Nip/Tuck/Thoughts: Couples Therapy

When “Nip/Tuck” departs from its formula, the results have been mixed, at best.

The “Conor McNamara 2026” episode (with the cast in hideous old people makeup) is an unmitigated disaster, while the “Plastic Fantastic” episode, in which McNamara/Troy became the basis for a reality show was good for more than a few laughs (though I understand why some people hate it.)

The latest episode, “Dr. Griffin”, was yet another departure and the first completely successful deviation from the show’s MO. It also happened to be the show’s best episode in years.

It’s become clear over seven seasons that Sean and Christian have issues, so it makes sense that they’d see a therapist. The episode opened with an anonymous married couple toward the end of their session (the husband announced he was divorcing the nagging wife) before revealing that Sean and Christian would be Dr. Griffin’s next patients. (That little fakeout would’ve worked a bit better if the promos hadn’t already shown Sean and Christian in therapy.)

The best part about this episode (and the smartest move on the producers’ part) was casting the powerful actor Daniel Benzali (check out “Murder One” on DVD if you ever get the chance) as Dr. Griffin. He radiated an intelligence and an authority that made Sean and Christian seem even more like children than they already do, but it also gave the character the necessary gravitas for us to believe they’d open up in his presence.

And open up they did. Seeing them dredge up their past misdeeds was fun, but I enjoyed the little moments the most. I appreciated the exercise in which the doctors wrote down words to describe one another. (“Alcoholic” was a surprising choice to describe Sean, but if you watch recent episodes, the signs are there.) I also enjoyed the bit where each drew a family picture (Wilbur was absent from Christian, once again proving the point that the kids on this show just don’t matter.)

What’s another sign that the children on the show don’t matter - the fact that I felt absolutely nothing when Matt announced that he was moving away with his (latest) new fiancée Ramona and never wanted to see his fathers again. Actually that’s not true – my reaction was more like Christian’s. (“Whatever”, “You’ll be back.”) I hate to sound cold-hearted, but the Matt character has been little more than a spectacular screw up, and to watch him dump all his problems on his dads and not accept any responsibility sat very wrong with me. If this is the character’s last appearance on the show, good riddance!

Fortunately, the scenes with Liz joining Sean and Christian were MUCH more effective. Liz chastised the guys for being totally self-involved and constantly putting her in the middle of their fights. I appreciated that she went after both of them, when she could’ve easily focused mostly on Christian. (Let’s be honest – Christian has been much more horrible to her.) Liz also announced that she was pregnant with Sean’s baby. And, no, FX didn’t forget to air the episode where they hooked up, Sean had donated his sperm on the down low.

I found it very telling that Sean didn’t show his horror and fear over Liz’s pregnancy until after she was gone. (I also found it interesting that Christian didn’t throw Sean under the bus when Liz was talking about what a great thing the baby was for the two of them later on.) The doctors seemed to have a breakthrough of sorts when Sean finally, GLORIOUSLY, accepted that he’s to blame for whatever problems Christian has caused in his life because he’s let it happen. It took a long time, but Sean finally acted like a man (hopefully Matt will follow suit one day).

With the episode almost over, I wondered if the show could continue it’s tradition of naming its episode after characters that receive surgery from Sean and Christian. Although having the disgruntled wife from the opening come in and shoot Dr. Griffin in the face was dumb and completely counter to the minimalist tone of the episode, it allowed Sean and Christian to operate on him and keep the tradition alive.

By the end of the episode, Sean and Christian had met up with another therapist, which leads me to think (for the first time all season) that maybe these two will actually stay together when this show ends.

So what’d you think of this episode? Will we see Matt again? If Sean and Christian split up, who would Liz go with? Finally, are you as shocked as I am that one of the best episodes ever of “Nip/Tuck” had zero sex scenes? (Unless you count the tax girl from the “Previously on” montage.)