Nip/Tuck: Season 2, Episode 7: Naomi Gaines Review
Naomi Gaines
Original Airdate: August 3, 2004
Writer: Sean Jablonski
Director: Craig Zisk
After setting everything up, this episode kicks it full speed with revelations, problems and a little triumph of the human spirit. Ava was a lot to handle, but then they unleashed her disturbed son. In addition, it also adds The Carver, which would provide some later intrigue once the major stories this season die down.
Following Bobbi's restaurant outburst, Christian and Sean knew they were in for a tough ride. Bobbi has taken her fight to their office, convincing an old woman not to have them do her facelift. The woman did the consult anyway to see for herself. When the old lady leaves, they confront Bobbi haranguing patients in the waiting room. She scares them off showing them her botched lipo. Despite their requests that she leave, she insists on staying.
Bobbi's disturbances are too overt for their business, so the doctors try to discuss this matter privately. However, Bobbi remains adamant that she get an apology and that they inform the public what they did. Either way, they're going to take a major hit in public relations and revenue. Although Bobbi is unstable, she has convinced local newswoman Andrea Hall to do a piece on her surgery. Exposure like that would doom their business since local news is more concerned about scandal than the truth.
Sean's still distracted the next morning when Julia tells him about an attack on a model named Naomi Gaines. The third victim in a month, Naomi was brutalized by someone referred to only as "The Carver". He was named this because he mutilates his victims after raping them. Suddenly, Sean has someone who needs his help, a real victim of a horrible tragedy. Although he is concerned largely for her well being, part of him appears to be interesting in the publicity. That direction was misguided as it better suits Christian's point of view. Christian and Sean's differing attitudes become integral to the episode. Perhaps the scene should've been reworked as a scene between Sean and Christian or Christian and someone else.
While Sean is leaving for work, Matt is finishing making love to Ava. Adrian interrupts their pillow talk. He's not feeling well and is staying home from school. When Ava tells him that she wants him in bed, he tries to climb in with them. This boy missed many hugs when he was younger. Ava remarks that sometimes she regrets not having an abortion when she was pregnant with Adrian. Obviously such an issue between her son and her has made him a disturbed kid.
Matt questions her feelings being with someone her son's age. She claims that Matt's age has nothing to do with her attraction. It does. His age still leaves him impressionable, and Ava needs someone she can easily leech off and manipulate. Adrian has been manipulated all his life and we see that it has warped him. Before he left, he tells Matt that he will be discarded eventually. Adrian's obsession with his mother would give Hamlet pause.
Bobbi continues to terrorize McNamara/Troy, filling their schedule with phony appointments for famous victims and sending rotten meat to their building. However, this day they have a real client: Naomi. Words can only say so much about what she went through. The Carver cut her face badly, the cuts running from the corners of her mouth up her face. As he raped her and she choked on her blood, he kept saying, "Beauty is a curse on the world". In addition to this wrenching story, this quote has the added dramatic effect with the show's plastic surgery setting. The Carver chooses his victims because of their beauty and beauty is their business.
Sean sees her ordeal as an opportunity to be a healer again. He's genuinely sympathetic to her ordeal, gently examining her wounds and waving all costs for the procedure. When he asks her to smile and she can't, he tells her that it is because of nerve damage instead of trauma. Throughout the consult he assures her that most of what has happened to her is fixable. Naomi booked a cover before her attack and all she wants is her life back.
Christian sees that this is a huge story that would overshadow whatever Bobbi Broderick is planning. Without Sean knowing, he seduces reporter Andrea Hall. When she learns about it the next morning, she's initially flattered. However, she says that she won't shelve the story because of her personal life. After a few choice words about her eventual need for surgery, Andrea almost storms out of his room. A few more words, about their pro bono work, convinces her to stay. Christian's plan worked perfectly.
The new alarm system at the McNamaras, installed at Julia's request, goes off in the middle of the night. Sean and Julia find Matt trying to sneak back in after being with Ava. He dodges the bullet, but realizes that he can't hide it much longer. Later that day he tells Ava about his situation. She's thrilled and decides to call his parents and set up a meeting where they can tell them. Obviously, she can't see how wrong this relationship is, but where would the fun be there?
