It’s been nearly a decade since Christian and Sean last asked somebody to tell them what they don’t like about themselves, but here at The Oz Network we have brought the memories of Nip/Tuck back to life by becoming the first ever podcast to recap all 100 episodes of the classic Ryan Murphy show. From self-circumcisions through to Annie eating her hair, we have gone over every single classic moment the show has produced. But how do the episodes stand up when ranking them from 100 through to 1? If you’re dying to find out the answer to that then today is your lucky day, as for the first ever time online every single episode of Nip/Tuck is about to be ranked from worst to best! Join Ben as he gives you his unique opinion and rankings in what is sure to be an interesting collection of rankings along the way!

100. Sal Perri (3.12)

Where do we even begin with just how bad this episode is? Is it the over soppy dialogue? The fact this feels more like an over dramatic episode of CSI than of Nip/Tuck? The hammy acting? The ultimate randomness of a plane crash and having plastic surgeons needed to do more than plastic surgery? Or the fact that Julia literally ends up killing someone who she thinks is her mother which actually turns out not to be her mother? So far removed is this episode from the overall feel of the show that you can skip this episode during a re-watch and not miss out on a single thing story wise on the grand scheme of things. It’s one of many season 3 episodes that just simply don’t fit and shouldn’t exist. The utter worst of the worst and the only truly horrible blip on an otherwise amazing show.

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99. Granville Trapp (3.5)

Another season 3 episode, another episode that feels like it should be part of CSI. This is the episode in which we’re somehow meant to believe that Christian is capable of murder. And the episode that of all people, Sean actually believes he would be capable of murder. Then there is the whole thing about Christian finally getting to meet his birth mother. Yup. That happens. But because it is in such a poorly executed episode, the moment is completely lost in everything else that happens around it. There is a pretty decent twist at the end of the episode involving tough as nails cop Kit (played by the amazing Rhona Mitra) being revealed as the Carver’s latest victim, but it is nowhere near close to saving this episode from being really bad.

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98. Alexis Stone II (6.7)

Ah an Annie episode. Always a positive right? The poor forgotten child of Sean & Julia barely gets a storyline, and when she does it’s usually memorable for some reason or another. That isn’t always necessarily a good thing however, as somehow she is involved in a weird pedophile storyline involving the always interesting Erica and her super creepy Italian lover Renaldo. Then there is the whole aspect of Erica being framed as a drug mule in her ‘epic’ send off moment from the series. There is also Matt in jail and his prison lover wanting him to get breast implants. Yup, that is a thing. There is just so much over the top stuff happening it just doesn’t work, and the fact it is over two parts makes it stretched out and forced even more. The titular character of Alexis Stone is a highlight however, with Nip/Tuck showing why it was such a forward thinking show when it came to issues around transgender characters. We’ll just forget this episode was actually written by Ryan Murphy okay?

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97. Abigail Sullivan (6.5)

How is an episode with so much heavy and deep stuff happening just so…boring? It really does sum up the first half of season six, just so much potential but so much blank space happening in what should be some shining moments. The Matt storyline really takes a downward turn (which is hard to believe his life could get any worse) and it ultimately leads him to pulling a gun on Christian. Then there is the moment with Sean, which really starts to get a little bit too much given that once again Sean wants to give up on him, before ultimately wanting to do the opposite. Again. Then there is the return of Julia, which by now is just not warranted. Sorry Julia, we loved you for the most part but now it’s just annoying. There is the amazing Matthew Glave however to appreciate in this episode, and his portrayal of the super evil Jerry is a highlight. Dylan Walsh does also shine when it comes to the Teddy stuff, even though he, alongside everyone else, seems to really phone it in during this episode.

