Review: Nurse Jackie, Season 3, Episode 9 - "Have You Met Ms. Jones?"

Airdate: Monday, May 23, 2011, 10:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

I never thought I would see the day when Jackie (Edie Falco) would resort to over-the-counter medicine for pain, but that’s exactly what she does in “Have You Seen Ms. Jones?” Not only does she ask Dr. O’Hara (Eve Best) for aspirin, but the amount of drugs Jackie later purchases from the newsstand, combined with what she asks Thor (Stephen Wallem) and Sam (Arjun Gupta) to get for her, is astonishing. The sheer amount of medication is enough to kill a horse! Of course, Jackie doesn’t have much choice now that Bill (Bill Sage) is dead.

Remember how Jackie kept some of the Fentynal patches she was supposed to take to Oncology for Kelly (Gbenga Akinnagbe) in “Orchids and Salami?” I knew it would catch up to her sometime, but when Eddie (Paul Schulze) asks Kelly to account for the missing patches, I was shocked when Kelly tells the head of HR, Richard Evans (Lou Liberatore), he doesn’t remember whom he handed the pills to. I don’t know how or when, but I’m fairly certain Jackie is going to be nailed for this.

I love the way the writers have Coop (Peter Facinelli) moving forward with his life. He walks around All Saints showing everyone a Facebook picture of the woman he’s decided to marry. Problem is, she’s a former high school sweetheart whom he hasn’t seen in years. How ridiculous is that? But it’s so befitting of the childlike man we’ve come to know. Thor suggests he might want to at least send her a Facebook friend request before proposing, and the girlish screams that emanate from Coop’s mouth when she accepts the request, along with his hop, skip and jump, are just hilarious! The visual alone is enough to send me reeling with laughter! But how stupid is he that he doesn’t realize Maureen (Mary Faber), the patient whose head he’s stitched up, is interested in him — even after she sends him a friend request herself! Nurse Jackie often uses absurdity and this situation is a perfect example of how well the writers handle it. It’s one of the things I love most about this show.

The funniest scene in “Have You Met Ms. Jones?” plays out after Lenny (Lenny Jacobson) comes into the hospital with an Ephedrine-filled needle stuck in his finger causing an irregular heartbeat. Zoey (Merritt Wever) decides to use his heart monitor as a lie detector in order to assess their relationship. The way each of them sneaks a look at the monitor after each question is hilarious.

Zoey, with arms crossed in front of her chest: “Are you interested in seeing other people?”

Lenny: “No!”

Zoey: “Good answer. Do you have like crazy credit card debt or an ex-wife buried in your yard or anything weird that you haven’t told me about?”

Lenny: “Nope. I don’t even like to carry a balance.”

Zoey: “Uh huh. Who did you vote for in the last presidential election?”

Lenny hesitates.

Zoey: “Oh my God! Are you…”

Lenny: “No no no! It’s not what you think. I just can’t even remember who ran.”

Zoey: “Did you even vote?!”

Lenny: “I tried to.”

Review: Nurse Jackie, Season 3, Episode 9 - "Have You Met Ms. Jones?" 7

Dr. O'Hara (Eve Best) in her office

I hate mean men who bully their kids just to make themselves feel better. That’s exactly what happens when a father (Nick Sandow), fresh out of prison, and his son Frankie (Curtis Holbrook) come to All Saints with dislocated shoulders after a brawl over a tv set. Sandow’s acting is so on point, it makes me remember the awful feeling I had in the pit of my stomach when I did something my dad didn’t like. With them is Frankie’s wife (Vanessa Ray), who implores Jackie not to stir the pot and get them out of there as quickly as possible. At first, I didn’t understand the message Nurse Jackie was sending when Jackie agrees to this request. I should have known better, though, because she gives the guy a shot of ephedrine so he’ll have to stay at All Saints for observation, missing his appointment with his parole officer! O’Hara’s comments had me laughing out loud. “As a private citizen, I’m delighted. As a medical professional, I’m absolutely appalled. Well done and shame on you.”

Review: Nurse Jackie, Season 3, Episode 9 - "Have You Met Ms. Jones?" 8

Jackie (Edie Falco) explains why she doesn't want the champagne O'Hara (Eve Best) offers her

Jackie turns down the celebratory glass of champagne O’Hara offers on the closing of her new townhome. I thought Jackie would have greedily consumed the sparkling liquid like a woman on a hot desert, considering her lack of drugs. But she explains she’s trying to stay away from the “hard stuff.”

Jackie: “I’ve got 37 hours with no Percocet, no Vicodin, no Oxy…”

O’Hara: “And you’re miserable.”

Jackie: “37 hours. 37 hours. How the f*ck am I going to make it to 38?”

Yes Jackie, how will you? Is Jackie really going cold turkey? Can she go cold turkey? She admits she misses the rush – so where will she find the fortitude to stay clean?

Tune in to Nurse Jackie, Mondays at 10 pm ET/PT only on Showtime.

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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!