DVD Reviews

HawthoRNe: Season Two – DVD Review

By Patrick Luce Jul 7, 2011, 14:31 GMT

Jada Pinkett Smith stars as Director of Nursing Christina Hawthorne, a passionate advocate for her patients who must balance the demands of being a widowed mother. When cutbacks close Richmond Trinity, Christina and several of her fellow doctors and nurses join the struggling James River Hospital. She defies enormous odds to rescue a heroin-addicted mother, confronts angry protesters to save a death row patient, and takes on the entire review ...more

Jada Pinkett Smith returns as Christina Hawthorne for a second season of HawthoRNe (the RN in the name and title standing for registered nurse). The show continues to follows the same formula established in the first season while shaking things up.

The returning cast includes: Jada Pinkett Smith as Christina Hawthorne (Smith also has producer creds), Suleka Mathew as Bobbie Jackson, Hannah Hodson as Camille Hawthorne (Christina’s daughter), Michael Vartan as Dr. Tom Wakefield, David Julian Hirsh as Ray Stein, Vanessa Lengies as Kelly Epson, Christina Moore as Candy Sullivan, James Morrison as John Morrissey, Adam Rayner as Dr. Steve Shaw and Anne Ramsey as Dr. Brenda Marshall.

The first episode sees the hospital Richmond Trinity has closed its doors. Many of the staff has been shifted to a rundown hospital in a low-income area. Things are made even worse at James River when there are conflicts with the ER nursing supervisor and the rest of the staff. Dr. Wakefield (Michael Vartan) gives up his administrative duties and dives into direct care.

While season one seemed to be only setting up the characters and the show, this season kicks it into high gear with lots of drama, love intrigues, and conflicts due to the switch in venues.

Christina has to deal with her daughter growing up as well as conflicted love interests. Her flame for Dr. Wakefield falters a little as she becomes involved with a detective Nick Renata (played by Marc Anthony).

Sara Gilbert also joins the cast in season to as a nurse at James River, Malia Price. Gilbert adds some laughs to the show with her constant conflicts with cast regulars and her more than lacking bedside manner.

As the season rolls along, love interests are explored, and relationships crumble. The season ends on a high note with a promising look to season three.

Although HawthoRNe, is built around Jada Pinkett Smith, its strength is in the ensemble cast and many of the supporting characters are more entertaining than Christina. Most of the drama comes from Smith’s character and the best storylines revolve around her interaction with her teenage daughter.

It might be a medical show, but I found the interactions between a hardworking single mother and her teenage daughter the most interesting this season.

On top of everything Christina has to deal with at the hospital, she has to continue to be a mother to a daughter who is starting to explore sex and other teenage issues. Smith handles the duel roles with perfection, and makes the character believable.

It is easy to see her as a concerned and somewhat overprotective mother as well as a hard working professional.

HawthoRNe: Season Two takes what worked in season one, but expands it to give the series a more grounded feel. The changing up of hospitals gave way for more characters, and also established that the writers are willing to throw many curve balls to keep the audience unsure where the series is heading.

The season two release comes loaded with special features include A New Season Featurette; Fresh Faces Featurette; Advanced Medicine Featurette; “I Run This” Photo Shoot Featurette; and Cast Photo Shoot Featurette.

Fans of the first season will like the changes and growth made in HawthoRNe: Season Two, and those who didn’t like season one should give the show another try. It still has a formulaic feel to storylines, but Smith and the rest of the cast make it worth watching.