"Tell me what you don't like about yourself." That iconic opening line of Nip/Tuck, one of cable television's most ground-breaking shows, was uttered for the final time last night when the show's series finale premiered on FX Networks. Nip/Tuck has lived a long life, probably too long, and it comes as a relief that it has finally ended, but my feelings still linger. The story of Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy, successful plastic surgeons living the high-life in Miami and later L.A., started seven years ago and has featured flashy sets, shocking plot twists and a lot of skin. These ingredients made the show an instant hit, and when the second - and best - season premiered in 2004 it only got better.
The magic didn't last forever, though. Following the stellar sophomore season, the show found itself in frequent creative ruts and traded in its glossy tone for a more dark and sadistic feel. Still, viewers like me stuck by in hopes that it might return to its original greatness.
That may have never fully happened, yet here I am lamenting its end. There's just something about television. You grow up with characters - you identify with their problems and hope that they can learn the lessons they so obviously need to. The desire for closure can be so strong that, as an audience, we'll put up with just about everything. Nip/Tuck has certainly tested this theory to the fullest, but we still hope for some sort of pay-off.
So, as Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy hang up their scalpels, I'm left with mixed feelings. I'll never forget the doctors' love-hate relationship, Famke Janssen's crazy-pants transsexual, Ava Moore - who nearly stole the show in season two - or the way the show was able to shock its audience. Nip/Tuck may have been far from perfect, but growing up with it was never boring.
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