The fifth season of hit show Nip/Tuck premiered last night on FX. Previously set in Miami, fans returned to see their favorite on-screen doctors Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) settle in their new humble abode, Los Angeles.
Upon opening shop in L.A, Sean and Christian soon learn exactly where they are living now - in the land of pristine faces and bodies who have been nipped and tucked to the maximal level. Their rude awakening forces them to use themselves as bait in nightclubs in their pursuit of clients. It is there where they meet Fiona McNeil (Lauren Hutton), a publicist. "Celebrity is power," she tells Sean and Christian and offers two of her clientele to them. "Carly Summers," the woman after which the season premiere is named, is a middle-aged actress who acknowledges herself as beautiful and in no dire need of surgery. McNeil disagrees and requests the doctors to "refresh her face so we can refresh her career." Being the charming surgeon that is Christian Troy, he woos Summers on a date and she later proceeds to seek his honest opinion of her body. Client one down.
Meanwhile, a producer pays a visit to the offices of McNamara/Troy for reconstructive surgery of his scars caused by his personal dominatrix. Classic Nip/Tuck drama there.
McNeil then introduces the doctors to Freddy Prune (Oliver Platt), the effete flamboyant director and creator of Hearts N' Scalpels, a soft-core blend of Nip/Tuck itself and ER. The over-the-top characters, formulaic dialogue and unrealistic surgeries are a nuisance to McNamara/Troy at first but then intrigue them as they are offered guest spots on the series. After their premiere on Scalpels, Christian, usually the charmer, fades in the background as surgery requests from female fans come pouring in for Sean.
The fourth season was becoming humdrum and director Ryan Murphy made a wise decision in changing the locale and introducing new characters. Undoubtedly, the new setting and show-within-a-show adventures of the Adonis' that are Sean and Christian will lend excitement to returning fans. Catch Nip/Tuck on FX Tuesday nights at 10 p.m.
