If you love Nip/Tuck, you’re sure to have anxiously waited for season 5 of the popular show. The season was originally to be 22 episodes, but because of the writers strike, only the first 14 were shown. However, those 14 were explosive and backed full of new twists, new characters, and lots and lots of sex. However, it wasn’t all good for the boys and their friends.

This season begins with Sean and Christian packing up and moving their practice from Florida to Beverly Hills. As you would expect, theres no absence of need for plastic surgeons in LA, but theres just one little problem for McNamara/Troy. No one has any idea who they are. To combat this, they recruit publicist Fiona McNeil. She wastes no time in getting them a job as technical advisors on a TV show based on, would you believe it, plastic surgeons!

As they work on Hearts n Scalpels, they meet its executive producer and various members of its cast, including Aidan Stone. The soap takes up a good amount of time in the beginning episodes of the season. While the self-centered, over the top Aidan is highly entertaining, there are times when it seems just a bit too much. Maybe it would be OK if we didnt follow some of the television crew off-set, but we do. When the studio executive in charge of the show heads off to visit a dominatrix to distress, I wasnt sure if the season was on track or jumping the shark. Even worse, I wasnt sure if I cared about these characters. They and their plots seemed to be designed to shock us, but they didnt do much to round out these new characters or move the existing characters along. While many things happened to the characters, few showed any lasting change. Even those who split and found new relationships, such as Matt and Kimber, still seemed to be the same people, unaffected by the events in their lives.

That is, in fact, is the main problem with season 5, if not the entire show. The characters dont really move forward in development. Christian, in a particular, doesnt really change from his womanizing ways. He continues to jump from woman to woman with little feeling for them, it seems. While this has been the status quo for a few seasons, it seems particularly apparent in season 5.

Celebrity guests, of course, have a big part in season 5, including Rosie ODonnell, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jai Rodriguez. In fact, they were sometimes the best reason to watch an episode. What I want to see is the big names they pull in for season 6. The season cliffhanger, also, does make me want to watch the next season, if only the start, to see how any open storylines are resolved. Although it was a disappointment overall, Nip/Tuck is still an fascinating show to watch. However, there are only eight episodes scheduled to air in 2009 (the rest of season 5), so dont expect much news for the next year.

Share This