Nip/Tuck: Season 1, Episode 6: Megan O'Hara Review

Megan O’Hara

Original Airdate: September 2, 2003

Writers: Jennifer Salt

Director: Craig Zisk

Can a physical change improve a person’s emotional life? That’s the central question to the episode. Bliss seeks help to change her physical shape so she can fit the lie she told someone on the net. Sean wants a vasectomy to avoid future pregnancies. Megan wants to get breast implants to reward her husband for staying through her cancer nightmare. Vanessa wants a threesome so Ridley will love her. As they learn, it isn’t as easy to find a solution to their problems.

Bliss’ procedure, getting excess skin removed following a dramatic weight loss to impress a man she’s been dating online, is the comic relief of this episode. Internet relationships can be difficult as many people can take advantage of the anonymity of the web. It doesn’t matter if you’re obese, scarred or unusually tall or short. On the internet, you can be attractive and charismatic. She lied to Isaac and tried to conceal it with the weight loss and having her skin tightened. Ironically, Isaac deceived her too, but he didn’t do anything about it.

The consequences of Christian’s actions continue as his new car and his beloved Boatox are vandalized. Christian’s mix of business with pleasure is strong, as he and Grace have sex in the break room, but the results spill over like when Nico comes to the office with a baseball bat. Again, Sean tries to convince Christian to keep his indiscretions private, but by the end he contradicts himself by kissing Megan, which is enough reason for Christian to give Kimber another chance, just as she is about to perform more vandalism.

Kimber has problems. Her engagement to the photographer months after her one night stand with Christian is a good indicator of instability. We saw bits of it when Christian tried to dump her following Nico’s rampage in Troy/McNamara’s office the night after Christian sleeps with Kimber. Christian has been cruel to her. Using her for sex and surgery in the pilot and discarding her afterward was a horrible thing to do. She is still vengeful. Like Gina, Christian pushed her beyond her limit.

Gina has changed already from what we saw last week. Even things like her smoking and greeting him with her trademark “Hey Asshole” showed how bitter she is. Outside of the program, she is cynical, which is one reason why she has turned to sex to make her feel better. When she had her life in order, Christian came and she lost her grip on sobriety. She blames him entirely for it. When confronted about the spray paint, she doesn’t deny it, even though we learn Kimber was behind it.

Christian can be a heartless human being for those who give him pleasure. We see this in a humorous light as he calls his various partners to figure out who was behind who wrecked his cars and boat. Often he doesn’t find out the woman’s right name, and he instantly regrets insincere comments like wanting to be friends with them.

The lack of continuity involving Nanette Babcock’s suicide three episodes earlier aggravated some fans, but it was better to hold it off until this episode because it had heavier implications. With the return of the vandalizing, she would’ve been a prime suspect. Her suicide only added to Sean’s depression. Not being able to help her made him feel like things were further out his control.

His gloomy mood started with Julia’s miscarriage. Since she put the kid at risk without his knowledge, his trust in her has been compromised. His plans for a new start with a new kid have been dashed so that Julia could go forward with her dreams. Getting a vasectomy seems to be the only solution to his problem so that he won’t go through another miscarriage. Megan’s arrival triggers a major change in his life. She has experienced loss through medical treatments for her breast cancer. Her husband doesn’t want to feel for the sake of being strong for her. However, she needs to cry about her ordeal so she can move past it. Sean hasn’t given himself the time to feel for the loss of his miscarried child.

Megan persuades Sean not to get the vasectomy because it is an external solution to a personal problem, which is why she cancels her implant procedure. Helping Megan helped Sean because he felt like he could serve someone after failing with Nanette and his wife. His solution to his problem is the beginning of an affair with Megan. Unlike Julia, Megan is much more positive and unrestrained.

Threesomes are taboo, as is teenage sex. When Nip/Tuck combined them, they solidified a special spot among South Park and HBO as TV’s leading provocateurs. While a preliminary glance indicates that this is just smut for the sake of ratings, it clearly isn’t. This encounter, Vanessa last attempt to keep Ridley, is supposed to be awkward. They don’t know how to begin and sit around confused. This threeway only further divides Vanessa and Ridley. Many couples who engage in experimental sex as a last resort generally fail miserably in getting their relationship back on track.

It was clear in the beginning of the episode that Ridley was only into experimenting and unfortunately led Vanessa along, who mistook it for something more serious. Vanessa is a typical hopeless romantic teenage, but Ridley is also the typical “wants to have fun” teenager. She had a lesbian fling, but now is attracted to men. What was intended to keep them closer together only broke Vanessa’s heart.

This episode continues to expand upon complications that would make up the rest of the season. Elements such as a vengeful Gina, Megan and Sean’s relationship, Kimber’s return and Matt’s sexuality will continue to be important pieces of the show. All the people trying to make physical changes to solve their emotional problems was strong through most of the episode. The threesome is shocking, but tastefully done. Knowing that the best is still later in the season is encouraging with good episodes like this one.

Score: 8/10