Quotable:

"In cooking, as in all the arts, simplicity is a sign of perfection." - Curnonsky

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Nip/Tuck: Magda & Jeff

What a great episode! Once again, full advantage was taken of the show now being in LA. Sean got an agent, Aidan got a sex tape, and a washed up reality-star plastic surgeon was involved in a sensational murder. Oooohhh! Throw in some Exorcist and Halloween references, Sharon Gless, and Marlee Matlin and there's a reason this show is still so popular.

First off, let's talk about Sean's new agent, Colleen Rose. She's a complete nut and I'm glad Sean finally went all Hollywood on her at the end of the episode. I'm still a little on the fence about it, but it's tough to say if she approached Sean about representation because she genuinely thinks he's a quality up and coming actor or because she just wants to get in his pants. Add in the fact that she's a raging alcoholic who has no problem whipping out her breasts at a moment's notice and I'm not sure I'd want her handling any part of my career. It's great that Sean moved into the Hearts & Scalpels starring role following Aidan's sex tape, but that probably would have happened even if he hadn't hired Colleen.

Speaking of the sex tape, that scene, along with the first time we met Magda and Jeff, have got to be two of the funniest moments in the history of Nip/Tuck. How could you not have fun writing this show?

Aidan giving it to Eden on the kitchen counter in his set-trailer, while he makes fun of Barbara, the deaf network exec played by Marlee Matlin. Poor taste? Absolutely. But I laughed. So Barbara booted him from the show and Sean took over. Had it been any other girl than Eden that Aidan screwed, and I would have assumed that Colleen had something to do with it.

Magda and Jeff... where do I even start? She's got to be in her 80s and Jeff is in his 40s. Married for 21 years so you do the math. He was hoping that she'd croak and he'd make a living off the life insurance. Then she didn't die. What a bitch though! Man, did she abuse him or what? Then after his hair transplant (to fulfill her Tom Selleck fantasy), he's the one who has a grand mal seizure and she dumps him. The guy became a vegetable and Magda went and got a new boy-toy. All those years he took care of her (I bet she wears Depends) and she can't return the favor. I know she made that whole argument about "living in the now," but still. That's cold.

Gina made quite the "impact" in this episode. It became apparent pretty quickly that the only reason she accepted the job offer was because she's still in love with Christian. So naturally, she made it her goal to sabotage anything that was going on between him and Julia -- who, by the way, looks like death. Can some doctor just tests for poisons and toxins already? With Gina back in the picture (post-modern sex anyone?) you knew the HIV angle would pop up and even though it was sort of mean for her to try and use that against Julia, most of what she was saying about Christian's man-whore tendencies were 100% true. I liked how she brought up the spa though. Like it ever really mattered to Gina.

Then there was that ending scene. Roof-top dinner and after plenty of resistance from Christian's part, some moon-lit sex. Yes, he wore a condom, but Gina gave it to him. Is she crazy enough to have put a pin prick or tear in it? Wouldn't surprise me. Either way... she's dead. Christian actually screwed her off the side of the building. It was like one big safe-sex oxymoron.

More thoughts...

Maybe I'm just grossly uninformed or it's one of my rare pop-culture brain farts, but what was the significance of the homage to The Exorcist and the constant use of the Halloween theme? Was this episode originally supposed to air around that time of year?

What's Aidan's revenge going to be? He seemed pretty convinced that Sean had paid Eden off.

I'm surprised Wilber wasn't in this episode, if only for one scene.

Aidan had a blindness consultant... was was actually blind. Wow. "How did I look?" "Well... it sounded good."

It's going to be interesting to see how this all plays out now because things are coming to a boil.

Based on the previews, it looks like Gina's death is initially ruled a suicide -- but I doubt that will stick. With Christian dealing with her death and Sean spending far more time becoming a TV star, who's going to do all those boob jobs and tummy tucks?

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