Nip/Tuck: Joyce & Sharon Monroe

Let the Hollywood exploitation begin! Two episodes into the new season and Ryan Murphy and Co. are already taking advantage of Nip/Tuck's new location. Competing Marilyn Monroe impersonators is something I would have never seen had Sean and Christian decided to stay in Miami. Now that they're out west, I'm quite sure that this will be the first in a long line of Tinseltown degenerates looking for ways to "enhance" themselves and make an extra buck.

The one-upmanship between Sean and Christian has continued as both vie for celebrity status. Sean has become a fan favorite on Hearts n' Scalpels. More lines, late nights at the set, and a budding romance with fellow actress Kate Tinsley. The result? Christian has been alone, forced to handle the few cases that McNamara/Troy brings in. The sad thing about it is that even though the two of them have flipped roles, even when Christian was at his worst in Miami, he was never this irresponsible when it came to the practice.

Sean has become completely blinded by his quick rise to "fame" and his priorities have become flawed. He chooses the show over his business and a People photo-shoot over his romance with Kate. He's a completely different person and even though I saw him make the effort to patch things up with Kate, I think I'm going to see him continue this transformation. I've never really seen the "Christian side" of Sean.

To try and match Sean's public image, Christian gets himself out there with the help of Fiona. Literally. In a Playgirl spread. I'm honestly surprised she helped him though. She found out he leaked Carly's surgery to US Weekly, so why give him a second chance? I'm thinking she has something bigger in store for him. Sean has settled comfortably into his role on TV, but he's still not very adventurous. Christian? He'll try anything. (And speaking of Carly, where was she? I was really hoping for a heated confrontation between her and Christian.)

There were two developments in this story regarding the female characters that I do want to applaud:

First up was Kate's rise in Hollywood. She used to be overweight and lost it through gastric-bypass, exercise, and eating healthy. I'm not saying that gastric-bypass is the solution for everyone with a weight problem (the negatives of the surgery were addressed as well), but I still think this put forth a positive message that "the nobody" can make it in Hollywood with some dedication. Kate came from low-budget off-Broadway productions and made it big in a popular TV drama, but she's still the country girl at heart. This was made perfectly clear when she shared a kiss with Sean in front of a studio back-drop of a tree-lined dirt road.

Next up is Julia's new romance. Now I realize that it's very safe to make the argument that this is just Julia being Julia -- reaching out for attention because she's all alone, raising her kids in NYC. Don't forget, she did have sex with Marlowe last season. However, you always hear about the closet homosexual husband, coming out years into a marriage when the kids are well into their teens. Why not the wife though? All I'm saying is that I hope this story doesn't become gimmicky just for the sake of having a lesbian relationship. I hope the writers really run with this and explore what Julia is going through and the kind of impact it has on the kids; especially Annie. An added bonus is that this has given Sean and Christian something to bond over at a point when their professional and personal relationship is as strained as it's ever been.

Then there was that final scene. Christian being rubbed down by both Marilyn Monroes. He smirks and a bright light illuminates his face as the two wannabes serenade him with "I Want to be Loved by You." It pains me to say it, but with the direction this season seems to be taking, that horrible new single "Gimme More" by Britney Spears would have been just as appropriate here.