S07.E07: Are You With Me, Dr. Wu?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Jackie and Eddie make one last purge of their stash; Zoey blames herself after a patient dies.

 

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

[Primetimer]

Ethically speaking, Nurse Jackie refuses to make it easy on us.

Read the story

[DiabLOL]

I was way too distracted during this ep with the nagging question about what the writers want from me, do they actually expect me to be happy for Jackie? 

[runforcover]

I was way too distracted during this ep with the nagging question about what the writers want from me, do they actually expect me to be happy for Jackie? 

Agreed, I can't tell if that's a function of this show or whether I've been properly trained by Good TV to critically anticipate any morally instructive plot-maneuvers that may or may not lie ahead.

 

Addiction is so loaded anyway. And so are all of its solutions.  I'm assuming that the whole Eddie thing will fall apart.  But, as you said, I'm way to taken with all the ways I'm supposed to be fooled first.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Jackie and Eddie deserve each other. At least while they are together, they aren't being inflicted upon other people (romantically, anyway).

 

But it was nice to see BD Wong again!

 

Gloria's branzino boning made me wonder if she will go back to nursing or even pursue med school (I know it's farfetched, but we are talking about a tv show where so many ludicrous things have happened that this would not surprise me).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

oh, let's do 'shrooms and buy essays from a course mill that will get Zoey expelled from her program if found out. The writers couldn't just let them have a normal, non-drug related budding friendship?

I thought the same thing too. Why couldn't they just let Zoey and Carrie hang out like normal people? The last thing I want is Zoey getting tossed out of her program because she took advice from Carrie, of all people. But in Carrie's defense, I thought it was sweet that she saw Zoey felt terrible and then said, "Let's hang out" (in the most awkward way possible, of course). And then Thor told them go back to work! If either of them gets caught being high at work or kills a patient because of those shrooms, I am going to be so mad because you know Jackie will get on her high horse about how they are just as bad as she is., which is totally untrue.

 

The most shocking thing about that scene was that Carrie owns casual clothes. I don't think I've ever seen her in jeans and sneakers before.

[LuciaMia]

The absurdity's the writers keep trying to get us to accept are spinning out of control.

I'm so sick of this insistence of portraying Jackie's diversion program as just some sort of spite on Alkalitis' part. And Dr. Monk's attempts to make them all sit in a circle and sing 'Kumbiya?'  The program is what Jackie has to complete if she wants to get her license back.

 

Somebody working in the medical field has never heard of a 'pill mill?'

 

And where'd they get so many pills that they cleared 22 grand?  All from that assisted living place?  That many scripts haven't gone missing.  And the name of that last batch of meds Eddie was offering to Dr. Wong sounded like the med's he was pushing as a drug rep. None of those have to be accounted for?

 

And of course, the patient died cause hero Jackie wasn't around for the save.

 

Oh, Zoey, please don't tell me you're going to use a purchased paper.

 

Don't for a moment believe it's all hearts and flowers with her and Eddie. With that final fade-out by the river I  kept expected the music to swell to 'I'd like to teach the world to sing...'

 

So, only enjoyed the little bits of business. Alkalitis boning her fish, wowing the restaurant. And Dr. Wong's 'shocked-shocked' tirade in the room, only to catch them in the hallway 'sorry for the rant..security cameras!'

[runforcover]

Yeah, I thought it made perfect sense that Carrie bought an essay and provided drugs.  That's exactly what I'd hang out with her for.  Also, I think when your protagonist's story is so laden with sentiment around sobriety, it makes sense to swing the other way and be cool about recreational drug use.  Lots of people do lots of drugs and aren't ill, "in trouble" or transgressing a fake cultural norm that's like ten seconds old - so they are just anticipating the totally understandable eye-roll.  I get that they want to vary their perspectives around substances.  I just didn't buy that Zoey would actually do shrooms. 

 

Also, nice job, show, doing a story on pill-mill.  Huge part of opiate addiction's resources, right now. they are shockingly common.

 

I wonder, though, whether Jackie keeps getting close to the fire without using because it's as close as she can afford until she finally uses. But then the show does that thing where she gets involved to Pay Her Lawyer and Get Her Kid Back.

