Zach's Nip/Tuck Procedure - "Enigma"

With Christian and Liz divorcing, Matt robbing people while dressed like a mime, and Sean OD’ing on sleeping pills, “Nip/Tuck” continues its six-season crazy streak.

Fortunately Christian ad-libs a stomach pumping and saves Sean, but Teddy gets defensive because she prescribed the pills her fiancé OD’d on. But, in true “Nip/Tuck” fashion, Sean has recovered after the commercial break and is ready to work on the patient-of-the-week, a tattooed and decoratively-scarred angry young man named Enigma.

Liz continues to take revenge on Christian for divorcing her and breaking her heart, and she’s got her sights on Christian’s plush yacht with a court order to back her up. Enraged, Christian pushes Liz off the boat, brilliantly comedic but darkly foreshadowing how far off the deep end this whole thing is going to go.

Kimber’s electrolysis business is thriving, but the Asian women who share the salon are calling her “Orange Face” and berating her aggressive style. Christian comes by just to berate her but he also suggests that he’d like to get into the porn business in order to fix his fiscal woes. But Kimber isn’t biting. But a decision to join on a sex toy business venture leads to an almost-reunion between the two. Like everything with these two, the off-again might just be back on.

Sean’s insomnia persists, and it’s causing a bit of tension with Teddy, who wants to postpone their engagement until he can be more honest with her about his problems. This drives Sean, our favorite whiner, back to his sleeping pills and bemoans the end of his relationship with Teddy. Christian threatens him with rehab and a revoked license.

Sean meets insomniac lonelyheart and silverware kleptomaniac Vivian at a roadside diner and starts up a pity-party romance. Speaking of sideways glances, Kimber has an eye for new doctor Mike (Mario Lopez), but Christian’s persistent in trying to rekindle something. But Sean finds out that Vivian is an oxycontin addict and is also aroused by human suffering, which is just uncomfortable for everyone, even the viewer.

But Sean blackmails Vivian by threatening to expose her scams in exchange for half the oxycontin pills she rips the hospital off for. Everything, it seems, is going just fine: Enigma’s all patched up, and Sean’s going to fix Vivian’s self-inflicted wounds. And Sean fires Teddy because he’s done with her, and we get hints of that fury like which hell hath none, especially when she starts eyeing $5 million medical life insurance policies and tells Liz how in love with Sean she is.

Liz chastises Kimber for being a sucker for Christian’s wine-and-dine practices, while Kimber says that Liz’s wedding to Christian was a joke. But Liz says that Christian’s darkness always wins out, no matter what. Kimber is uncomfortable, but then again she always falls for Christian every time. But she’s changing her tune – she takes up with Mike and makes him a partner in her new business venture, breaking Christian’s heart.

Sean realizes that Vivian is mentally deranged, and he recognizes their lack of sleep is making them do crazy things, especially when she asks him to stab himself and go to a doctor for oxycontin. But Vivian takes matters into her own hands and stabs Sean herself, and while he’s at the doctor she takes up with the janitor. This is finally enough crazy for Sean, who leaves her at the hospital.

But the episode doesn’t end happily ever after. Turns out Enigma’s cosmetic makeover was only superficial; Christian sees on the news that Enigma killed his parents and then himself. The darkness didn’t go away. Liz has an epiphany and drops her lawsuit against Christian but says they can’t be “just friends.”

Enigma is, of course, a metaphor for what can happen when you let darkness overtake you. Sean, Christian, and Liz are all starting to notice that their actions are detrimental to themselves and each other, so hopefully they’ll start to turn themselves around. Teddy’s going to end up doing something crazy, certainly; the series needs a new villain, and after Sharon Gless’s psycho turn last season this has a lot to live up to.

Verdict? Watching the lives of Sean and Christian spiral out of control has been the focus of the entire show, but the sixth season doesn’t have as much of the entertainment factor as previous shows. With the rumors that this is the last season, it seems like things are going to end poorly for all concerned. The show’s as entertaining as always, but it’s starting to feel a bit depressing. Of course, we’re only two episodes in, so let’s see how this plays itself out.