Edie Gets Her Man

Summer is the time of year that premium networks HBO and Showtime really take the opportunity to kick the everloving shit out of network television programming, and it looks like this year will be no exception. This week, that loony Nancy Botwin returned for another season of Weeds on Showtime, but it looks like they've found a winner to back it up, too. Edie Falco returns to series tv in Nurse Jackie, and based on the pilot ep, there's going to be plenty to love here.


Oxycontin lovin' Nurse Jackie already had a tarantinoish escapade with a dismembered ear which endeared her to me, but her supporting cast gives me fits of giggles, too. There's Peter Facinelli, and really, with him, what's not like? But they've also given him a bizarre quirk that's just delightful. But the best piece of casting? Midway through the episode, we see Nurse Jackie getting it on with a doctor, and that doctor is played by Paul Schulze. Not an HBO geek like me? Well, first, Edie and Paul had nearly adjoining lockers way back in 1997 on HBO's debut (and dearly departed) prison drama Oz, where they both played guards. Alas, back then, she was too busy evading Scott Ross and screwing McManus to be hooking up with Schulze. But then, the BIG lustfest set in between the two of them just two years later when she took up residence at HBO as Carmella Soprano and skirted sacrilege when she nearly got it on with Father Intintola -- again played by Schulze. Their romance ended up consisting of only one night of steamy sacraments when Intintola gave Carm communion by feeding her the eucharist. And no, that's not some tacky euphemism -- she literally ate the bread and nothing else. But now, finally, it just took a move to Showtime and the banging begins! Go get him, Edie!

Round one goes to Showtime.