 

The most interesting and dangerous thing about Jackie is that she can mobilize the ONLY thing that could help her into the thing that does her in.  I mean her favourite drug is Service - how the hell do you dig yourself out of that?

Edited May 25, 2015 by runforcover

[scrb]

OK, I thought the daughter was a mess last season, wanting to party with an older crowd.  They've always shown her discontent with the world and being messed up because of Jackie's inattention and eventual divorce of the parents.

 

Now she's some merit scholar with a choice of top schools?

[Cosmocrush]

 

Somebody working in the medical field has never heard of a 'pill mill?'

 

I agree but I thought that was more for the benefit of the audience.  I honestly didn't know what a 'pill mill' was until they busted a local doctor for running a bogus pain management clinic.  

 

Of course Carrie has a contact for term papers!  Ha!  Now at least I know how she got a medical degree without knowing much about medicine (at least in her first season) I

 

I kind of liked that Jackie has one person in the world that has stuck by her through it all; when she's using, when she's not, etc.  He really loves her. 

 

 

The most interesting and dangerous thing about Jackie is that she can mobilize the ONLY thing that could help her into the thing that does her in.  I mean her favourite drug is Service - how the hell do you dig yourself out of that?

Oh, good observation and well put. 

[kieyra]

I have never been able to read Eddie as anything but a creepy potential stalker, since day one. I honestly can't tell if I'm supposed to think Jackie has any real feelings for him or is just using him like she did from the very beginning. 

 

And yes, like many of you I can't tell what story the show is trying to tell in this final season. I honestly didn't feel like anything happened this week. "Phoning it in" comes to mind. 

Edited May 25, 2015 by kieyra

[txhorns79]

I wish Zoey had immediately fired Jackie when she waltzed in with her fake story about needing to go to an event for Fi, and essentially blew Zoey off when she questioned her as to the story.  

 

I do also hate that the show feels the need to continually have Akalitus in a position where she justify why she is so hard on Jackie.  Even if Akaltius wasn't given an addict in her backstory, she has entirely legitimate reasons to not trust Jackie!   Jackie repeatedly lied.  Jackie used the hospital to help support her drug habit.  Jackie nearly killed a patient while high on drugs.  Heck, why did no one say that to Zoey when she claimed that Jackie would have been more thorough and never let the patient die.       

 

And the Eddie thing just sucks.  I agree it isn't clear if Jackie even likes the guy.  I have no idea why she would want to marry him. 

[Joimiaroxeu]

With that final fade-out by the river I  kept expected the music to swell to 'I'd like to teach the world to sing...'

Yep, that's the take I'm developing on this season too. Right now I'd be surprised if Jackie doesn't get the same slate-wiped-clean, yeah-I-got-away-with-it-all, smirky ending that Don got.

[dangwoodchucks]

I call BS on Gloria's story of her son. If she had that much experience with an addict she would have known not to give Jackie pain medication last season. It seems she also would have shared this story with Jackie at some point. Jackie should've been gone when she first started diversion because she's been breaking the rules constantly.

 

Still not warming up to Dr Monk, but good for him pointing out to Zoey that abandoning patients is not a good way to show that the hospital is needed.

 

I thought Zoey and Carrie were meeting after work. Why would Thor come and tell them to get back to work?

 

 

Yep, that's the take I'm developing on this season too. Right now I'd be surprised if Jackie doesn't get the same slate-wiped-clean, yeah-I-got-away-with-it-all, smirky ending that Don got.

At least Don had some realization about how much he's hurt people. I haven't seen any of that from Jackie until the last couple episodes with Grace.

 

This seemed like a wasted episode. Grace the Rhodes scholar defends her mom to her dad! Jackie proposes to Eddie! Unbelievable!

 

How many episodes are left?

[txhorns79]

I call BS on Gloria's story of her son. If she had that much experience with an addict she would have known not to give Jackie pain medication last season. It seems she also would have shared this story with Jackie at some point. Jackie should've been gone when she first started diversion because she's been breaking the rules constantly.

 

I could believe Gloria's story.  Her being mad at herself for falling for another addict's crap gives a good idea as to why she is so determined to be rid of Jackie.  It's kind of a "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" situation. 

[Fisher King]

How many episodes are left?