While Ava makes the call, Adrian asks if Matt wants to masturbate by the pool. If Matt had any early indicator to get out of this relationship, this was it. It makes Matt uncomfortable, and his efforts to get Adrian to relax don't work. Adrian sees Matt as a wannabe father to him. Since they're the same age, he can't exert that authority. Ava returns to confirm their dinner date. Adrian makes an odd comment regarding favors, further adding to the weirdness quota.
On the latest campaign against McNamara/Troy, Bobbi stands outside their offices handing fliers of her stomach. This is the end of her effectiveness, as Andrea Hall is now covering their procedure on Naomi. Sean rolls his eyes again when he finds out how she was swayed and is uncomfortable when Christian requests that Sean ask Naomi to appear on camera and talk about her experience. He has done a lot to make Naomi comfortable and empowered: he doesn't want to trick her.
He has an opportunity when Naomi arrives to see what she should look like after surgery. After an awkward icebreaker, he manages to become more sincere as his lines sound less scripted. Initially she doesn't want to, but Sean persuades her by telling her that this would be getting back the power The Carver took from her. Through her ordeal, she has always been looked upon as this poor victim. Sean's compassion has made her believe that she can have what she used to have. Although he wasn't completely forward, this has been incredibly helpful for her.
Sean's concern for Naomi is genuine, as he tenderly looks at her before they operate. However, Christian doesn't see things that way. Christian's desire for honorable headlines and Sean's desire to give back what Naomi lost creates friction among the doctors, but nothing noticeable for the news cameras. While Sean may not like this publicity, he must realize that it is far better than the smear campaign Andrea Hall was originally going to cover.
That night, Julia, Matt, Adrian and Ava have dinner together. Adrian agreed to play nice, but his perpetual resentment towards them is still clear. Despite some hints, Adrian manages to keep quiet. He and Matt are excused from the table so Matt can show Adrian his CD collection. Matt asks what's the matter, but Adrian doesn't care. He takes the moment to kiss Matt, thoroughly freaking him out.
Spurned, Adrian returns to see Julia making a vegan meal for him since he told her he doesn't eat meat. He does, but he turned down her original meal to see if she would make something he requested. He claims Ava doesn't do that. Ava's rebuttal is that he isn't denied anything, so Adrian reveals their relationship in the most inappropriate way in front of Julia.
Off guard, Julia demands to know the truth, which she gets. Suddenly, Julia's vision of what she wants to be is shattered. Before she saw a woman in control of her life; someone who helped her get the strength to cast out her manipulative mother. Now she sees a much darker version of this woman, a woman far worse than her mother. She lashes out against Ava and orders her out of their lives. To Ava's surprise, Matt doesn't take her side. Ava needs to get Matt in a place where she can have control over him.
Meanwhile, Sean takes off the bandages to see how Naomi is healing. Thankfully, she is doing well. Her face hurts, but that's a sign that the surgery was a success. Unfortunately, Bobbi intrudes. Handing Naomi an envelope, she asks that she join her in a class action lawsuit against McNamara/Troy. At this point, she asks Naomi what had happened to her. Naomi gets her strength back here. Hearing this spoiled woman screaming for attention over a bad procedure was enough for her. She stands up for herself and tells Bobbi about her ordeal not in shock like she was at the beginning of the episode, but with power. It's clearly defeat for Bobbi.
And it's enough for Sean. He's going to press charges against her. Bobbi feels horrible for trying to compare her problem to rape. She confesses that she never went to her job interview and she did everything the doctors told her not to do. In her desperate attempt for attention, she lost all track of reality. Despite all she did to their company under this influence, Sean shows sympathy. He even offers to let Bobbi be a reference for future patients, giving her the attention she desperately needs.
Matt decides following the confrontation to break it off with Ava. He can't lie to his family anymore. She can't accept this. Matt is her life source. So, she unleashes the one thing she knows will revive his trust in her. That night he confronts Julia. She knows she can't lie to him about this. Everything Matt knows has been based on this lie that Julia has perpetuated. His trust in his mom is vanquished, just like Ava wanted. This revelation also has rocked him to his core, which makes him susceptible for more manipulation by Ava. During this fight, Sean walks in. Instead of revealing the entire truth, Matt tells him the truth about his relationship with Ava. It's merely a band-aid: he's going to find out soon.
