Nip/Tuck Recap: Dr. Griffin

This week, on a very special Nip/Tuck, Sean and Christian share their vaguely true feelings about each other in an episode-length therapy session. It wasn't very heavy on content, but it makes for an easy recap. Woo!

Dr. Griffin (Daniel Benzali) doesn't seem to be the best doctor to take your problems to. The episode starts in session with a couple whose marriage has fallen apart enough for the husband to demand his divorce right there in the office, in front of his hysterical wife. And for the next hour, he gets to listen to the two most namby-pamby men on TV gripe about the shortcomings of the other. Christian's a greedy womanizer. Sean's a spineless stalwart. Pretty much common sense bickering, though at one point the bar is raised when Sean knocks Christian upside the head. I truly expected a cat fight in here somewhere, but walked away having not seen one. No fists, just words.

Secrets are blamed for the two men's inability to successfully continue communicating. Christian offers up his secret: he borrowed $250,000 from the company for personal needs. Sean goes ballistic when he hears this. When Liz joins a session, she tells her secret: that she used Sean's sperm to get herself pregnant, and it worked. Christian is more affected by this than I would have predicted. Sean, after initial confidence fades, slightly panics at the thought of another child. When the oldest son Matt joins a session, he brings along a fiancé, and his secret is that they are moving away so that Matt can work for her father. He doesn't want to see either Christian or Sean ever again. Christian is correctly flippant, because who gives a cat's shit what Matt does? He's a terrible person, and good riddance, or success. Either way, keep him out of my face. He wasn't angry with them the last time he appeared in an episode, so way to flip a shift on us, Nip/Tuck writers. Finally, Sean ends up telling Christian late in the game that he and Kimber were having an affair, and Christian calls Sean a pussy for using her to try and end their friendship. Seems to me like all the secret sharing is to be blamed for something here.

Remember the wife from the beginning? She interrupts the boys' session near the end of the episode, and much to Dr. Griffin's surprise, she puts a bullet through his cheeks. After his holes are sewn up, Christian gives Sean a 5:00 deadline to figure out if he's staying or leaving the partnership. The episode ends with a new psychologist asking the doctors what they don't like about themselves. Hot damn. That line has never been used gimmick-ly in this show's history. And I don't use sarcasm as a weapon. This episode would have been good to have on in the background while doing household chores. If psychology drama is for you, watch some Huff. That was a show that should have lasted seven-odd seasons.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.

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