 

Wiki lists 5 more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nurse_Jackie_episodes#Season_7_.282015.29

[Cosmocrush]

And the Eddie thing just sucks.  I agree it isn't clear if Jackie even likes the guy.  I have no idea why she would want to marry him. 

I don't know of course, but I think she realized that Eddie is there for her No Matter What.  Being a closet junkie like Jackie was/is(?) had to be very lonely - even before she got caught and certainly after that.  Eddie is the only person in Jackie's life not constantly judging her.  At least that's the way I'm looking at it because otherwise it's just not a good story. 

[dirtydi]

I think the daughter is manipulating and playing everybody.  Just like her mama.

[dangwoodchucks]

I could believe Gloria's story.  Her being mad at herself for falling for another addict's crap gives a good idea as to why she is so determined to be rid of Jackie.  It's kind of a "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" situation. 

I don't think Gloria is lying about her story, I think it's something the writers decided to throw in this season to explain why Akalitus is being so mean to poor Jackie. Ugh. Nothing in previous seasons points to Akalitus being familiar with things addiction wise. When she ran over Jackie's foot, she either asked Jackie "how does this work" or said she wasn't familiar with how it worked when an addict needs pain meds. I think she would have been more knowledgeable considering what she went through, she probably would have been able to spot things in Jackie that could have led her to believe she was an addict.

 

So now they're going to make Jackie look good by showing all the other doctors/nurses/admins using drugs? The mushrooms were totally out of character for Zoey, even if she's been stressed. BTW, Zoey's hair looked great this ep, as did Carrie's.

 

And hero Jackie saved another life! Too bad her motivation for wanting to get out of drug selling was because of Grace's newfound pride in her mother, not because she feared someone was dying at the very place she and Eddie were peddling their drugs. She did try to cancel the deal, but she quickly forgot about anything when Eddie told her how much money they made.

[txhorns79]

I have to admit, when Thor left them there, I was a bit shocked. Not that they were in any condition to go back to work, but that he would leave two drugged and borderline-incapacitated women alone, rolling around on the ground just struck me as irresponsible - especially for a friend.

 

I think that's putting the responsibility in the wrong place.  The only people behaving irresponsibly were Carrie and Zoey.  Thor isn't responsible to protect them from their own choices.   

[EverCat]

I agree.  Don't leave an 'incapacitated' person alone.  I did laugh though on Carrie and Zoey's 'shroomed' vision of Thor in the sun.

 

I suspected this before, but this episode confirms it...I suspect Jackie is in a dream-coma from her car accident.  Everything in the season so far (Grace a star in school, Eddie, SuperJackie, etc) is so unreal.

[kieyra]

This season has been so strange and inauthentic that I guess 'all a coma' could work, but they'd better do that reveal soon. And people aren't going to be thrilled with it anyway.

 

I completely forgot about the Akalitus-addict-kid retcon. Super weird because wasn't there an ER head doctor a few seasons back who really did have an addict kid and didn't that kid literally die on the table at All Saints? Seems like it might have come up during that arc, sheesh. 

[The Solution]

I completely forgot about the Akalitus-addict-kid retcon.

 

I seem to remember Akalitus' son being alluded to in one of the first two seasons. I don't remember how much she revealed, but it wasn't a surprise when she told the story this week.

[Blakeston]

I can see why Jackie would want to marry Eddie - he'll enable her no matter what.

I wouldn't say that either of them really love each other. She loves the way he enables her, but I think on some level she has to know that what they have isn't healthy. And he's addicted to her - which I don't think is the same as being in love. What he wants is to have control over her.

I kind of hope this is all a dream. I've been considering that possibility for a while, but I'm not sure how it would work. It would be one thing if this was a wish-fulfillment dream - it could be devastating if Jackie dreamed about her life working out, then woke up and saw how badly she'd ruined everything. But it can't be a wish-fulfillment dream, because Jackie is constantly being humiliated, and she overheard Grace talking about how she'll never be reliable, and that patient died who Jackie was convinced she could have helped, etc.

And I don't see it as the opposite, either, where she has a nightmare, and then wakes up, because this doesn't seem like a nightmare. She's still saving the day some of the time, Eddie is there for her, Grace is a great student, etc.

What would be the point of her having a dream that's a lot like her regular life, except a little bit weirder? And why would she be dreaming about a conversation Dr. Roman and Dr. Cooper had after he went back to her place, and saw that she left the stove on?

