Nurse Jackie Recap: Finale of Doom

Recaps

By BlueCanary | Tuesday, June 19, 2012 | 3:29 pm | 16 Comments
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in: Nurse Jackie, Recaps

Wow, you guys. It’s the season finale of Nurse Jackie, and for all blessed four of you still hanging in, this one certainly didn’t disappoint. Lots of loose ends to tie up, so let’s head on in.

So we pick up pretty much where we left off last week, with Jackie whipping Trauma into shape while Cruz is sprawled out in Pulmonary, battling one of those anxiety attacks he refuses to admit is more than asthma. It’s actually the next day, and I guess he’s in pretty rough shape, because he’d been unconscious overnight, but when he wakes he immediately rips all the tubes off his face and marches out of there in his open-backed gown. He’s also an ass to the nurse on duty, so he must be feeling mostly back to normal.

Jackie, meanwhile, has gotten things running smoothly, and lets Zoey take the lead on the temp nurses. She’s totally in her element, even offering a prize to whoever does the typing. “We don’t need prizes,” says one nurse; “You’re in my world now, and in my world, there’s prizes. Straight up.” That’s our Zoey. I will miss her in between seasons.

Meanwhile, Cruz is freaking out because he just learned he spent the night unconscious in a bed while Jackie was spreading her influence all over his hospital. He won’t wait to see the doctor, even though he had a cardiac episode, because his priority at the moment is making sure his foot is lodged up Jackie’s ass.

Things are running like a well-oiled machine downstairs, which means Cruz and his pink tie must barge in and stir the pot, because what good is order and efficiency if someone else gets the credit? I mean, it’s not like they’re trying to run a hospital and save some lives or anything. Never forget that those temp nurses cost Quantum Bay literally tens of dollars an hour! But I love Sam, because when Cruz starts barking questions, his smile just gets bigger and more Zen.

He’s adorable.

Coop and Jackie are working on a patient, but Coop is fixated, as per usual, on O’Hara’s baby. In a move that comes as absolutely no surprise, he admits that he took it upon himself to make some calls, use his old camp connections, and figure out who it is. Some dude named Robbie Plunket, apparently, and that gives me a conflicted face: half sad because it’s not Coop himself, yet half relieved that the writers didn’t take that lazy, obviously easy, soap opera way out.

My brain is such a conundrum.

Anyway, Jackie warns him that O’Hara will hate him forever if he tells her, but they’re distracted when Coop notices Cruz on the floor. He makes an admirable attempt to deflect Cruz’s inquisition and point out how calm and orderly things are running, but Cruz is out for blood. You know, Coop can be a dork and a pain in the ass, and an insufferable douche, but he’s not the nightmare Cruz is. It’s much easier to deal with an annoying boss than an asshole boss, and I think that’s been well-illustrated this season. We’ve seen glimpses here and there of his soft side, but he must have left that in Pulmonary, because right now it’s nowhere to be found. Jackie knows she can’t hide forever, so after finishing up with her patient, she walks right into the fire.

She refuses to go to his office, though, and makes him tear her that new asshole right there on the floor. It looks like she’s going to stand her ground, but when she admits she ran the place and took charge in his absence, he takes her badge and mocks her…until she snaps.

 

Her nicely accented “go fuck yehself” gives him exactly what he wanted: an excuse to fire her, which he does. So I guess his promise to Charlie only applied to felony narcotic theft, and not the F-word? As she’s leaving, Zoey starts the most awesome slow clap ever heard in a trauma ward, and it’s immediately picked up by everyone else, including Coop. As O’Hara practically hauls Jackie out of there, she can’t help point out that she’s still in charge. Now, I know Cruz is a dick, but I can also see how he’s reached the end of his rope. Being unable to fire someone who so blatantly circumnavigated the authority of All Saints for so long probably killed him. Getting mad at her for saving the place, though? What was she supposed to do, just let things go to pieces while he was upstairs?

Feel the scorn of the Zoey slow clap. Feel it.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

BlueCanary is as unorthodox a blend of optimistic and bitter, laid-back and anxious, motivated and straight up lazy tas one is likely to meet outside an unspecified institution. She spent the past decade holding a variety of job titles, including reporter, tech writer, production manager, and administrative assistant (the go-to job in this economy for folks who just HAD to get that English degree). She is currently living under the tiny yet powerful thumb of an awesome, pint-sized little dude, who wets himself and can't form full sentences (read: stay at home mom). Another tyrannical little thumb is gestating in her womb. She is a regular on The Neutral Corner podcast and blogs at www.mamamuzzle.com. 

Blue's as-yet-unpublished YA novel, The Nature of Echoes, is currently a Quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. If you'd like to check it out, a free excerpt is available to download at http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Echoes-ABNA-Entry-ebook/dp/B00B9N3XFQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363378599&sr=1-1&keywords=eva+gibson+abna.

16 Comments

  1. 1
    Joslyn
    Posted June 19, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    Slow Zoey hand clap for you and recaping this season! Enjoyed!

  2. 2
    Joslyn
    Posted June 19, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    *recapping

  3. 3
    caligal
    Posted June 19, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    Thanks for a great recap. Zoey has always been my favorite, with O’hara a close second. I’m glad the writers didn’t go with the obvious and make Coop the father. Charlie, wow, didn’t see that one coming.

