best things about the series finale is the return of some of our favorite characters from both this season and past ones—God/Donald (guest star Michael Buscemi), Vinny Raven (guest star James McMenamin), and last, but in no way least, Dr. Eleanor O’Hara (guest star Eve Best). Truth be told, I miss Dr. O’Hara terribly, as do Jackie (Edie Falco), Zoey (Merritt Wever), and Thor (Steven Wallem). Zoey’s reaction, in particular, had me grinning from ear to ear like a little kid. O’Hara always knew what to say to Jackie and how to handle her. It seems like no time has passed when O’Hara calls Jackie out in “I Say a Little Prayer,” saying, “Maybe it’s as simple as this; you can’t be a nurse.” Well put, O’Hara, well put.

It’s interesting to see where everyone is headed now that the doors to the hospital are closed—but not before everyone parties All Saints style. What starts out as a feel good moment quickly turns into a scary scene where Dr. Prince puts everything on the line with Jake (Jeremy Kushnier), a crazed person with a gun. Of course, we all know Prince is dying of an inoperable “glioblastoma,” so I imagine Shalhoub feels as if Prince has nothing to lose. All I can say is I’m thankful the writers didn’t kill him off, giving Shalhoub an episode worthy of such a talented man.

Eddie doesn’t get the ending I hoped for, against Barry’s advice.

Mark Feuerstein returns as Barry Wolfe, super lawyer, but this time it’s to help Eddie (Paul Schulze). What happens during his deposition means Eddie would have to implicate Jackie, something he’s not willing to do. But that’s what happens when you love an addict the way Eddie loves Jackie. Too bad it’s all for naught.

How fitting that at the end of “I Say a Little Prayer,” Zoey tells Jackie, “You’re good” as she lies on the floor, eyelids fluttering. I know fans are questioning whether Jackie dies at the end. Well, let’s examine it for a minute. To begin with, the theme song from Valley of the Dolls is playing in the background. If you don’t know anything about the movie, a young, up and coming actress dies of an overdose in Hollywood. Here, Jackie, in a dreamlike state after snorting three lines of heroin, removes the three things every nurse uses during the course of a day—her stethoscope, her ID, and her watch—and places them on the counter. She then walks outside where a number of people beckon her to join them. One of those people is Charlie Cruz (Jake Cannavale), Dr. Cruz’s (Bobby Cannavale-not seen) drug addicted son who committed suicide in season four. Then, when Jackie collapses inside the hospital, her stethoscope is still on her neck—not on the counter—although now it’s laying on the ground beneath her. All proof, in my mind, that our favorite drug addict has finally done herself in.

Overall

Everyone is shocked by what happens, including the audience.

“I Say a Little Prayer” is a fitting series finale as Jackie leaves everyone in her wake. There are no more pieces to pick up. Jackie has taken her final trip to la la land after realizing she’s of no use to anyone anymore. Kudos to director Abe Sylvia for doing a terrific job with this episode. I especially appreciated the different lighting choices and camera angles in certain scenes. What more can I say other than I will miss Nurse Jackie terribly. I would truly love to discuss the episode with you. Are you happy with the way Nurse Jackie ends? Do you agree with me that Jackie is dead? Hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV or leave your comments below.

 

I’m sure there will be a lot of commentary following “I Say a Little Prayer” so continue to follow Nurse Jackie on Twitter, using hashtag #NurseJackie, as well as @SHO_Jackie and @SHO_PR. Don’t forget Nurse Jackie on Facebook too.

You can always follow these cast members: Gloria @AnnaDeavereS, Thor @StephenWallem, Carrie @bettygilpin, Grace @RJerins, and Fiona @mackieealadjem.

All photos courtesy of David M. Russell © 2015 Showtime Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!