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« Nip/Tuck
September 5, 2006: Cindy Plumb (Season 4 Premiere)
Can you believe it’s been eight and a half months since we last saw a new episode of this show? That’s more than twice the amount of time we have to wait to see the average show when it goes on hiatus. But as we all know, Nip/Tuck is no average show. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely... and I, of course, will tell you just why:
– First of all, you knew it had to be good since Ryan Murphy came back to write and direct it. Oh, wait a minute — I take that back. Ryan wrote and directed last season’s lackluster finale, the one where we found out (what a shocker... not) that Quentin was the Carver. Ugh! But since the “C” word was never mentioned in tonight’s entire hour and 10 minutes (the actual episode was under an hour, but with all those movie promos and ads, I'm glad I added in time at the end via my TiVo), I’m going to cut (or rather, nip) Ryan some slack here. And speaking of Ryan, how many of you are looking forward to seeing his new flick Running with Scissors, brilliantly promoted tonight? Can’t wait.
– Can we please talk about the caliber of guest stars this season? Everyone and their brother and their sister and their gay lover is guesting on Nip/Tuck this season, and I’m like a kid in a candy store just eating them all up. I won’t go into the rest of the season, but just tonight (take a deep breath, Dave) we have: Kathleen Turner, Brooke Shields, Larry Hagman, Tracy (frickin’ Dynasty II: The Colbys) Scoggins, Amanda Pays, Bree Walker and the beautiful Sanaa Lathan from Love & Basketball. Now let me dissect....
– What a perfect role for Kathleen Turner: a phone-sex voice artist needing a “voice lift” since booze and cigarettes have turned her voice into Bea Arthur’s. I predict an outstanding guest-actress-in-a-drama nomination for Kathleen next year. Her Cindy Plumb was plum good.
– Brooke Shields (as Christian’s new therapist, Faith) has never been better. I loved that she suggested Christian might be in love with Sean, which, needless to say, freaked Christian out. Suddenly he’s asking Amanda Pays (Mrs. Corbin Bernsen) to “butch up” his très gay apartment. What an awesome ending, where we saw Christian having sex with Faith in her office — and not the way Faith suggested (you knew they had to do it Christian’s way). I would’ve had George Michael playing in the background: “Cause I’ve got to have Faith.... I’ve gotta have Faith to Faith to Faith — uh... baby!!”
– OK, I’ll say it. The Larry Hagman story line really took balls.
– Each passing season of Nip/Tuck just gets dirtier and dirtier (not that I mind). Since it’s on basic cable, I just picture my mother (Joan) going “Oh my!” Did we ever think we’d see a mother and daughter team that was into threesomes? Nice job, Tracy Scoggins. Good to see you back on TV! Best line that I can type here without getting censored: “Kids! Let Mommy, honey.” Nice.
– Great casting job with former news anchor and Carnivale cast member Bree Walker (someone who really has the genetic hand-and-foot irregularity called ectrodactyly that Julia and Sean’s baby has). But, although my heart goes out to Bree, I can’t help but think “What the hell happened to her lips?” Now, before you say, “Dave, how insensitive can you be?!” please go here.
– You know Sanaa Lathan’s character, Michelle, is nothing but trouble, especially for Christian. McNamara/Troy being bought out by J.R. Ewing, I mean, Burt Landau, will be quite interesting.
– Now that I’ve focused on the guest stars, let me just say how nice it is to see Julia and Sean back together, as well as Christian and Sean back as partners. I had a double dose of tears tonight — first the scene where Sean told Julia he wanted to raise the baby with her and then when Sean and Christian hugged. Those two scenes reminded me how frustrated I get each year at Emmy-nomination time when Joely Richardson, Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon (in that order) continually get snubbed.
– I thoroughly enjoyed all the '70s tunes tonight like “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste of Honey, “Love is in the Air” by John Paul Young and “You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate. Most appropriate: “Tired of Being Alone” by Al Green being played at the end.
