Nip/Tuck Season 1

Finished it off last night. It's definitely different from most of the shows out there, and fits well with the other FX dramas (The Shield, Rescue Me) in a sort of "redefining TV" theme. I like show-creator Ryan Murphy's assessment that it is a heterosexual love story between main characters Christian and Sean. Together they own McNamara/Troy, one of Miami's many plastic surgery destinations. The surgeries often serve as a catalyst for many other events in the lives of the duo, bringing Christian the wealth and sex he craves and providing Sean with the cash to support his family, and eventually the tools to inadvertantly tear that family apart.

Like the shows stars (Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon), the surgery stuff made me quesy at first, and occasionally made me reach for the remote to speed through it, but once I got midway through it I could handle a majority of it. The acting is mostly superb, especially from the guest stars. I had some problems with Joely Richardson (playing Julia McNamara), she seems to be on the verge of tears whenever she's speaking, it's off putting. But, she's easy on the eyes, and I admire her ability to shed her accent for a more American sound (ditto to Julian McMahaon, but I think they could've used the accent in his role as Doom in the FF film), but she just seems on the edge constantly.

I didn't like the Pilot's murderous ending, it reminded me too much of The Shield's premiere, but where as Vic and crew contiued to be borderline evil doers (but, never were as bad as that first episode made them out to be), Christian and Sean go right back to the way they were, it never seems to effect them, even though it's brought up occasionally. The season ends with a few little twists that made me smile, I never saw em coming. They wrap up all the family drama nicely and still adds a few new layers, one of which I did see coming from the very first episode.

I can't wait to check out Season 2.

-L