13.8.07

Nip/Tuck Season One

If beauty is only skin deep, how deep is the skin? How far will one go to achieve perfection in beauty and what is the price one must pay?

That’s what F/X Network’s Nip/Tuck is all about. From the moment they open their new surgical practice in Miami, plastic surgeons Christian Troy (Julian McMahon; Fantastic Four) and Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh; Congo, We Were Soldiers) discover that the price is often too steep and has grave consequences.

The story however, is not all about the two of them –– Sean’s wife, Julia (Joely Richardson; Event Horizon, The Patriot) is severely depressed and questions the conditions of her marriage and the issues her children have. Everything that Christian comes into contact to seems to end in the worst possible way –– from dealing with Columbian drug pins to almost constant surgical mishaps. With all the melodrama and out of the world storylines involved, one would think that this show is a soap opera. However, that is not the case as the season progresses with different story arcs.

The show is produced and aired by the FX network, which has a reputation of pushing the edge on controversial issues. Nip/Tuck, too, takes an edgy and graphic look at surgical procedures –– which might not be for the queasy stomach –– through special effects. This graphic display has often attracted criticism from various television councils and health organizations.

On the other hand, the show attracted a record audience for a cable TV show during its debut season, which prompted the network to order future seasons. The first season is out now to own on DVD, and is a must watch for an inspiration to exercise –– instead of taking the easy route. — Mehboob Siddiqi