– I really liked how they continually juxtaposed Sean’s sex life with Christian’s — from Sean taking off his pajamas to reveal boxers underneath while Christian simply removed his briefs to reveal his weekly butt shot, to Sean picking out his nose hairs while Christian picked out his condoms.
OK, peeps — time to chime in. Tell me what you don’t like about yourself. Or better yet, tell me what you thought of Nip/Tuck’s Season 4 premiere. Ready, set, go....
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Sep 6, 2006 5:42 AM
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It was a good premiere but I expected feeling shocked because of a comment by Matt Roush (if I recall correctly) about a scene that he estimated was 'too much'.
I guess I'm surfing between being blasée and being numb but nothing shocked or surprised me in this episode.
Was I supposed to be bothered by the threesome? Because I really wasn't. *shrugs*
Thank you for listing the songs. I didn't know who sang them but now that I do I can go to itunes and check if I can buy them out there. Thanks again.
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Sep 6, 2006 7:41 AM
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What a great way to start a season! I myself was shocked at some scenes..I mean when u think they've done it all...nope>>mother/daughter threesome. At one point my friend had to tell me to close my mouth bcuz it was shocking..."let mommy handle it"...ICKY! There really isnt too much else they can do w/ Christian sexually..all's thats left is for him to explore his possible homosexual side lol! This is gonna be interesting. I dont think he's truly homosexual or Bi for that matter. He has deep love for Sean bcuz he's not just a friend..he's pretty much the only family that he has. Plus he admires and envies Sean. But hey I maybe proven wrong and Christain mite b gay who knows haha.
Its great to see Sean & Julia bak 2gether..but I really wish she would stop hiding things from Sean. She shoulda told him bout the baby...I think its great that they're gonna raise the baby together.
Did Sean (Dylan) start workin out or something. He's always been a cutie but he was really HOT in this ep..something's diff't. His skin even looked diff't. Welp..whatever he did he needs to keep doin . And Julian looks hot as always
Where was Matt in the ep?
I love Sanaa and its niice to see her on the show.
I think this season's gonna be really good..the previews looked GREAT! Looks promising that it'll be better than last season
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Sep 6, 2006 9:08 AM
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I forgot how much I missed this show until I heard the "Make me....beautiful" intro song.
I knew the Mommy looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. That storyline was so Christian-esque. I can't imagine having a threesome with my Mom, or asking my Mom if my man kissed her. But man it makes for some great guilty pleasure TV!
So glad it's back. Julian McMahon is super dreamy! 
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Sep 6, 2006 9:22 AM
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You have got to be kidding me-this is the best they have? People, don't you remember the good old days when your mouth was hanging open throughout the whole episode and not just the sex scenes? Think about it...what was new this season? Julia is still hiding things from Sean and Julian is still having sex with every female that crosses his path.
I am so glad Matt wasn't on last night. Matt Roush was right on target when he said Matt looked like Michael Jackson.
Sure, it was great to see Kathleen Turner, and in a perfect part I might add. I have a bad feeling that things are going to go way downhill now when Rosie O'Donnell comes on, not because she's gay, but because she's a really bad actress.
I'm sorry, but after insulting us last season with that horrible finale I think they really owed us bigtime and failed to deliver.
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Sep 6, 2006 9:27 AM
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I would have graded the episode a "B." I guess after going through last season with the Carver, it was time to come down a bit with a tamer episode.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the season plays out with the new owners. I also wonder if Sean and Julia's baby will live. The writers already have a hard time giving screen time to their daughter (who looks exactly like Matt), so how will this new baby storyline play out?
Oh, and I can't wait until Kimber tries to hook up with Matt this season. Love it! Love it!
Anyway, I agree that the Emmys nominations need to include the cast and writers.
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Sep 6, 2006 9:50 AM
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After the disappointing reveal of Quentin as the carver, this episode got back to basics. (I always thought it would have made more since that the Carver should have been Bobolit from season one. They could have had a great whodunnit this year if they kept Quentin and had him murdered.)