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96. Gene Shelly (5.16)

Oh boy. Where to even begin with this? This could be the moment in which Nip/Tuck ultimately jumps the shark, which is a shame given how well season 5 was doing before the mid-season break. This is the episode which begins arguably the worst storyline the show ever did which see Christian and Liz get together. Still after all these years the question has to be why? Especially given their initial courtship involves a slightly awkward moment where it’s hard to tell whether or not Christian is simply having a nice moment with Liz and sleeping with her or whether he is being far too inappropriate with her and assaulting her. Other parts to this episode involve Sean being treated like a baby (literally) and Kimber being more and more evil for whatever reason. It’s a shame this episode (and those around it) is so bad that it makes you forget about the amazing character that is Raj, and what a wasted opportunity he turned out to be.

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95. Alexis Stone (6.6)

You can tell a two-part episode is bad when both the episodes make the bottom ten episodes. You read about the worst parts above in part 2, and the only reason this episode sneaks a few spots higher is the saving grace around the titular character of Alexis Stone. As mentioned before, the handling Nip/Tuck does around transgender characters was far ahead of its time and a real highlight of the series run. Alexis is an interesting character who would’ve been even more interesting to explore in a better collection of episodes. However there are a few questions around Christian and his involvement with her if you are take in to count his previous experience with sleeping with women who used to be men. The Kimber stuff is so so, as she is still on a bit of a negative run after her season 5 weirdness. Then there is the Erica and Julia stuff, which honestly puts this show at the most soap opera feel it has perhaps ever. And given this show generally thrives by acting like an over the top soap opera, that’s not a good thing at all.

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94. Don Hoberman (6.1)

You can probably sense a bit of a theme here when it comes to season 6. It really wasn’t that good. Especially the first half. There were some good ideas, but they were just so poorly executed that for the most part, it was just kinda boring. Case in point the premiere episode. After the worst season finale, we get a somewhat interesting start with a quick fire recap of where Christian & Sean are at, why they are in trouble and just what they are needing to do to overcome it. This is the potential. There are some amazing guest stars. Wayne Knight, Barry Bostwick and Mario Lopez (who returns for the first time since season 4). Again, potential. But then there is everything else that happens. Well, two main things. Matt becomes a mime and Teddy turns from Katee Sackhoff into Rose McGowan. Ugh. So many wrong things happen from that point that you can simply sum it up once again with one word. Ugh.

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93. Agatha Ripp (2.8)

This choice is definitely going to ruffle a few feathers given it is perhaps one of the most memorable episodes of Nip/Tuck. However it is also perhaps the most preachy of episodes of Nip/Tuck and if you’re not religious it can definitely be a bit too much. Sarah Paulson would be amazing standing still on a street pretending to be a letterbox and she once again shines when given some amazing Ryan Murphy words to deal with. And there is some incredibly tense moments when it comes to Sean finding out the truth about Matt and his reaction with Julia, as well as his reaction when it comes to confronting Christian. But overall the episode is just a massive preach fest, with the stigmata and Liz pregnancy issues just being way too religion heavy and hard to stomach. Nip/Tuck can work with some preach, but not at this level. Such a shame given how important this episode is to the entire series.

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92. Joy Kringle (3.13)

A Christmas episode of Nip/Tuck! Yay! A bad episode of Nip/Tuck? Boo! This is an interesting episode and an interesting attempt to bring some Christmas cheer to the bipolar season 3. We have a white girl wanting to bleach her skin. We have Mrs Clause being a terrible person and Santa being an even more terrible person. And then we have Julia being pregnant. Which, although is a bit on the nose and a bit repetitive, does give us an opening into what will be an incredible and extremely underrated season 4. There is also a great moment between Christian and Matt which does genuinely make you happy. And although having a white girl wanting to bleach her skin is just downright stupid, we do have to give props to Brittany Snow for bringing so much to the Ariel character to make it weirdly work. So although this episode is a pretty bad episode, we’re slowly starting to get into the ‘yeah they’re bad but still somewhat enjoyable’ episodes as we move through this list.

