One Small Thing by Jessica Barksdale Inclan

Amazon.com

Powell's Books

Because I have commercial hatred (except for the Jimmy Dean sausage and Kindle commercials), I record almost all the shows I watch.  My two favorite shows of late are Nurse Jackie and The United States of Tara.

Both are so well acted, so well written, so well done, I almost always sit there with my mouth open, amazed that television is producing shows that are so funny, deep, intricate, and multi-faceted.

For instance, in Nurse Jackie (Edie Falco), there is a character named Zoey, a fledgling nurse.  She is played by Merritt Wever, an actor I imagined new to me, though her biography is full of shows and films that I actually DID see. 

But clearly someone had been paying attention because Merritt just is so into this role.  Zoey is enthusiastic, naive, experienced (she performs a life saving technique that only doctors are supposed to).  She admires her boss Nurse Jackie, but also has learned something while admiring her.  She's malleable, quick, and real. 

What an amazing actor, and she's only one eighth of the good actors on this show.  

I still back and think, is this really television?  And then I watch The United States of Tara, and I am even more amazed.  All I can say to that is Toni Colette.

If you don't get HBO, try watching Nurse Jackie on hulu.com.  It will not waste your half hour.

Jessica