The storyline with the patients were great, that never seems to get off track.
But, Sean, Christian, and Julia's personal lives-it looks like it's going to be the same old story.
Christian questioning his sexuality-the writers are starting to run out of ideas-Christian's got to be the most heterosexual character on television. And didn't they do a version of this storyline with Matt last year?
Christian doing the therapist-didn't we have this in season one with Dr. Santiago?
The Matt and Kimber pairing is the one thing I am looking forward too. Will they ever show us how Matt survived at the end of last season? Nine months is long enough to wait. And when did Liz start working back at the clinic instead of the spa?
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Sep 6, 2006 10:08 AM
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Matt does look like MiJac..poor thing
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Sep 6, 2006 10:09 AM
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I could have sworn I saw a credit for Roma Mafia at the beginning of the episode. Is she on the show this year? Wasn't she the cop/Carver's sister last year?
And I HATED Christian's hair - all pointed up in the middle like that. Yuck!
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Sep 6, 2006 10:23 AM
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I didn't think this episode was any dirtier than what we've seen in previous seasons. In fact, I think we've seen much dirtier. Not sure what all the hoopla was about. Matt Roush was talking like the show had finally crossed the line. I couldn't identify a single scene where they even came close. If he's referring to the mother/daughter sexscapade, come on. That was tame compared to stuff we saw in season 2.
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Sep 6, 2006 10:43 AM
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Yippee, I'm so happy Nip/Tuck is back, I didn't realize how much I missed it! I was a little less shocked than Matt Roush implied I'd be, Nip/Tuck & Queer as Folk have really killed any of my prudish shock over what they can get away with showing on tv. The mom/daughter 3-some was gross, who would do that and why?? Scary thing is, I'm sure that happens more than you would think. I really missed Matt last night, I don't care if he looks like MJ, his character adds so much extra drama! I loved that Faith told Christian he might be in love with Sean, that seems pretty plausible to me. And I'm sorry, that apartment was supposed to be more butch?? It was hideous. I'm not loving the Sean/Julia storyline, but only because I can't stand Julia. She drives me crazy every season, I hate the way she speaks, especially when she says the name Christian. Happy to see Sean/Christian working together again. The new season looks great, I'm kinda looking forward to Rosie's appearance, if only for the fact that if I won hundreds of millions of dollars, I might just pay Christian for a night or two of fun too 
Can't wait for next week!
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Sep 6, 2006 10:52 AM
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how bad can it be, when it opens w/a christian booty-shot within the first 5 minutes? >
but seriously, i give it a B. will be nice to get back to the characters, which it seems to be setting up for, rather than the carver business.
but, i must confess..i'm REALLY not liking sean's reaction to the baby's birth defect. i mean, it's going to be a physical disability, but not life threatening...after his speech about not doing so much cosmetic work..that's all he's concerned about it seems..the cosmetics, not the real health. he better straighten up.
loved all the guest stars...the mother/daughter thing totally creeped me out..and larry hagman ROCKS!
hope it lives up to the build up this year!
(oh, and now i want to see ALL of those sony movies...nice work)
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Sep 6, 2006 10:58 AM
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Hello, everyone. LIke many others, I was not particularly put off by the mother/daughter 3-some. Huh. What does that say about all of us?! Anyhoo - I, too, am looking for some serious changes in Christian this season. Last time we saw him (other than with Quentin), he was working on Kimber to make her a "10" again and still agreeing to marry her. Now he's still living alone, still contemplating how his life really does suck despite fabulous duds and many women, still pining for Julia. Still, this return was fan-TUCK-tastic!
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Sep 6, 2006 11:25 AM
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FYI - Roma Maffia is the anesthesiologist; Rhona Mitra is the cop/Carver's sister.
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Sep 6, 2006 11:41 AM
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I was BORED!!!!!!!!!!
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Sep 6, 2006 12:12 PM
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