Nip/Tuck - The Complete Second Season (DVD, 2005, 6-Disc Set)

Capitalizing from people's beliefs that life's problems can be fixed through cosmetic enhancement, plastic surgeons Dr. McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Dr. Troy (Julian McMahon) run a lucrative practice together in South Florida. While they are professionally successful, neither man does a great job managing his personal affairs, with family trouble and illicit affairs (with porn stars and the like) giving NIP/TUCK its dramatic appeal. Things would be a lot simpler if only their own personal demons could be exorcised via the minimally invasive surgery techniques requested by their long list of high-society clients. In season two of this juicy, enthralling FX series, the McNamara/Troy business is put into jeopardy by the surfacing of something hidden in the past. In the midst of this crisis, the pair of hotshot doctors must wrestle with family dramas, paternity tests, and the challenging task of operating on two conjoined adult patients.

Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) have been friends and business partners for years. Together they run a plastic surgery practice in Miami. Christian is a guy who has little-to-no scruples. He’ll do almost anything for money, including putting down a hot woman’s feelings to generate her business (after sleeping with her, of course.) Sean is a family man who does care about other people’s feelings, except, ironically, his family’s feelings. He is concerned about some patients who might be requesting unnecessary surgery and others that just can’t afford it. He has been married to Julia (Joely Richardson) for about as long as he has known Christian (Christian dated Julia before she and Sean got together.) They have two kids, Matt (John Hensley) and Annie (Kelsey Lynn Batelaan.) Julia and Matt both have a strained relationship with Sean. Julia thinks Sean cares more about his work than about her or his family. She had planned to go to medical school after Sean started his practice, but after having two kids, she ended up just being a homemaker. Matt thinks Sean never listens to him or cares about his feelings, with the latest issue being that Sean refuses to circumcise him (he was born six weeks premature and they thought it might be too stressful on him, and now Sean considers it a “vanity” surgery.) Matt is embarrassed by it, because he was teased in the locker room and he doesn’t want his girlfriend, Vanessa (Kate Mara), to see it, because he plans to have sex with her soon. Christian and Sean’s friendship is becoming strained as well. Sean doesn’t like Christian’s “anything for money” attitude towards the business. Christian, a good-looking guy who could have any woman he wanted, still pines for Julia.
In the first episode, Sean is consulting a man who wants to change his face completely. Silvio Perez (Geoffrey Rivas) wants the surgery, and he has brought his brother Alejandro (Raymond Cruz) to translate for him. Unfortunately, Sean can’t speak Spanish (despite living in Miami), and he asks Christian, who does speak Spanish, to come in for a more direct consultation, so he can be sure Silvio doesn’t have a body dismorphic disorder (a body image problem.) Christian finds out that Silvio had been fooling around with the daughter of their boss, Escobar Gallanto (Robert LaSardo), and needs to get away. He offers them $300,000 to do the procedure (their usual fee is $20,000), and Christian quickly accepts it. He doesn’t care that it is drug money. Later on, Escobar comes looking for the Perez brothers so he can kill Silvio for what he did to his daughter. Christian discovers that Escobar’s daughter is only six-years-old. In a very graphic scene, Alejandro kills Silvio (since he has a daughter as well) and leaves with Escobar.

This show is about plastic surgeons and Florida and has an excellent cast, both as actors and characters. Two partners in a Plastic Surgery Firm, best friends who are as different as night and day. One an upstanding family man who performs facelifts for the rich and famous to pay for the corrective surgery he performs pro bono and a playboy who performs facelifts to bed the rich and famous AND the beautiful. You start the series thinking the Playboy's morality is questionable and end up realizing that morality is in the eye of the beholder!

The family behind the main characters are strong supports and often dramatic distancers for the main story and move this firmly into the realm of soap opera. You have the bored, wanna be perfect wife and mother in the midst of a midlife crisis, the son who is exploring his own sense of morality, not to mention his sexual revolution and a daughter who is usually overlooked and only shown for the cuteness factor. Add to that the "slut de jour" for the playboy and you end up with a really good storyline and strong characters to support a show that is sometimes WAY too gory! That level of blood and guts, or in this case blood and celulite is the ONLY real drawback of watching the show...well, that and seeing the "moral family man", fall into a hole of doubt that leads to an affair with a dying patient....Shawn (the familyman) is REALLY annoying because of his "better than thou" attitude.

Overall, a good rating, but I wouldn't let my young children or anyone sensitive to gore watch it.

I loved Nip/Tuck’s first season – if you read my review, I watched the entire season in a matter of days and couldn’t get enough. The Troy-McNamara drama sucked me in – and I enjoyed every controversial, provocative, and strange moment. I really didn’t know what to expect in Nip/Tuck Season II… but I expected to be equally enthralled.

I was right – except that I underestimated the enthrallment. If you found Nip/Tuck’s first season bizarre and controversial – the second season puts it to shame. Its equally captivating and riveting – but the practice’s and familys’ dysfunctionalities are more twisted and more shocking. I want to be careful not to reveal any of the plot – part of what makes the show so enjoyable is the twisting and turning of the storyline.

My only complaints of the show are the same from the first season. The McNamara children and poor actors – particularly the little girl. John Hensley, who plays Matt McNamara, isn’t awful – but he’s far from excellent (on the contrary – the adult acting is great and there are plenty of famous cameos). My other complaint is that the writing at times is very obvious – often choosing a single theme and demanding that every piece of that episode pertain to it… this often becomes a little to contrived.

That said – I doubt many people are watching Nip/Tuck for the fine writing. Rather, Nip/Tuck is so popular and enjoyable because of the characters, the controversy, the conflicts, the surgeries and the stories. Season 2 arrives just in time for the third season’s premier on FX. After being drawn into Seasons one and two, I suspect that the third will be equally addictive and fun. Likewise, I suspect that the third season will continue to build upon the shows already strong and continually growing following.

Nip Tuck is one of my favorite shows on tv. It's bold, provocative, and goes where other shows wouldn't dare. I once had someone ask me what was so great about a surgery show. I said it's not all about the surgeries it's about the motivating actions behind them and the characters!!

Season 2 was excellent! I was addicted after watching Season 2 on television and went and bought Season 1. The Season Finale was a nail biter. It made me count the days to Season 3 which is now on DVD!

I would give this season 5 stars....Highly recommended!!