Grid Effect

Let me preface my first post about Nip-Tuck by saying I am not entirely sure why I still watch the series. The first season was bonafide great. It was original, provocative, funny and dramatic. The second season banked on shock value, the third followed suit and currently in it’s fourth season it seems like they are shooting from the hip. By which I mean I am not sure what they are trying to say about the themes or characters that appealed to me in the first place. For the most part my viewership is habitual, nothing more. After having invested one season into the series, followed by a second one I didn’t really enjoy, I am watching almost out of personal obligation. Which is lame. The series does have its moments of clarity, however.

And last night was one of those exceptions. The themes of American superficiality and elitism coupled with complex character development were in full form last night. And I am almost embarrased to admit that I am enjoying Rosie O’Donnell’s (Dawn Budge) arc on this show. Her rush from trailor trash hick to nine figure powerball winner has been comical. After having lost her husband and daughter (she caught them having sex, not sure if it was his biological daughter, though, we’ll just pretend she wasn’t) along with any self-respect she had (hundred’s of thousands of dollars in cosmetic surgery, paying Christian $400,000 for sex), she finally hit an emotional low after sacrificing a mouse she had grown attached to that Christian and Sean had grown her new ear on (more on that later).

Liz, however, despite a needing a kidney transplant and a recent string of bad luck was exuding with appreciation for what she had in her life. After Sean lied about not being a match, for her new kidney (though he confessed to lying about it later in the new episode, he only did it under the impression his psuedo-son would be offering up his), she found an even better match with Dawn Budge. Giving her a healthy kidney and Dawn an opportunity at atoning for her guilt.

Other notes:

-Christian utterly using Kimber and subsequently being unbelievably cruel. Almost made me feel bad for her (The writers for this series need to learn that characters like Kimber are expendable. the only two that are necessary are Christian and Sean). That said, Christian’s line, “like I give a shit about your wack-a-doo religion” in reference to scientology immediately after having sex with her was flashbacks of the comedy from season one for me.

-The scene with Dawn, Sean and the biologist at the bio-lab looking at Dawn’s ear mouse was hysterical. that hairless genetically morphed mouse walking around with the human shaped ear on its back was the creepiest thing I have ever seen in this series, and there is pretty steep competition for that title.

The exchange between Dawn and Christian as she was laying await to go under the knife for Liz’s kidney transplant was well scripted/acted:

Dawn: First powerball now this, who would have thought lightning would strike twice.
Sean: It helps when he has such a large target.
Dawn: It didn’t seem to bother you when you were hitting the same target a couple nights ago.
(The entire medical staff over hearing this looks on in jaw-dropped shock/horror)
Sean: Lets just proceed with the surgery.

-Christian and Michelle continue to have sex for her husband’s arousal. Which is something that feels like it has been done a couple thousand times on this series. The old voyeur has a stroke at the end of the episode. Christian thinks Michelle may have forced him viagra that he had been warned by doctors could be fatal. Yawn. Both Michelle and her husband are inherently unlikable.

-Of all the positives from this episode, the scene of Dawn Budge’s ear-jacking by the drive by motorcycle gang was a little too incredulous to take seriously (she was wearing recently purchased expensive set of earrings, they spared the right ear). I am assuming it was supposed to be for comedy but the in manner in which everything was fast forwarded with the ear shooting up in the air and the biker caught it in his hand was just lazy. They might as well have went Arrested Development style and shown us a series of stills claiming they didn’t have the resources to shoot the scene properly (how I pine for the days of AD).

Next week, Sean slugs some guy for cracking jokes on his deformed newborn son and Matt continues to sleep with Kimber. That midget from Entourage and The Station Agent is intricately involved again, though I cannot tell in what capacity.