This episode was jammed full of things that exemplify Nip/Tuck at its best. Adrian is a great addition to the cast. Though I wish there was more of the Bobbi Broderick storyline, it's quick resolution left them able to devote time to what was coming next.
Score: 10/10
Following Bobbi's restaurant outburst, Christian and Sean knew they were in for a tough ride. Bobbi has taken her fight to their office, convincing an old woman not to have them do her facelift. The woman did the consult anyway to see for herself. When the old lady leaves, they confront Bobbi haranguing patients in the waiting room. She scares them off showing them her botched lipo. Despite their requests that she leave, she insists on staying.
Bobbi's disturbances are too overt for their business, so the doctors try to discuss this matter privately. However, Bobbi remains adamant that she get an apology and that they inform the public what they did. Either way, they're going to take a major hit in public relations and revenue. Although Bobbi is unstable, she has convinced local newswoman Andrea Hall to do a piece on her surgery. Exposure like that would doom their business since local news is more concerned about scandal than the truth.
Sean's still distracted the next morning when Julia tells him about an attack on a model named Naomi Gaines. The third victim in a month, Naomi was brutalized by someone referred to only as "The Carver". He was named this because he mutilates his victims after raping them. Suddenly, Sean has someone who needs his help, a real victim of a horrible tragedy. Although he is concerned largely for her well being, part of him appears to be interesting in the publicity. That direction was misguided as it better suits Christian's point of view. Christian and Sean's differing attitudes become integral to the episode. Perhaps the scene should've been reworked as a scene between Sean and Christian or Christian and someone else.
While Sean is leaving for work, Matt is finishing making love to Ava. Adrian interrupts their pillow talk. He's not feeling well and is staying home from school. When Ava tells him that she wants him in bed, he tries to climb in with them. This boy missed many hugs when he was younger. Ava remarks that sometimes she regrets not having an abortion when she was pregnant with Adrian. Obviously such an issue between her son and her has made him a disturbed kid.
Matt questions her feelings being with someone her son's age. She claims that Matt's age has nothing to do with her attraction. It does. His age still leaves him impressionable, and Ava needs someone she can easily leech off and manipulate. Adrian has been manipulated all his life and we see that it has warped him. Before he left, he tells Matt that he will be discarded eventually. Adrian's obsession with his mother would give Hamlet pause.
Bobbi continues to terrorize McNamara/Troy, filling their schedule with phony appointments for famous victims and sending rotten meat to their building. However, this day they have a real client: Naomi. Words can only say so much about what she went through. The Carver cut her face badly, the cuts running from the corners of her mouth up her face. As he raped her and she choked on her blood, he kept saying, "Beauty is a curse on the world". In addition to this wrenching story, this quote has the added dramatic effect with the show's plastic surgery setting. The Carver chooses his victims because of their beauty and beauty is their business.
Sean sees her ordeal as an opportunity to be a healer again. He's genuinely sympathetic to her ordeal, gently examining her wounds and waving all costs for the procedure. When he asks her to smile and she can't, he tells her that it is because of nerve damage instead of trauma. Throughout the consult he assures her that most of what has happened to her is fixable. Naomi booked a cover before her attack and all she wants is her life back.
Christian sees that this is a huge story that would overshadow whatever Bobbi Broderick is planning. Without Sean knowing, he seduces reporter Andrea Hall. When she learns about it the next morning, she's initially flattered. However, she says that she won't shelve the story because of her personal life. After a few choice words about her eventual need for surgery, Andrea almost storms out of his room. A few more words, about their pro bono work, convinces her to stay. Christian's plan worked perfectly.
The new alarm system at the McNamaras, installed at Julia's request, goes off in the middle of the night. Sean and Julia find Matt trying to sneak back in after being with Ava. He dodges the bullet, but realizes that he can't hide it much longer. Later that day he tells Ava about his situation. She's thrilled and decides to call his parents and set up a meeting where they can tell them. Obviously, she can't see how wrong this relationship is, but where would the fun be there?
While Ava makes the call, Adrian asks if Matt wants to masturbate by the pool. If Matt had any early indicator to get out of this relationship, this was it. It makes Matt uncomfortable, and his efforts to get Adrian to relax don't work. Adrian sees Matt as a wannabe father to him. Since they're the same age, he can't exert that authority. Ava returns to confirm their dinner date. Adrian makes an odd comment regarding favors, further adding to the weirdness quota.
