Even with the glut of basic cable shows (and even a few network ones) that have been pushing the boundaries of what we see on television, few of them have been as daring and provocative as Nip/Tuck. And more often than not, you could count on a season finale that kept you on the edge of your seats until a new season premiered. Last season saw Christian Troy struggling with breast cancer, as well as developing a romantic bond with colleague and casual antagonist Liz. Coming to grips with the idea that he only had months to live, Christian and Liz eventually got hitched, but in true Nip/Tuck fashion, Christian was hit with a bombshell in the form of news that his cancer was actually in remission. Naturally, the shit has hit the fan, as Christian couldn’t wait to drop Liz like a hot potato as the new season opens. But it’s not long before the reality of divorce in California with no pre-nup hits Christian like a ton of bricks. Meanwhile, Sean McNamara has his hands full with ex-wife Julia, supporting their children, and trying to keep up with girlfriend Teddy’s expensive new tastes (Sidenote, I love Rose MgGowan, but her replacing Katee Sackhoff is criminal!). All this while the McNamara/Troy plastic surgery practice suffers from the nationwide economic downturn.

With the series drawing to a close soon (the final season split into two halves as I understand), it’s not like I’m going to give it up now, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t wearing thin. The show has managed to push the envelope further than I could have imagined in the past, but the first episode of the season didn’t really pack enough of a punch for me. The bottom line here is that the characters just have not grown at all!!! After six years, they’re the exact same people they were when they started the show. Granted, they haven’t had to dump a body in a swamp for alligators to get rid of, but anything like that would be a nice change of pace to the reclycled slop we’re getting now. Christian is still the mean-spirited mysoginist he’s always been, and no matter how many women have tried to bring out the good in him, against their better judgement, he’s never taken any of those life lessons to heart. Sean, meanwhile, is still searching for some perverse idea of love that no woman is willing to satisfy. It’s not that he’s oblivious to the right woman for him, but he keeps going for the women anyone could tell are wrong for him! On top of all that, Son of McNamara/Troy, Matt, is still a monumental screw-up. Seeing him rob a coffee shop as a mime was actually sadder than seeing him practice his mime act for a crowd of boardwalkers in the preceding. And Kimber, well . . . .she’s starting to look a little jerkied! I couldn”t even be bothered to be shocked by the season premiere’s ending. It’s so cliched and contrived, you wonder why they even bothered.