My best guess is that the writers have just made the show even more unrealistic than it was before, and they don't see that as an issue.

[A Boston Gal]

I suspected this before, but this episode confirms it...I suspect Jackie is in a dream-coma from her car accident.  Everything in the season so far (Grace a star in school, Eddie, SuperJackie, etc) is so unreal.

 

 

Ah ha! Yes, this! Especially as this season has shown Kevin to be the big fuck-up, financially speaking and otherwise...talk about a dream come true for Jackie!

[scrb]

Zoey and Roman were on these rocks in Central Park.  Actually you can fall off the edge and get hurt badly, perhaps even die if there's a serious head injury.

 

Not the best place to get high.

[iMonrey]

I might suspect the whole season is some coma-induced dream except that the new show-runners have proven themselves to be unable to write anything remotely realistic. Last season was utterly lacking in credibility too.

 

 

I think the daughter is manipulating and playing everybody.  Just like her mama.

 

And that's another thing I just don't get. I was sure Grace left the phone on on purpose last week so Jackie would hear her manipulating Fiona. This week made it seem like Grace is on Jackie's side. Is she just playing everyone? To what end? We see so little of this character it doesn't seem like she has much of a story arc to herself so what's the point?

 

No way in hell I believe Carrie and Zoey doing shrooms. That was a jump the shark moment right there. I could maybe - maybe - see them smoking a joint, at most, but shrooms? Really? Really, show? That's not some casual recreational drug, it's a dangerous hallucinogenic, and while certainly Carrie has shown questionable judgement, Zoey hasn't. Just losing a patient isn't enough to send her into a tail spin that would make her go "Let's do shrooms!" What BS. (And from experience let me tell you, the last thing you want to do is take them with someone you barely know and in a public place.) 

[kieyra]

I might suspect the whole season is some coma-induced dream except that the new show-runners have proven themselves to be unable to write anything remotely realistic. Last season was utterly lacking in credibility too.

 

 

And that's another thing I just don't get. I was sure Grace left the phone on on purpose last week so Jackie would hear her manipulating Fiona. This week made it seem like Grace is on Jackie's side. Is she just playing everyone? To what end? We see so little of this character it doesn't seem like she has much of a story arc to herself so what's the point?

 

No way in hell I believe Carrie and Zoey doing shrooms. That was a jump the shark moment right there. I could maybe - maybe - see them smoking a joint, at most, but shrooms? Really? Really, show? That's not some casual recreational drug, it's a dangerous hallucinogenic, and while certainly Carrie has shown questionable judgement, Zoey hasn't. Just losing a patient isn't enough to send her into a tail spin that would make her go "Let's do shrooms!" What BS. (And from experience let me tell you, the last thing you want to do is take them with someone you barely know and in a public place.) 

 

The shroom thing was part of what prompted my 'phoning it in' comment above re: this season. That was ... frankly completely uninspired. And most egregiously, it wasn't even funny. "We don't have anything else for you guys to do, so just lie on a blanket and make weird noises."

[pbutler111]

I've watched every episode and I still can't figure out when or why or how Grace suddenly morphed into this angel child. Wasn't she a raging See You Next Tuesday like a minute ago?

[Mindymoo]

The shroom thing was part of what prompted my 'phoning it in' comment above re: this season. That was ... frankly completely uninspired. And most egregiously, it wasn't even funny. "We don't have anything else for you guys to do, so just lie on a blanket and make weird noises."

And anyone that knows anything about that drug knows that that is not how you act while on psilocybin.

[iMonrey]

 

I've watched every episode and I still can't figure out when or why or how Grace suddenly morphed into this angel child. Wasn't she a raging See You Next Tuesday like a minute ago?

 

She was pretty much anti-Jackie at the end of last season but seemed to have done an about-face this season when Jackie got back visitation rights. I fan-wanked that Grace decided she didn't like her new step-mother any better than she liked Jackie, but either they've got something up their sleeve to explain her erratic behavior or else they have no idea what they're doing with the character. I suspect the latter is the more likely explanation.