  4. 4
    kthxbai kthxbai
    Posted June 19, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    in my world, there’s prizes
    @BlueCanary Mine too. And you should get 1 for this!

    Yes in Cruz’s mind she was supposed to let things go to pieces. Because going to pieces wouldn’t mean as big a bite out of the company’s profits as having enough nurses.

    I’m not nice enough to feel sorry for Cruz because Charlie died. Plus I’m too busy feeling sorry for Vituvian Jackie because Charlie died.

    What if Robbie Plunkett turns out to be Coop’s alter ego he had at camp?

  5. 5
    KC
    Posted June 20, 2012 at 6:09 am

    Thanks for the great recaps. I have to wait for Netflix before I can actually watch but I have really enjoyed reading your recaps each week. Please know, there are more than 4 people that eagerly await your post!

  6. 6
    hbgchick
    Posted June 20, 2012 at 8:55 am

    What an excellent show, and an even more excellent recap! BlueCanary, you really capture all of the nuances that make the show great, Edie Falco’s expression when she see’s it’s Charlie is Emmy award calibur. And I didn’t know that Cruz and Charlie were real life father and son!!! What a difficult scene that would have had to be to film. I’m totally on the Coop/O’Hara bandwagon, and absolutely adore Akulitus. My gf and I were both shell-shocked at this episode – we neither one said a word until about a minute after the credits rolled…just both sat there staring at the blank TV till we looked at each other and went “Holy SHIT!”. Lol. Thanks for doing such a great job on the recaps, can’t wait till next season.

  7. 7
    caligal
    Posted June 20, 2012 at 9:48 am

    @kthx…ooohhhh…I didn’t think about Robbie being Coop’s alter ego. But I still kinda hope the writers won’t go there. I’d rather see a relationship evolve on it’s own between the two of them if that is what is going to happen.

  8. 8
    Chips.N.Whips
    Posted June 20, 2012 at 10:24 am

    Okay I’m only on Page 2 but you are HILARIOUS! (You fucked Eddie! … Preach, Sis.)
    But mostly I must thank you for deciphering the bit with O’Hara & Coop. I resound that suit 4-5 times. Still didn’t get it. No wonder my British beau is an ex…sometimes it just goes too fast.

    Ok, back to reading…

  9. 9
    Chips.N.Whips
    Posted June 20, 2012 at 10:32 am

    I cried again reading the recount of Charlie’s death. Man I boo-hooed like I knew those folks! Great finale, season & recaps.

  10. 10
    Chips.N.Whips
    Posted June 20, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Rewound… DYAC!

  11. 11
    samiam
    Posted June 20, 2012 at 11:01 am

    I agree completely with KC…I’m another one that waits for recaps since I no longer have Showtime…Thank you –great job as always!! :)

  12. 12
    chooch850 chooch850
    Posted June 20, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    This was the BEST season! I couldn’t wait for each new episode or your recaps. The finale was amazing. Lots of surprises and enough to keep us wondering until next season. Zoey has really grown and become more than just a character.

    I just don’t understand one thing and that’s how this show is categorized as a comedy when the Emmy’s are determined. This is definitely a drama. Don’t you agree?

  13. 13
    BlueCanary
    Posted June 21, 2012 at 6:22 am

    You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for the great comments. I’m so glad you liked this round of recaps. Hopefully I’ll wrangle next season, too.

    Chooch, I’ve always thought this show was more of a drama, but there is a ton a gallows humor, so I guess that’s the rationale. I can think of a few other shows that ride that line–Shameless most notably comes to mind–and are sort of advertised as comedies, and then when you watch them you go “Wow, that was depressing.” When I asked to recap NJ, Flipit actually said that we don’t usually recap comedies, but there was enough good drama in the show that he’d make an exception. I’m glad he did, because this season was great, and heavy on the drama.

    I love the Coop alter ego theory, especially because there was foreshadowing. When he said “At camp you get to be who you can’t be at home,” I thought that was just a sort of sad window into his childhood self-esteem. BUt wouldn’t it be just like Coop to create an entirely different persona, complete with fake name? It would. Part of me hopes they don’t go there (I also would like to see an organic relationship form with him and O’Hara, if one does), but the fangirl has a grin just thinking about it.

  14. 14
    Ellie66
    Posted June 21, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    Yet again a super-awesome recap!! Ohhh i cannot wait for the next season and ur recaps!

  15. 15
    JELLIEPAIR
    Posted May 21, 2013 at 12:20 pm

    Why are you not recapping this season??? PLEASE SOMEONE PLEASE? This show is so awesome and needs snark and a insightful recapper – comeon people!!

  16. 16
    BlueCanary
    Posted May 21, 2013 at 12:59 pm

    &Jelliepair – I wish I was, hon, but I had a baby right as the season was starting, and am taking a recapping hiatus while I do this Mama thing. I hate to miss it, because this was my favorite show to recap, but right now I’m not even caught up watching the show, unfortunately. Glad you liked last season’s recaps, though. :)

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *

*
*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Human Verification: In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.