Nip/Tuck - Season 3

Someone also made a mess of the characters, or at least turned them all manic-depressive; the moral flip-flopping between Sean (Dylan Walsh) and Christian (Julian McMahon) is inexplicable at best. One goes wild, the other grows a conscience--and then they switch sides. One is on the brink of divorce, the other gets engaged--and another switch. It's headache-inducing how each of the main characters become nonsensical and not the least bit engaging. Here's hoping Nip/Tuck regains its mojo in season four. --Ellen A. Kim

The writing here is fantastic, and is more than matched by the smooth direction and the conviction of the performers, with the three leads (Dylan Walsh, Joely Richardson and Julian McMahon) each offering further dimensions of depth to their characters, whilst also getting to indulge themselves in some seriously weighty topics. Throughout the series we see the surgeons juggle their usual work-related duties - with episode one finding the pair confronted by a morbidly obese woman, whilst a later episode finds Sean doing reconstructive work on a woman entering into the F.B.I. witness protection program - whilst simultaneously finding themselves with even more problems at home. Added to this, there is the arrival of macho cad Quentin Costa (as seen briefly in season two), who takes up residence at McNamara and Troy after Sean becomes disillusioned with the surgery's approach to superficiality, whilst the hunt for the Carver creates a further degree of animosity between the principal characters, and generally, leads to the revelation of a number of family secrets that were probably best forgotten.

The central concept of ugliness lurking beneath the superficial veneer of perfection couldn't last forever, so the writers here attack more topical issues... not least the central idea of The Carver, who casts a shadow over the season as a whole, but also racism (in the form of Matt's new girlfriend Ariel), pregnancy (I wouldn't want to give anything away!!), and workplace ethics too. In a number of episodes the team is faced with making a series of important decisions, having to decide between what is right and what is wrong and what will net them the biggest stack of cash... for example, dealing with a patient with O.C.D. who wants to have their perfectly fine leg amputated in order to feel complete; a HIV positive man who wants to have his withered face re-built so that he can get back to picking up men; and a very "now" episode in which a mother weighs up the pros and cons of allowing her comatose daughter's face to be transplanted onto a young woman with a degenerative muscle disorder. Sure, it's quite often over the top and melodramatic to the full, but the show succeeds over other contemporary U.S. dramas thanks to the deft characterizations, witty one liners (Quentin and Julie's post-hot-tub exchange is camp genius; with Sean's now successful ex replying to Quentin's assessment of her as "a bitch" by offering the cool kiss-off, "yeah, but at least I'm not yours") and some really quite thought-provoking moments of drama.

Some might argue that this season suffers slightly from the over-reliance on the Carver subplot and his ultimate reveal in the final episode, and, to an extent, I suppose they have a point (the final episode seems rushed, clumsy, and introduces a number of gaping plot holes that run as far back as season two!!), however, to dismiss the entire season on the failure of one episode is churlish, as the series as a whole more than delivered great entertainment and gripping storylines week after week. It's not only Sean and Christian who have to juggle the moral issues here, with the duo's trusted assistant Liz finally having enough of the surgery and it's politics by taking up residency at Julia's successful spa De La Mer, whilst later in the series Julia herself is forced to make a serious and life changing decision when she believes her mother has been involved in a massive plane crash (the whole episode is one of the best of all three seasons combined and features Richardson's greatest on-screen performance to date).

Nip/Tuck Season Three more than measures up to the success of seasons one and two, offering the same combination of caustic one-liners, intelligent characters, trashy melodramatics, over-the-top surgery scenes and edge-of-your-seat tension. Some will probably find the ultimate revelation of the Carver's true-identity to be something of a let down (which is understandable when something is as hyped as this... for more, see the Bad Wolf climax of the recent Doctor Who!!), but I felt that the escalating sense of mystery, tension and drama, coupled with the great performances, writing and direction, was more than enough to make up for the last episode's thematic short-comings.


Nip/Tuck Season 3   May 22, 2006
Robert Davidson (London, England)
6 out of 8 found this review helpful

While its not up to the wonderful standards of nip/tuck season 1 it certainly holds it own, i was a little disappointed in season 2 apart from the great craver storyline but my main disappointment for me was the fact that the buisness itself never really got touhced on. But in season3 that all changes as theres a sudden slump in their buisness and the desperation they go to is great television. There are obviously stand out episodes such as 'Momma Boone' with a wonderful beginning which will give you the shock of your life. Also i was a big fan of the Matt storyline in which he is dating a daughter of a neo Nazi. WHile there are some unimagaitive episodes and quite frankly boring (the whole de la mer episodes) there are pretty of great storylines and we see the evolution of Matt and the disintigration of everything that seans owns or loves. The Carver storyline was a great masterpiece in writing, although i felt the actually revealing was badly done and very anti-climatic but the actual ending was great as it gives a unique twist.
All in all the good out weighs the bad (which is around 3 episodes) and you will be truly touched by some of the series. WHile not as good as season 1 its better than season 2 due to the stuff you thought was just fixed and not going to change (such as the state of the buisness).

Top 3 episodes (in my opinion):
3.Rhea Reynolds- the great storyline of a girl seeking attention and pretends to be a victim of the serial rapist or was she? Even til the end i was guessing due to the convincing writing and great acting ( from the actress who plays Rhea Reynolds) and a quite touching storyline which involves an old woman trying to rekindle her husbands memory to remember her.
2.Momma Boone- A great story based on a true story (i believe) in which a woman becomes so overweight and is on the sofa too long and the fibres attach to her body, and of course we find out what really happened to Christian and a great and believeable script with true emotion that just makes you feel sorry for Momma Boone.
1. Quentin Costa- Many may disagree with me on this but if you didn't feel for Matt during his quite frankly breathtaking scenes with Cherry Peck, and even thought it was very anti climatic , until the last point you didn't know who the carver was and for a spilt sceond it hought it was someone i never thought it would be,but while its not the strongest season finale {season 2 by miles :)} it had definatley the best edning of storylines yet, although no cliffhangers which i was looking forward too, but with some of the questions they left unanswered it leaves you with antisapation for the next season and trust me you wil.

If you new to nip/tuck this is obviously not the place to start, for you to understand anythign you need season2. So is you heard good things about nip/tcuk and want to check out the carver storyline, then do not start here. For those who want what had to be some of the best hours of television season1 is the best bet for you, but for any nip/tcuk fan this is an essential buy andf you will kick yourself if don't just to relive some great moments.

Good luck with getting this dvd and enjoy,


Better and better   April 23, 2007
Emily Matthews (Bristol)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Season 3 continues with the same romps, the same weirdly obsessed people and the same twists and turns as the previous two seasons, with the addition of the identification of the Carver. As dramas go, Nip/Tuck continues in a league of its own, with originality oozing from every episode. Plenty of twists and turns keep you guessing til the last second, with a hearty dose of emotion in there too. Brilliant work by the whole cast.