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91. Tommy Bolton (3.8)

Ah. The ‘Sean joins the FBI’ story. We have Anne Heche who is usually great. But that is perhaps the only good thing about perhaps the second worst plotline in the series behind only the Christian/Liz plotline. The stuff with Christian and his mother actually isn’t too bad, as it actually is great to have a bit more with them outside of the dreadful introduction in the dreadful Granville Trapp. The Kimber scenes also are surprisingly decent too, alongside crazy Matt doing crazy things in crazy parts of the episode. Bob Gunton too is great as a guest star, but that is always the case whenever he is in something. And the Tommy Bolton story is also sweet and great. But you know what isn’t great? You know what isn’t good? And you know who is maybe just the worst character this show ever has? Austin. Just…ugh. That is the most polite way we can put him. He is annoying. Whiney. A pain. You name it. He is all of them and more. And he alone is enough to rank this episode so low. That and Julia dancing with Quentin, which, well, let’s just forget about it. Which then leads us to the next episode…

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90. Hannah Tedesco (3.9)

Let’s start with some positives. The Christian and Kimber stuff is just fun. As is the Kimber doll wannabe. It’s very Nip/Tuck and very entertaining. The facial transplant stuff too is great to see. It gives us another great Nip/Tuck balance of dealing with a serious issue and mixing it with some fun, over the top goodness. But then there is the bad. Austin. Yup, him again. And the fact that Sean is literally willing to give up everything and join the witness protection programme without even thinking about his family (mainly Annie) is just ridiculous. Utterly utterly ridiculous. As is the ending, which is just…odd? Are Nicole and Austin dead? Are they free? Why does Sean just forget about them so quickly when they leave? So many questions, so many frustrations. Thank goodness it’s a blip and easily moved on from.

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89. Enigma (6.2)

This is an odd episode that really should be better. Once again a perfect summary of so much of season 6. The titular character is incredibly interesting, and it’s a classic Nip/Tuck scenario of drawing us in to a random weekly character with a dark shocking twist tied on the end. It is also a joy to see some great Kimber and Christian scenes once again, made all the more great with the Mike character, played fantastically by Mario Lopez, adding so much more. But then there is the Sean storyline. Hanging out with the extremely odd Vivien and somehow finding himself on drugs. Okay then. Then there is of course Teddy. Ugh. Have we mentioned how annoying she is when she turns into Rose McGowan? Gone is the great potential of an amazing character from season 5, and turned into a boring, manipulative and phoned in character that just doesn’t work. Sorry Rose McGowan, you just don’t have a good track record coming into shows replacing characters (see Charmed) and once again you fail big time when it comes to Nip/Tuck.

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88. Briggitte Reinholt (6.3)

Sensing a theme here? Another early season 6 episode that falls very low on the rankings. This will always be known as the ‘Annie eats her hair’ episode, which although is great to finally get Annie another storyline, is just so damn odd it’s laughable. Don’t get us wrong, to have any Annie screentime is a win, but this is what you give us? We also have to deal with Matt being a mime still, which…let’s just really try and forget about that. The Christian/Kimber/Mike stuff is pretty decent, with some great use of music in this episode (hello Janet Jackson) really hitting a strong note. But then there is Teddy. Sorry…Rose McGowan as Teddy. This should be a turning point for the character and an episode that really makes you fear her and really worry for Sean. But no. Rose McGowan just doesn’t do it for us. Her poor portrayal of a character so brilliantly made her own by Katee Sackhoff last season continues to drain us as an audience. Can we just not skip to the camping trip with her already?

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87. Giselle Blaylock & Legend Chandler (5.22)

Wow. What a let down. The first season finale (not including the mid-season finale from season 5) that really failed to deliver on what usually is the best episode of the season. The picture above sums it up doesn’t it? Christian and Liz get married. Those are words that are still difficult to say out loud but yup, it happened. And this comes after such an amazing start to the episode. We have Kanye West and Flashing Lights blaring out of our speakers. The amazing Katee Sackhoff in Las Vegas with the amazing Teddy (at least to this point) showing her true colours. It gets you pumped up to what should be another great season finale. But that’s about it. There is something about vampires going on. A pretty decent scene between Liz and Kimber and some actually alright stuff around Kimber moving on from Ram and Eden. But this is an episode filled with sad realisations and disappointments. Outside of the terrible season ending plot twist (which we’ll get to in a minute), this is the last ever time we’ll see the incredible Katee Sackhoff and AnnaLynne McCord (aka Eden) grace our screens on this show which is such a travesty. Both have owned their characters, with the latter being so wasted in the second half of this season after really giving us one of the greatest characters we ever saw on this show. And then the ending. Ugh. We knew Christian would survive, but this is how you do it? Such a waste, and easily the worst of all the season finales.