[txhorns79]

They may have been behaving irresponsibly but at the time he came upon them they were intoxicated and incapable of taking care of themselves in a public place. Not being responsible for how someone got in that condition doesn't mean you don't take responsibility for keeping them safe when they are in that condition. One need look no further than at the fate of Hannah Graham for what happens when you turn a blind eye to someone dangerously under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

 

I think that's kind of like saying children can never ever be outside unsupervised because Etan Patz was kidnapped and murdered while walking outside unsupervised.  Zoey and Cassie are a 30-something head nurse and doctor who decided the best course of action for themselves was to go shrooming in a public park.  They did not appear to be in any imminent danger, and I just can't go along with the idea that Thor is somehow responsible to save them from themselves because he happened to come upon them.       

 

 

I fan-wanked that Grace decided she didn't like her new step-mother any better than she liked Jackie, but either they've got something up their sleeve to explain her erratic behavior or else they have no idea what they're doing with the character. I suspect the latter is the more likely explanation.

 

Judging by Grace's past behaviors, I presumed she was just manipulating her parents.  

[Baltimore Betty]

And anyone that knows anything about that drug knows that that is not how you act while on psilocybin.

I do not have first hand experience with mushrooms but I thought I remembered an episode of the Soprano's where Tony was in Vegas and did mushrooms with some girl, he threw up violently at first then mellowed out.  No barfing for Zoe?  At any rate it was a strange thing for Zoe's character to do along with buying a term paper, she is by the book mostly so I do not buy it.  Also if they were both off duty why did Thor tell them to get back to work? 

 

Did we ever find out where all that money Kevin took out of the line of credit went? I mean other than that watch.

 

How does Jackie always land on her feet? Everything always works out for her no matter how badly she messes up. 

 

Grace knows how to play both sides so I am not sure that her taking Jackie's side is sincere but it was not nice of them to look at colleges without her or even telling her about it.  (My daughter looked at SUNY, didn't like it at all).

[Mindymoo]

I do not have first hand experience with mushrooms but I thought I remembered an episode of the Soprano's where Tony was in Vegas and did mushrooms with some girl, he threw up violently at first then mellowed out.  No barfing for Zoe?  At any rate it was a strange thing for Zoe's character to do along with buying a term paper, she is by the book mostly so I do not buy it.  Also if they were both off duty why did Thor tell them to get back to work? 

It was peyote that he took, and mescaline makes you puke your guts out for a couple hours before sending you on your long trip. I've done shrooms and have been a trip-sitter, and that's not how people on that drug behave at all. Tony's mescaline experience was pretty on point, though.

[Mama No Life]

I just don't understand how Eddie plans to get away with selling his samples.

It makes NO sense.

[txhorns79]

It makes NO sense.

 

This is the same show where Jackie was arrested with hundreds of pills, made up an easily verifiable story about being on a humanitarian mission (that should have fallen apart the second anyone bothered to check) and had all criminal charges against her dismissed based upon that lie. 

[Blakeston]

No way in hell I believe Carrie and Zoey doing shrooms. That was a jump the shark moment right there. I could maybe - maybe - see them smoking a joint, at most, but shrooms? Really? Really, show? That's not some casual recreational drug, it's a dangerous hallucinogenic, and while certainly Carrie has shown questionable judgement, Zoey hasn't.

 

 

It was peyote that he took, and mescaline makes you puke your guts out for a couple hours before sending you on your long trip. I've done shrooms and have been a trip-sitter, and that's not how people on that drug behave at all.

 

For whatever it's worth, three nights ago I was with two friends of mine who were high on shrooms, and for a while they were acting almost exactly like Zoey and Carrie were. (And I'd say both of them regularly show better judgment in their lives than Zoey does.)

Edited May 27, 2015 by Blakeston

[txhorns79]

I would not leave a friend or colleague in a situation like that because their situation could very turn into a threatening one on a moment's notice without a sober lookout.

 

Any situation could turn threatening on a moment's notice regardless of the sobriety of the person involved.  Did Gloria and Dr. Prince also need someone to protect them because they appeared to be drunk after their lunch?         

[iMonrey]

 

Did we ever find out where all that money Kevin took out of the line of credit went? I mean other than that watch.

 

He told Jackie most of it was so he and his new wife could rent/buy a bigger place and also he had some reno work done at the bar.

