Ken Regan/ShowtimeIf you're looking for a well-written and brilliantly acted new dramedy to watch this summer, you could do a lot worse than Showtime's brand-new Nurse Jackie. Edie Falco is the titular character, a woman torn between her overwhelming human empathy and her no-nonsense New York City lifestyle, as she takes on doctors and hospital bureaucracy.
Read on to meet your new TV friends, learn a little about where they're headed this season, and watch the entire pilot online right now!
MEET THE CAST OF NURSE JACKIE
Edie Falco as nurse Jackie Peyton
Where You Know Her From: Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway. (Just kidding! She's Carmela Soprano for crissakes!)
What to Expect: The pilot might lead you to believe that this show is about the battle for Jackie's soul, but in short order you will see that Jackie's soul is exactly where it needs to be (the woman is all heart), it's just some of her behaviors could do with a little tweaking.
Quote: Regarding the "hot" career of costar Peter Facinelli: "I don't have my finger on the pulse of anything, so I wouldn't know that he was hot right now. Outside of this show, I am blissfully ignorant.
Merritt Wever as trainee nurse Zoey Brakow
Where You Know Her From: She was Matt Albie's assistant on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
What to Expect: Zoey remains adorable and earnest and scared witless for most of the season, but there is one moment when she dares to face down a doctorly dragon (albeit in a very different way than Jackie would) and she wins the fight.
Quote: "She wears scrubs all the time because she's a nurse. Pink scrubs, pink bunny scrubs, pink butterfly scrubs. She likes pink—it helps her battle the day."
Peter Facinelli as Dr. Fitch "Coop" Cooper
What to Expect: His Tourette's-like sexual-harassment thing gets worse before it gets better.
Where You Know Him From: Anybody else remember that show Fastlane? Otherwise you might be familiar with a blonder Facinelli as Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the Twilight movies.
Quote: "People keep asking me, they say, 'You know you played a doctor in Twilight and now you're playing Dr. Cooper,' but they're completely 180-degree people. They have the same occupation, but they really are worlds apart. Dr. Cullen is a really calming force and Dr. Cooper is a bundle of nerves on the inside, even though on the outside he tries to appear calm and cool and confident."
Haaz Slieman as nurse Mohammed "MoMo" De La Cruz
Where You Know Him From: He started opposite Richard Jenkins (the dad from Six Feet Under) in last year's Oscar-nominated indie standout The Visitor
What to Expect: Momo brings the funny, partly via his workplace non-fling with fellow nurse Thor and through his always in-flux relationship with boyfriend Ricky
Eve Best as Dr. Elenor O'Hara
Where You Know Her From: This is her first major American TV project; she's otherwise a big-deal British theater actress.
What to Expect: Even though she'd never admit it, O'Hara would do anything for best friend Jackie, including risk her career. Also, she reaaaaaally doesn't like New York City street food.
Paul Schulze as hospital pharmacist Eddie
Where You Know Him From: He was sacrificial lamb Ryan Chappelle in the early seasons of 24.
What to Expect: It turns out that pharmacist Eddie is just like that sleazy drug dealer in high school, but now available in new and improved adult form with Kung Fu Grip and a license to dispense narcotics.
Anne Deveare Smith as hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus
Where You Know Her From: She played National Security Advisor Nancy McNally on The West Wing.
What to Expect: Expect to be surprised to see this Great Actress doing so much slapstick comedy work!
Dominic Fumusa as Jackie's husband, Kevin Peyton
Where You Know Him From: He's done a number of TV guest gigs, but he's best known for his theater acting.
What to Expect: Let's just say that Kevin is no Betty Draper...
WATCH THE PILOT ONLINE RIGHT NOW
Are you in or are you out? Share your thoughts on this first installment of Nurse Jackie in the comments below!