Nurse Jackie - Season 1 starts in the middle of the story, really. Eddie and Jackie are already a thing, and Jackie is already hooked on painkillers, which it is implied is how the relationship with Eddie started, because he can get her pills. It is also said (I think in the opening narration) that Jackie has a bad back and I've always assumed this was the trigger for the drug addiction but it's never been explained because the only person that knows IC is Jackie and she's in total denial. (This is not a season spoiler, btw, you can glean all this from the first ep of S1).

And what's airing now, btw, IS the second season. Finale was last night, I've just watched it. It didn't push things as far as I thought it would but I suspect they're really setting things up for S3.

IPS, Brandi's bf is still around, just not as much. At least they didn't ditch him completely like poor Rafe *sniffles* I liked him. You're right that it's uneven but when it's good, it's very, very good :) And even the not so good is still watchable.