Nurse Mildred Ratched sure ain’t Nurse Ratched from Cuckoo’s Nest

“Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You” – origin unknown

Unfortunately, today, I’m biting the hand of Dorothy Conway Westermeier – a Clifton girl – apologize in advance – but to thine own self I must be true.

After I posted about Cuckoo’s Nest yesterday, Dorothy fed me information about a new Netflix series called Ratched. Supposedly, the show’s meant to backfill episodes in Nurse Racthed’s early life to show how she became such a mean prick in Cuckoo’s Nest.

Great concept – so much you can do with it – and I want to like the series – so I watched five episodes last night.

Here’s where the biting begins – I hafta mention – one of my tragic flaws of character is doubting everything until I prove it to myself.

So as soon as I see the first scene – no way Nurse Midred Ratched in Ratched – is the same Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Maybe she’s not supposed to be the same person goes thru my mind – maybe the name’s a coincidence.

To verify – I go online & find this: “This is one of the reasons why super-producer Ryan Murphy – (super-producer? – never heard of him – 37 producing credits – nothing I saw – this writer’s doing some ass-kissing) decided to make Ratched, to break through this layer of misogyny and try to show how the patriarchy was responsible for the “Big Nurse” (Nurse Ratched) becoming the villain she is by Cuckoo’s Nest.”

So it is supposed to be the same person.

Hey, super-producer – look ashamed – don’t you do homework? – don’t you do research? – don’t you know how to perform simple math operations like addition and subtraction?

The first scene in Ratched is time-stamped 1947 to show where the story begins – & that’s exactly where doubt forced its way into my brain.

First I look up the actress who played Nurse Mildred Ratched – Sarah Paulson – born in December 1974 – the Ratched series was shot in 2020 – so 2020 minus 1974 = 46 years old – but she was born in December – so let’s give her a year & say she’s 45.

Next I look up Lousie Fletcher – born in 1934 – Cuckoo’s Nest was shot in 1974-75 – let’s say 1974 – subtract 1934 from 1974 and Louise Fletcher is 40 when she played Nurse Ratched – or 5 years younger than the nurse in Ratched.

Maybe the numbers will still add up because there’s no specific time-stamp in Cuckoo’s Nest – except for the tangential one when Jack Nicholson pretends to be watching a World Series game – and starts announcing that Koufax is pitching.

Well, let’s look up Koufax – Sandy Koufax pitched in the World Series four times – 1959, 1963, 1965, & 1966 – so Cuckoo’s Nest theoretically takes place in one of those four years – but which one?

So let’s see – Ratched takes place in 1947 & Cuckoo’s Nest takes place no earlier than 1959 – another simple subtraction coming up here, super-producer – 1959 minus 1947 = 12 years. Adding those 12 years onto Nurse Mildred Ratched’s age of 45 in 1947 – would make Nurse Ratched in Cuckoo’s Nest 57 years old by the time 1959 rolls around – sorry, dude, numbers don’t add up.

Took me almost 10 minutes to do that “research”– of course I’m not getting paid the big bucks of a super-producer – but I didn’t hafta use any fancy footwork like algebra, trig, or geometry – just a little logic, simple addition and subtraction, and a few minutes online.

So, super-producer, if you insist on starting your series in 1947 – select an actress around 30 – probably a couple out there – and it would also develop a more interesting character at the same time.

On the undercard so far – Vincent D’Onofrio – one of my all-time favorites – as the sleazy governor of California – Cynthia Nixon from Sex and the City plays his aide – not sure who Sharon Stone plays – and Amanda Plummer as the thorn in Nurse Mildred Ratched’s side – not sure if I saw her in anything else except as Honey Bunny in Pulp Fiction.

Weird sets and lighting often reminded me of scenes from The Shining – weird outfits and makeup – weird characters – weird and convoluted plot – in other words – a weird series – but an interesting one.

Started watching it a second time today – from the beginning – to enjoy it thoroughly made myself forget any & all connections with Cuckoo’s Nest.  

Here’s the trailer.

I’m America’s Best Crime Writer

and I approve this message.

Warner Books published Born to Be Wild in 1992 & it still sells every day at Amazon & Kindle. True story about certain members of the Warlocks motorcycle gang.

The story takes 21 years to play out – with many twists & turns – an amalgam of Sons of Anarchy & Breaking Bad – but these outlaw bikers make the Sons look like Cub Scouts.