'Nurse Jackie' Season 5 DVD Review: Edie Falco Is Superb In Refreshingly New Season

In the fifth season of Nurse Jackie, three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, Edie Falco, reprises her role as the amazing, yet all-too-human Jackie Payton. Season five starts off with Jackie having just completed rehab and dealing with the aftermath of her divorce. However, she is finally back at work after having been on temporary leave. We get to see Jackie back in her element where she thrives, and Jackie returns with full force, effortlessly saving the day multiple times throughout the course of an episode.

Season Five plays host to a lot of different changes in Jackie’s life. After providing Nurse Zoey Barkow (Merritt Wever) a place to stay, Jackie has been feeling a bit oppressed. When Zoey realizes that she has overstayed her welcome and that she is crowding Jackie, she iinforms Jackie that she will move out, a decision that Jackie is actually pretty happy with. Jackie has to deal with recurring problems, such as doctors playing favorites, as well as a few new problems, like her best friend at All Saints Hospital, Dr. O’Hara, leaving to spend more time with her newborn baby.

Falco does a remarkable job portraying the internal struggle of her character. Jackie exudes this confidence that she knows exactly what is going on and has the situation under control, and while that may actually be the case on the surface at the hospital, for herself, there are some deep-seeded issues that she must confront throughout the course of the show. Jackie is still battling with her drug addiction. And while she makes good on her sobriety, the show illustrates just how much of a hold the meds have over Jackie’s life.

Without her having to mention it, the audience can see that the drugs provided a buffer for all of the drama that surrounds her.
In season five there are a few new characters, as well as new issues that introduce themselves to Jackie. Among these are a rugged military doctor (Morris Chestnut), who is new to All Saints, the challenge of going a full year without her drugs, and being courted by Officer Frank Verelli (Adam Ferrara). Nurse Jackie earns four out of five stars as it provides a great example of how a show can evolve and its characters take on different walks of life just like people in real life.

The Special Features include a bonus audio commentary from Executive Producers Clyde Phillips and Tom Straw. Nurse Jackie will return for season 6 April 13th on Showtime.