Nip/Tuck: Season 4, Episode 1: Cindy Plumb Review

Cindy Plumb
Original Airdate: September 5, 2006
Writer: Ryan Murphy
Director: Ryan Murphy

It is a tough task to follow up a disappointing season. Granted, I wasn't as harsh towards seasons three as other critics, but it was clearly lacking in the elements that made the first two seasons so much fun. Continuity was off (remember when Sean was a cutter for a whole minute in "Rhea Reynolds"? Or Julia smothering a woman she thought was her mother but it turned out not to be?) and it hurt the narrative. However, the worst offense was The Carver story. While it was good that they didn't do a quickie resolution to it at the end of season two, stretching it out through the fifteen-episode season was too much for the story they told. Something had to be done to keep the show on track so it wouldn't collapse under the weight of its shortcomings.

So, this episode is like a co-pilot for the show, a reinvention of the show. It reintroduces us to these characters (except for the noticeably absent Matt and Kimber), like the opening with the doctors prepping for surgery almost like they're prepping for the show itself. We get the basics for these characters again, from Julia's desperation, Sean's desire to do more helpful than vanity surgeries and Christian's womanizing, which is helpful for the fresh start. The style is also a good guide for novice viewers as to what they could expect.

In the opening there is also a parallel between the sexual practices of these doctors. Things have gotten better between Sean and Julia, as there is some tenderness as he kisses her pregnant belly. However, there are still problems, as they can't find a way to comfortably make love. Unlike a similar scene in "Escobar Gallardo", the pregnancy sex isn't really played for laughs, but to show a growing discomfort between the two of them. Julia looks better than she has in a while in this episode, but that mother's glow subsides as the episode progresses to reflect the rifts.

The mother/daughter thing with Christian was incredibly disturbing, essentially incest. It also helps emphasize just how sad this womanizing really is (or just gives Julian McMahon another reason to disrobe). Mothers and daughters, if you're doing this together, get some help. Although it is screwed up, it is a connection, which probably shows just how lonely and empty Christian feels after Kimber left him.

Considering this episode, only Julia's pregnancy and Kimber and Christian's estrangement is discussed. While it may make sense for them to put some distance between themselves and last season's excesses, ignoring them altogether may be a bit much. However, as this episode takes place six months after "Quentin Costa", The Carver fall out may have blown over.

On that note, there are many time discrepancies. The end of the season could be pinned to around January 2006. Yet in September, Julia's only six months pregnant, which also interferes with the timeline of the assumed conception in "Derek, Alex and Gary". As the show is trying to make up for past mistakes, these errors in the time line are rather obvious, but hopefully they will iron them out as the season progresses.

There were hints at the end of last season that there was something wrong with Julia's baby. The initial guess would be some type of mental retardation, but instead the baby is going to be afflicted with ectrodactyly (I had to look that up to spell it right). This condition doesn't devastate Sean and Julia's stability as much as the fact that she didn't tell Sean the truth immediately. Since learning of Matt's true pedigree, the trust issues between Sean and Julia have been difficult. If they are going to last, they need to reestablish this trust, and this appears to prove that a baby isn't going to be the solution to it.

Sean's anger eventually spills over toward harshly labeling his unborn child a freak. Since Matt and he have grown apart, Sean can see this new child as a way to continue his practice, turning it into a family business. Unfortunately, this birth defect will render his baby's hands unable to function the way a normal person's hands would, making it impossible for him to play ball with his father, much less become a surgeon. Sean's anger appears to be more about Julia keeping a secret though. It does tie into what Sean ultimately wants to do with his gifts as a surgeon: reconstruct people who have been scarred somehow.

There are several major guest stars in this episode. The first is Kathleen Turner as the eponymous phone sex "artist" who seeks help returning her voice to its sexy glory days. Some may consider it an act of desperation to get these casting choices, but they usually are very successful for the show, even when the plot didn't quite live up to expectations (sorry Anne Heche). Although she isn't the sex symbol she was in "Body Heat", she still has that husky voice and that need to connect adds to the growing problems between Sean and Julia.

A good casting choice is the introduction of Landau, played by Larry Hagman. While I remember watching him in "I Dream of Jeanie" repeats when I was a kid, his other major role was as JR Ewing on Dallas. Everyone knows or remembers the "Who shot JR?" storyline, probably the most popular storyline in the history of prime time soaps. Hopefully, 20 years after that, he can work some magic on this show now. Landau's trophy wife Michelle has an unusual interest in McNamara/Troy. What they hope to do with the practice isn't clear now, but it's clear that the doctors placing their faith in them is a big mistake.

The third guest star doesn't gel with the others as well. Brooke Shields' guest spot as the psychiatrist Christian eventually has sex with is inconsistent, but that may be hinting at an overall storyline. She harshly criticizes Christian's lifestyle and alludes to him being gay, but even she has him. Her comments about Christian's favorite sexual position early in the episode, when seen after the brief sex scene, hint at some major intimacy issues for her as well, as would be the case if she's sleeping with clients during business hours as others wait outside. This subplot feels underdeveloped and out of place. Perhaps there was a deleted scene or two to better detail the build up to the pay off at the end. A better use of time could've been to include something with Matt or Kimber.

So, where were Kimber and Matt in this episode? Matt was in the garage and apparently stayed there for the whole episode. Hell, we saw Annie. It could be assumed that he's interested in weight lifting judging by the set when Sean calls Cindy's phone sex line. Considering where they were last season, with Matt being an accessory to Mr. Alderman's murder and Kimber recovering from The Carver's most brutal non-lethal attack, there is clearly a lot to do with them.

The show is at heart the love story between two heterosexual men. They are the love of each others lives, but it isn't romantic. This episode takes that premise and asks what if one of them is romantically interested in the other. However, not much is done about it this week, instead focusing on Christian trying to "butch up" his style. Christian has had a lot of sexual trauma in his life, from his time with his molester foster father to being raped by The Carver. Using my amateur psychology, that would distort anyone's sexuality. Whether Christian is going to come out or settle down with one woman is unclear, but he'll need to come to terms with it if that will ever happen. This season will probably be a good place to explore that.

This is probably the most disappointing Ryan Murphy penned episode to date. Perhaps some of the critical lashing season three received provoked him to overcompensate with this episode. There is simply too much going on and it isn't consistent. I don't think we needed all the celebrity cameos in this episode. Each one of them could've been expanded into an each episode, whereas in this one it feels mashed up. The direction and style made up for some of that (although I'm disappointed by the absence of AC/DC's "Big Balls" during Landau's surgery). Hopefully it'll only take an episode or two to smooth out so the show can shine again.

Score: 7/10