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86. Dawn Budge II (5.4)

After a long stretch of incredible episodes, this episode really was the first ‘bad’ episode since season 3 of Nip/Tuck. And it’s an odd one to consider bad, given season 5 starts off incredibly entertaining and you have the return of perennial fan favourite Dawn Budge (who is owned perfectly by Rosie O’Donnell). This episode honestly feels like it was written by about 10 different people, with so many shifts in tone it’s just hard to keep up with. We have the ‘ass bandit’ storyline which just comes and goes with no further explanation. We have Christian doing Christian things once again as his character just continues to feel odd in the otherwise strong early parts of season 5 and then leads into the absolutely pointless story that is him becoming a male prostitute. The shining light however which leads this episode into the ‘higher bin’ part of our rating system is Eden. This character is nothing short of pure evil, manipulative, seductive and just so damn entertaining to watch. He manipulation of Annie is so wrong it’s hard to watch but also so well done by AnnaLynne McCord it’s an absolute travesty she never received an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of the character. It’s an episode we wish could be higher but just can’t escape the lower parts of this list.

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85. Benny Nilsson (6.9)

When it comes to pointless storylines that come and go with no further explanation, Benny Nilsson takes the cake, crumbs and plate it was delivered on. Sean has a brother. Yup. A brother. Never mentioned at all previously, never mentioned again after this episode. And that is enough to make this episode just so poor, so forgettable and just such a blight on this show that it’s a wonder it’s not ranked lower. That is perhaps slightly changed around when it comes to Christian. If you want a perfect character summary of Christian, this might be the episode to watch. His relationship with Sean is fully tested this episode, as are the lengths he is willing to go to save it and ensure he is the only ‘brother’ Sean needs. Mix that in with his relationship with the titular character and the disturbing storyline with Benny’s father, it really gives you so many layers to Christian that it goes a long way to show why he is one of the most complex television characters ever written. It’s just a shame that it was wasted so badly next to an absolutely pointless story on a pointless episode.

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84. Roxy St James (5.17)

Let’s get a few positives out of the way first shall we? Jennifer Coolidge is an absolute delight. Seriously, this woman is all kinds of incredible and it’s a shame she is only ever recognised as a side actor. Why can’t she be a star in her own right and have her own show or movie to front? This is the last time we ever see her as the Candy Richards character, but my word is it an epic send off with the so terribly campy Yo Stink film clip thrown in for whatever reason that you can’t help but laugh. Then there is the titular character (no pun intended) and her incredible and somewhat disturbing story about breast cancer survival. It really is a waste in this episode and a shame it wasn’t explored deeper on an earlier season. But then there is the bad of this episode. Liz and Christian. Still a thing. Moving on. Olivia. She throws out all her beliefs for a last ditch effort to save her relationship with Julia, only to then die on the table and soon be spread all over the faces of Julia and Sean. Ah. What? Yeah…that sums up all of the whole Olivia/Julia storyline, which has moved on to such a point it is simply wasting the incredible Eden character. Luckily all the other Eden episodes are much much better than this one.

