TV Jots

New Digs, New Job, New Love

Get excited, Jada Pinkett Smith fans. The Matrix trilogy and Set It Off actress’ TNT original medical drama HawthoRNe opens its second season at 9pm ET on June 22 with the aptly titled premiere “No Excuses.”

The show wastes no time getting right back into the full swing of things, either. Of course, that means more unexpected crises, more high anxiety, and more intense conflict when it comes to lead character and veteran nurse Christina Hawthorne (Smith) and her various colleagues at Richmond Trinity hospital … which brings us to the central event during the season opener — the closing of said medical facility and the subsequent transfer of most employees to another hospital called James River.

If the staff thought their old workplace was hectic, then their new digs must seem almost like a nightmare. James River is located in a classic underserved community, a fact reflected in the general poor shape of the hospital and the poor attitude of some — but not all — of its employees. The Richmond Trinity refugees don’t swoop in to save the day, but they do infuse their latest hard-luck situation with their familiar compassion, diligence and, especially in the case of Christina, outspokenness.

“No Excuses” does a good job of setting up several major plotlines that will unfold throughout the season, such as Christina’s budding relationship with her deceased husband’s best friend Dr. Tom Wakefield (Michael Vartan), who drops down a notch from his former Chief of Surgery role when he becomes “just” a doctor and surgeon at James River. The sudden change in Tom’s career will help him lead a less stressful life and free up time for him to focus on his personal relationships, presumably.

Another plotline that heats up the season premiere involves the different approaches and personalities of Christina and her James River counterpart Gail Strummer (The District‘s Vanessa Bell Calloway), the emergency room head nurse who has her own way of doing things and about as much — or more — stubbornness as our heroine.

Thankfully, all of the main characters from the first season return for the second run, including David Julian Hirsh as nurse Ray Stein, Hannah Hodson as Christina’s teenage daughter Camille, Suleka Mathew as Christina’s best friend and fellow nurse Bobbie Jackson, Christina Moore as currently Afghanistan-based nurse Candy Sullivan, and Anne Ramsay as Ray’s hookup partner Dr. Brenda Marshall.

We also meet a few other new players, as well. Most notable in “No Excuses” is Roseanne, ER and The Big Bang Theory alumna Sara Gilbert, whose nurse character Malia Price makes Season One newb Kelly Epson (Vanessa Lengies) seem like a nursing prodigy.

After checking out the second-season premiere, I’m pretty sure fans of HawthoRNe and series star Smith have nothing to worry about. Both the actress and Season Two of her show look like they will deliver what their target audience wants: more drama involving real, diverse people who are easy to relate to and, for the most part, like. So, critics can complain about the perceived shortcomings of the series as much as they like. The show serves a purpose for its viewers and still serves it well.

Sneak a peek at several scenes from “No Excuses” and get a quick recap of HawthoRNe‘s first season in the following videos.