On the latest campaign against McNamara/Troy, Bobbi stands outside their offices handing fliers of her stomach. This is the end of her effectiveness, as Andrea Hall is now covering their procedure on Naomi. Sean rolls his eyes again when he finds out how she was swayed and is uncomfortable when Christian requests that Sean ask Naomi to appear on camera and talk about her experience. He has done a lot to make Naomi comfortable and empowered: he doesn't want to trick her.
He has an opportunity when Naomi arrives to see what she should look like after surgery. After an awkward icebreaker, he manages to become more sincere as his lines sound less scripted. Initially she doesn't want to, but Sean persuades her by telling her that this would be getting back the power The Carver took from her. Through her ordeal, she has always been looked upon as this poor victim. Sean's compassion has made her believe that she can have what she used to have. Although he wasn't completely forward, this has been incredibly helpful for her.
Sean's concern for Naomi is genuine, as he tenderly looks at her before they operate. However, Christian doesn't see things that way. Christian's desire for honorable headlines and Sean's desire to give back what Naomi lost creates friction among the doctors, but nothing noticeable for the news cameras. While Sean may not like this publicity, he must realize that it is far better than the smear campaign Andrea Hall was originally going to cover.
That night, Julia, Matt, Adrian and Ava have dinner together. Adrian agreed to play nice, but his perpetual resentment towards them is still clear. Despite some hints, Adrian manages to keep quiet. He and Matt are excused from the table so Matt can show Adrian his CD collection. Matt asks what's the matter, but Adrian doesn't care. He takes the moment to kiss Matt, thoroughly freaking him out.
Spurned, Adrian returns to see Julia making a vegan meal for him since he told her he doesn't eat meat. He does, but he turned down her original meal to see if she would make something he requested. He claims Ava doesn't do that. Ava's rebuttal is that he isn't denied anything, so Adrian reveals their relationship in the most inappropriate way in front of Julia.
Off guard, Julia demands to know the truth, which she gets. Suddenly, Julia's vision of what she wants to be is shattered. Before she saw a woman in control of her life; someone who helped her get the strength to cast out her manipulative mother. Now she sees a much darker version of this woman, a woman far worse than her mother. She lashes out against Ava and orders her out of their lives. To Ava's surprise, Matt doesn't take her side. Ava needs to get Matt in a place where she can have control over him.
Meanwhile, Sean takes off the bandages to see how Naomi is healing. Thankfully, she is doing well. Her face hurts, but that's a sign that the surgery was a success. Unfortunately, Bobbi intrudes. Handing Naomi an envelope, she asks that she join her in a class action lawsuit against McNamara/Troy. At this point, she asks Naomi what had happened to her. Naomi gets her strength back here. Hearing this spoiled woman screaming for attention over a bad procedure was enough for her. She stands up for herself and tells Bobbi about her ordeal not in shock like she was at the beginning of the episode, but with power. It's clearly defeat for Bobbi.
And it's enough for Sean. He's going to press charges against her. Bobbi feels horrible for trying to compare her problem to rape. She confesses that she never went to her job interview and she did everything the doctors told her not to do. In her desperate attempt for attention, she lost all track of reality. Despite all she did to their company under this influence, Sean shows sympathy. He even offers to let Bobbi be a reference for future patients, giving her the attention she desperately needs.
Matt decides following the confrontation to break it off with Ava. He can't lie to his family anymore. She can't accept this. Matt is her life source. So, she unleashes the one thing she knows will revive his trust in her. That night he confronts Julia. She knows she can't lie to him about this. Everything Matt knows has been based on this lie that Julia has perpetuated. His trust in his mom is vanquished, just like Ava wanted. This revelation also has rocked him to his core, which makes him susceptible for more manipulation by Ava. During this fight, Sean walks in. Instead of revealing the entire truth, Matt tells him the truth about his relationship with Ava. It's merely a band-aid: he's going to find out soon.
This episode was jammed full of things that exemplify Nip/Tuck at its best. Adrian is a great addition to the cast. Though I wish there was more of the Bobbi Broderick storyline, it's quick resolution left them able to devote time to what was coming next.
Score: 10/10
posted by Matt @ 5:59 PM
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