[Dobian]

Yeah, it was just great seeing Jackie and Eddie getting engaged at the end of the episode, I was just so happy for them.  Sure.  Dr. Monk the self-proclaimed mediator needs to STFU.  Akalitus has a staff to run that can't continually be undermined by a drug addict who manipulates the system.  And he can be as optimistic as he wants, it's not her job to fix Jackie, it's to support her medical staff as best she can.  Let Dr. Monk try and fix Jackie outside the hospital.  Grace I can't stand.  Send her to community college and be done with it.

[kieyra]

He told Jackie most of it was so he and his new wife could rent/buy a bigger place and also he had some reno work done at the bar.

 

Didn't he say it also paid for some of the wedding with new wife?

[txhorns79]

Didn't he say it also paid for some of the wedding with new wife?

 

I don't remember him saying he used it to pay for his wedding, but maybe there was a suggestion that it was used to replace the money that he and his new wife thought Jackie stole from them at the wedding?  I still figure it was Grace who actually did steal that money.   

 

 

If you really don't see the difference between Gloria and Monk drinking in a crowded, upscale restaurant and two women rolling around out of their minds by themselves in a park, 

 

I honestly don't understand the distinction being made.  It seems like a distinction without a difference.    

[kieyra]

I don't remember him saying he used it to pay for his wedding, but maybe there was a suggestion that it was used to replace the money that he and his new wife thought Jackie stole from them at the wedding?  I still figure it was Grace who actually did steal that money.   

 

I honestly don't understand the distinction being made.  It seems like a distinction without a difference.  YMMV.       

 

All I remember is that there's a setup for Jackie saying "So I paid for the wedding I got kicked out of?".

[Blakeston]

When your friends get drunk in a restaurant, it's not likely they'll be allowed to sleep it off there. They'll have to leave, which could mean walking the streets of New York, or even (if they have really bad judgment) driving home.

It would have been nice for Thor to arrange for Zoey and Carrie to get home safely, but I don't think he was any more obligated to do that than he would be if they were stinking drunk at a restaurant.

[Mya Stone]

Saying things like "YMMV" and "agree to disagree" while ENGAGING in tonally off posts is a surefire way to make the mods take notice. 

 

Enough sniping. Snark the show, NOT each other. 

[Pallas]

I think the tone of grievance in our ongoing discussion of this show, reflects what happens in the family of a longtime, practiced addict.  People in an addict's circle, increasingly frustrated and ferociously helpless, begin to turn their gaze away from the addict -- the person who's no longer really there -- and snipe at each other.  At their fellow witnesses, of what they hate to witness.  At the only people left who also remember better times.  At the people who were duped with them.  It's one way of expressing their furious shame at having loved someone who loved drugs more. And of living with their own ongoing, almost furtive, ambivalence.  

 

The show may be falling apart in its credibility, but it seems to be doing a very good job of making us feel housebound with an addict.

[dangwoodchucks]

Have Jackie or Kevin ever taken Grace and Fiona to Al Anon or whatever the equivalent is for the families of drug addicts? Jackie should consider it given what she heard Grace tell Fiona, but I think Jackie would feel like it's admitting she's an addict.  Kevin should decide to do it on his own for the girls' sake. I wonder if Jackie is going to any of her meetings?

 

I was wondering, when Cruz and Gloria found out that Jackie was an addict in a previous season, why wasn't she put into the diversion program at that time?

Edited May 29, 2015 by dangwoodchucks

[bunnywithanaxe]

Kevin's sister made him go to one Alanon meeting, and there was one episode where everyone made a big deal about Grace starting a chapter of Alateen, but there was no real effort made to explore the real problems of codependency or the actual work people do in these programs. The show gave even less respect to family support programs than they did to recovery programs, and that's saying a lot.

[LadyintheLoop]

I think we're supposed to believe that Jackie loves Eddie so that we'll actually care when she throws him under the bus.

 

OK, I thought the daughter was a mess last season, wanting to party with an older crowd.  They've always shown her discontent with the world and being messed up because of Jackie's inattention and eventual divorce of the parents.

Now she's some merit scholar with a choice of top schools?

 

 

Well, Kevin's heading for a financial crash and Jackie thinks she's given up dealing for good. Maybe it's going to be up to Jackie to pay for the college of Grace's choice.