Nurse Jackie Open Thread

image of Anna Deavere Smith as Gloria Akalitus in Nurse Jackie

[Spoilers are working the program herein.]

So, here's the thing: Nurse Jackie is FILLED with great female roles filled by great female actors. Edie Falco is amazing as Jackie. Merritt Wever is just ridiculously great as Zoey. Eve Best crushes it at Dr. O'Hara. The girls who play Grace and Fiona rock.

But I swear to Maude that Gloria Akalitus, played by Anna Deavere Smith (pictured above), is one of the greatest characters in the history of television.

Every week, Deeky and I have to discuss the new episode as soon as we've both watched it, and every week we're all: "AKALITUS! OMG AKALITUS!" I can't even deal with how great the character is, and I can't even deal EVEN HARDER with how great Anna Deavere Smith is.

Speaking of which, if you haven't seen her one-woman show, "Let Me Down Easy," you must. It is extraordinary. It's the best piece of acting I've ever seen.

Anyway! Back to Nurse Jackie. I like where this season is going so far. Edie Falco's thousand-yard stare is destroying me, even as I loathe her (Jackie, that is, not Edie Falco) for all the obvious reasons. I love and understand Dr. O'Hara's inability to sever ties, even though it's the right and necessary thing to do.

And finally this: Anna Deavere Smith + Bobby Cannavale = GENIUS.

[Note: Showtime has inexplicably made the first three episodes of the season available OnDemand. I have only watched the first episode, and only the first episode is on-topic for this thread. Please: No spoilers from subsequent episodes, even with a spoiler warning, because I've got to read the comments to mod the thread.]

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