Nip/Tuck: Under One Fan's Knife

By Patti Martinson
March 1, 2006

Tuesday December 20, 2005, Episode 44, 'Quentin Costa'.

This date was the day the final episode of the third season of Nip/Tuck. It capped a long and strange journey that brought in new rating heights, while causing new lows in opinion from hard-core viewers.

All season long viewers were teased about the identity of a killer/face
slasher known only as the 'Carver'. Many characters were tossed around as being the Carver, but only one character was the obvious choice, Quentin Costa, the newest cast member to join Nip/Tuck. That the obvious choice turned out to be the actual is still controversial long after the episode aired.

I was among many of the more hard-core fans who was not happy with the Carver storyline. I felt it unfairly dominated the entire season. I liked the character of Quentin Costa when he was reintroduced this season, an apparent bisexual plastic surgeon who joins the practice of Dr. Christian Troy and Dr. Sean McNamara. It has long been accepted that Christian and Sean were essentially married to each other, despite having wives/lovers of their own. Adding a third partner to the 'marriage' was in my opinion a great way to go, particularly when Quentin made play for both Christian and Sean.

Such a story, instead of the Carver one, would have been much more in line with the adult and often shocking topics that Nip/Tuck is well-known for, particularly involving sex. Nip/Tuck is far more than the sanitized, PG rated stuff we usually see on other tv shows. They explore sex and sexuality that might be difficult for some people to watch and accept: threesomes, sadism/masochism, adultery, pornography, transsexuals, sex dolls, incest, gay sex, foursomes, sex addiction, rape and pedophilia. Definitely not easy viewing. When they give warnings on this show, they are not kidding.

Nevertheless, I appreciate a show that isn't 'family oriented'; this show is geared towards me, a grown-up who is more than willing to go down some pretty dark paths that this show takes. And it is because of the insane chemistry between the two actors who play Christian and Sean, Julian McMahon and Dylan Wash. Should one or the other actor leave, that is the end of the show. They are that integral a partnership to me.

I do not know if Nip/Tuck will be back for a fourth season. I certainly hope so, given the ratings and the cliffhanger presented in the last episode. I will follow Nip/Tuck through heaven as well as hell.

That's how good it is.