Nip/Tuck: Season 3, Episode 3: Derek, Alex and Gary Review

Derek, Alex and Gary
Original Airdate: October 4, 2005
Writer: Brad Falchuk
Director: Craig Zisk

It’s hard to find a balance between two people. Things can get complicated when you add a third person to the mix. It’s rare to find a three person partnership where all three maintain the same level of power. This episode covers several scenarios, with family, lovers and business partners, all ending in disaster because they can’t work that dynamic. Of course, you can also compare these characters to the patients this week, three frat boys caught in a prank gone awry. Whose head is glued to whose butt cheeks? Depending on whom you’re asking, each of them is glued to someone else and someone is glued to them, which would make for an interesting picture.

The first of course are Matt’s parents: Sean, Julia and Christian. Although Christian was always a third parent for Matt and Annie and Christian was close to both Sean and Julia, the revelation that he is the literal father of Matt changed that dynamic permanently. Of course, he has something to say following Matt’s encounter with the transgendered in “Kiki”. They don’t know that just yet, as Matt is covering it up. As Julia and Sean argue over how they raised Matt, Christian steps in, promising to bring in Kit to find out what happened because their way to solving the problem isn’t helping.

With the procedure to fix Matt’s broken face, we see the new three way partnership clash. Christian was unaware that Sean had Quentin in the OR because of his talents with facial operations. This procedure is only for two doctors. Of course this on going rift between the surgeons is explored a lot more in this episode, reaching a point that places our favorite doctors in a compromising position.

Speaking of which, we are drawn into this week’s clients. Two guys have had their faces glued to another’s butt in a fraternity prank. The industrial strength glue requires a chisel or sandpaper. Of course, this connection is extremely uncomfortable and the separation painful. Although their appearance in the episode is relatively short, it still ties in with the “3’s don’t work” theme of the episode. It also serves to give us a little more background information about Christian. It would be interesting to see Christian and Sean back in college in a future episode.

Later, Christian returns to the office, where Kit has prepared to question Matt. Although Kit was unable to discover that Christian was raped, she is a rather good investigator. She finds the truth behind Matt’s assault based on some simple observations and intuition. Initially she didn’t want to push him, partly because she knew that Matt was hiding something the parents wouldn’t want to hear, but Christian’s insistence allows her to get Matt to reveal all.

The parents clash about how to handle this situation. Sean and Julia both feel that Matt would be better off in a structured environment because the lack of discipline got him to this place. Christian sees it as military school and suggests that they use medication, but Sean just thinks that will mask the problem instead of treating it. However, Christian is in the minority, and is shut out. As he sees himself as an important guide in Matt’s life, he prepares some covert actions to get Matt on his side.

Sean copes with the revelation by going out with Quentin to the frat house the title characters were located and getting some special attention from a pretty co-ed. As it appears to be an isolated incident, Quentin comes in with a girl and we learn something valuable about his character and a valuable lesson: don’t have oral sex in the same room that your business partner is.

Afterwards, he returns home to find Julia looking through Matt’s room, trying to figure out what exactly went wrong in their raising of him. Both parents have been through a lot, and in this moment of weakness they reconnect, which only makes Matt more isolated. This episode has been largely about pushing Matt further from his parents and everyone he cared about.

Christian copes by bringing some antidepressant medication for Matt so they can keep him out of military school. Initially things work, but Christian’s curiosity leads to the revelation that he slept with Ava, explaining how they knew she wasn’t a natural woman. This only adds to Matt’s angst, as he feels betrayed by the only person he thought he could trust, much like Sean felt when he learned that Christian was Matt’s real father.

Christian’s mind has been on other things, which would explain why he wasn’t as discreet as he should’ve been. The “arrangement” between him, Kimber and Kit is starting to aggravate him. It’s no coincidence that one of the movies playing at the theater they’re going to involves castration because Kit has taken a large amount of the control from him. While she may have some good points, like Kimber’s need for her sense of self, Kit is far more interested in having Kimber for herself.

Both Kit and Christian “compete” for Kimber when they proposition Quentin to join them. It’s certainly risqué, even for Nip/Tuck, to have Quentin taste Kimber. In addition, it was rather disturbing that a rape case appeared to turn Kit on (or is that another Carver suspect?) However, it isn’t just mere soft-porn. The four get hot and heavy, but Quentin makes a pass at Christian. Of course, he should’ve made it clearer that he was off bounds, but if he didn’t, then how else could Quentin ensure his power in the business?

Quentin’s indiscretion causes Christian’s original arrangement to fall apart. Before, both Kimber and Christian were the ones metaphorically glued to Kit. Kimber is ready to go back to being with Christian exclusively because Christian is feeling better. But this won’t be an easy separation considering Kit’s position as the lead investigator in The Carver case.

Instead of turning to each other, the doctors turn to their new partner. During both encounters, each doctor discovers that Quentin is bisexual. At the end of the episode, they both share what they’ve learned and enjoy the one light hearted moment of the episode. However, Quentin is aware of what they were laughing about, and not so subtly hints of taking them down if he is mocked for his sexual practices in the future. Now they’re glued to Quentin’s butt. It’ll be interesting to see how he uses this new leverage.

Christian agrees to attend the intervention for Matt, but his feelings that he should leave it to Julia and Sean are justified by how miserably it fails. Matt shows up two hours late and drunk. Still furious at his parents, he threatens to walk out on them. But he is talking tough because of the pain he’s experienced lately. When he shoves his mom, he seems to regret it instantly. Before he can process it further, Sean throws him against a wall and punches him. In that moment, everything changes, clearly something Matt will use against Sean to his full advantage.

The focus of this episode shifted from Matt’s ungluing to how it affected his family and how they couldn’t continue raising him among three people. The characters are being knocked down far below what they were when Matt’s parentage became fact, if that was even possible. It’ll be interesting to see how much further these characters will fall and what will get them to stop.

Score: 8/10