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83. August Walden (5.13)

Well the good news is that this episode is the last of the ‘bins’ when it comes to our ranking system, which means after this episode there is either going to be an equal balance of bad and good or more good than bad. But we still have to look at the last of the ‘more bad than good’ episode which comes in the form of August Walden. And what an odd odd episode it is. Maybe the best part of this episode is the ‘previously on’ section at the beginning, which gives you a perfect run down of just how bad Matt has had it and just how tragic his entire storyline has been on this show. But from there, well, you sort of have to throw in some Nip/Tuck bingo as we tick off perhaps the last of the ‘taboo’ subjects it hasn’t properly covered: incest. Yes you can argue Ava and Adrian ticked off that box, but they weren’t technically related so this really is the proper incest storyline. To cover that off, Matt bangs his sister. This coming after he verbally abuses a deformed war victim. Okay. You do you Matt. Then there is the whole Julia and Christian storyline which FINALLY comes to an end after such a pointless and drawn out arc this season. Mixed in with Eden getting a bit murderous at the end of this episode as well as the somewhat interesting storyline around Sean and the titular character, it’s such an odd, all over the place episode that there isn’t one thing that can save it out of the ‘bin’ basket. It does take the top spot in the ‘bin’ basket however for the potential it had and how close it came to pulling one of the multiple storylines off. So close. So so close.

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82. Christian Troy II (6.17)

We enter the ‘rent’ episodes right now which show the middle of the road episodes that have as much good as they do bad. For the third last episode of the series, there is plenty to like about what they attempt to do. Another dream sequence episode (which as you will see we are defenders of compared to other review sites) doesn’t necessarily work as well as the ones that came before it, but seeing elements to Christian’s character explored in this way actually work quite well. Highlights include a reversal of the famous scene from the pilot involving the lipstick, and the meeting of his father who is played amazingly by the legendary Robert Davi. It also does a great job at exploring just what the future really does hold for Christian and Sean in the plastic surgery industry given the changing times of the late 2000s. The let down of this episode though is perhaps the Liz storyline. While it is great to see her getting some decent screentime again, it just seems somewhat wasted and pointless at this point in the show to be showing her being grossed out by squirting. Why now? Couldn’t this have been explored a little earlier and then had some point to it? Sadly not it seems, but a solid episode that has plenty going for it.

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81. Sheila Carlton (6.14)

A large majority of the episodes on this list around the high ‘bins’ and low ‘rents’ all seem to fall from around the same region of episodes in season 5 and 6, and it’s easy to see why. Gone are the ‘had potential but wasted it’ episodes to the ‘has potential and sticks some of the landings’ episodes. Case in point Sheila Carlton. A vulnerable Christian episode is always somewhat entertaining, and watching him deal with Kimber’s disappearance is compelling viewing. As is the appearance of Melanie Griffith as Kimber’s mother. It feels as though this should be an area of complaint, a ‘why haven’t we met her until now’ complaint about her sudden appearance. But it works. The character is just so perfect, as is the moment she hooks up with Christian and the way he deals with visions of Kimber in the aftermath. Then there is the incredible Frances Conroy and the storyline around the chimp. Conroy is such a delight in other Ryan Murphy vehicles and it is great to see her make an appearance here. The one downer is perhaps Sean and his relationship with Sarah as well as the fallout with Curtis. Seriously, what is the point of all this? It does weigh it down heavy enough to be ranked so low, but still the positives do shine through.

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80. Ronnie Chase (5.15)

This episode is sold in the opening 15 minutes. Perhaps even the opening 5 minutes. You’ll never listen to Stop Me by Mark Ronson in the same way ever again, and is one of the many examples Nip/Tuck has of taking a song and engraving it so hard in your memory as connected to the show that you’ll never be able to forget it. The follow up from the mid-season finale works a treat, with just so much drama and tension that you are glued to the screen. Colleen gets a fitting send off, and you get such an excitement boner for what potential the rest of this season will have that it’s hard not to feel giddy. But then the rest of the episode happens, and it perhaps just sums up what we’re going to get from this point on. It is just…slow. A tad boring even. And although there is some great stuff explored, it can’t live up to just how amazing the episode started. Christian discovering he has cancer is a deep storyline, and one that you don’t expect at all. His relationship with Liz at this point is poignant and works. It’s just such a damn shame they couldn’t keep it at this level instead of ruining it. But perhaps the biggest complaint in this episode is the retcon moment in which the Conor McNamara 2026 episode from last season is so lazily thrown out of canon and probability. It just screams of the writers of this show bowing into peer and public pressure from the backlash they received that they just HAD to fix it. Given how high up we’ll have that episode on this rankings (so high it is likely to cause a lot of complaints) it is a real downer on what could’ve been a great episode.

