Grid Effect

We’ve been trying to assess for awhile now which is less original: all our posts being headed with nothing more than the episode and series names, or Nip Tuck assigning characters names as there episode titles. It’s probably the former, but its a lot closer than you’d think.

This episode, much like 80% of all Nip Tuck episodes, revolved around the semi-fractious relationship between Christian and Sean. Needless to say it has run its course, so we didn’t really feel like watching the episode again as a refresher, so the details are a little less than stellar. Yes, we’re mailing it in, because the fact we still write about this show kind of makes our head spin, and if we feel compelled to write about something so remarkably unimpressive then we’re certainly not going to put forth any effort to it.

Where shattered dreams and tortured souls go to die.

But yes, Christian’s self-loathing is once again being projected onto Sean, partly because Sean is getting the most recognition out of this LA venture, but also because Christian is pushing forty (or is forty, can’t recall) and LA is a harsh, unforgiving mistress as represented by their publicist, who informs him that while in Miami he was unique and started at the proper age, given the scale of his new city and the time at which he is starting in it, he’ll never relive his Miami days. Christian, naturally, takes to this by posing in a soft porn magazine and offering to accompany Sean’s new relationship interest to the People’s Choice Awards.

All of this is paralleled in a really heavy-handed manner, when two Marilyn Monroe impersonators spark up a rivalry over customer privileges in front of Grauman’s theater. They’re both getting implants, and one of them levels with Christian about being relating to being rightfully entitled to something, while a rival callously interferes with your goals by trying to earn a living. Eventually, both Christian and Sean and the two Marilyn’s reconcile by episode’s end. The former over a near death experience for one of them on the operating table and the latter by finding out Sean’s ex-wife is now a lesbian. And we’re none the better for having watched this rehashed storyline yet again.

Not that we ever knew Julia was a lesbian, but when Portia De Rossi appeared in the opening credits and she was nowhere to be seen in the first fifty minutes, when Julia announced she was going to visit from New York, we weren’t terribly surprised when Portia emerged as Julia’s girlfriend. Honestly, we were hoping Patricia Carlson wouldn’t show up this season, which was unavoidable, but the character just grates and adds to the redundancy. I thought part of the reason they moved the series to LA was for a fresh start. As of now they have done nothing more but change the setting, and maybe cut back a bit in production costs. But we’re only two episodes in, an the same conflicts are being rehashed. This isn’t the first time we’ve suggested this, but I think it might be time to pull the plug on this series.

At least for the time being the two have reconciled. Somehow discovering that the woman the two of them have pined over for the past twenty years is now homosexual makes everything between them OK, and Sean was free to date the actresses he courts without interference from Christian: his best friend and colleague. As of now I’m just waiting on Matt to show up and delve into some good old vitriol and then it will officially be season four all over again.

While writing this recap, we’ve decided that three more episodes is a good litmus test, and the series still hasn’t demonstrated any character growth or improvement or even just a semblance of change, then we’ll simply save the series some grief and just bow out before they get a chance to be canceled. Given the previews for tonight’s episode, in which Christian is fondling Julia, we’re fairly pessimistic.