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79. Willow Banks (6.12)

A somewhat interesting episode which shows the improvement brought to the latter half of the final season. The Willow Banks storyline is standard Nip/Tuck, featuring a patient we’re somehow meant to sympathise with who takes extremely drastic measures to make her point. It’s just not that sympathetic unfortunately, as how are we meant to feel bad for an attractive person who has had everything handed to her all of a sudden wanting the opposite? There is also the Sean and Kimber story which sees them hook up, again, for whatever reason. Between Christian seemingly becoming so unlikeable all of a sudden through to Sean hating everything about him, it’s an odd dynamic that has moments where it works and others where it really doesn’t. The Rupert Kenney story is where this episode shines however, and it’s a shame they didn’t give him a titular character status. Waking up after coma of so long and having it parallel with Sean’s feelings of his life should’ve taken centre stage, and somehow it is dragged down among everything else that happens throughout this episode.

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78. Ben White (3.7)

What brings this episode down so low is the fact that we still are dealing with Austin, Anne Heche and the whole ‘Sean joins the FBI’ plot. This should be so much higher, but anything involving Austin in automatically gets a huge drop in the rankings. The titular character is incredible, and it is Nip/Tuck at its absolute finest in showing us such a unique, rare and true medical condition. John Billinsgley is incredible as White, and Christian’s dilemma in choosing between doing what the patient wants and keeping his medical ethics really is compelling viewing. As are all the scenes involving Kimber and Christian, and the ultimate moment of the successful engagement. Kimber and Christian is the core relationship of this show, and while you eventually get sick of the Julia/Sean relationship, you always are captivated by just how Christian and Kimber can seemingly work when they really shouldn’t. It’s such a sweet and tender moment between the two which leads to them being engaged, and it’s just such a damn shame we have to deal with some crap happening elsewhere to not make this episode higher. There is also the whole ‘semen in a bottle’ storyline but let’s just not mention that and move on.

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77. Jenny Jugs (6.4)

Nip/Tuck is a show that can shine with it’s titular characters. On this occasion the word ‘titular’ seems incredibly appropriate with the delightfully weird and extremely over the top Jenny Jugs. This is literally a woman who uses her large breasts as weapons, and it really was only a matter of time until Christian got knocked out by a pair of breasts. Outside of the outlandish nature of this storyline, we have perhaps the one time I feel it’s appropriate to willingly cheer for the death of a character. Teddy. And while the character was so amazing in season 5, it was only a matter of time till we had to say goodbye to her in season 6 and get rid of the woeful Rose McGowan. It adds to the already over the top nature of this episode, having her attempt to kill Sean, Annie and Conor on a camping trip before ultimately herself getting brutally murdered by another crazed lunatic. But you know what? It’s a great moment. Why? Because it’s just SO over the top, and delivered so damn well by the incredible Matthew Glave that it just adds to the joy of finally seeing the back of McGowan. Oh, Matt is still a mime and this time he gets shot. That’s about as much as we need to talk about that.

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76. Wesley Clovis (6.10)

The best news about this episode is it brings to a close arguably the worst stretch of episodes Nip/Tuck ever saw. And it does it in style, with so much happening it’s hard not to like what we see. Eric Stonestreet is amazing as Wesley Clovis, a death row inmate who needs liposuction in order to ensure he is properly executed. But what is the most shocking (and sometimes grating) is Matt’s involvement in the story and showing just how capable he is of being an absolute dick to ensure he is released from prison. It’s a positive to see this storyline finally end, but the character of Matt has so far lost any sense of credibility at this point it’s sad that it isn’t as shocking as it perhaps should be. Elsewhere, the Kimber story is nothing short of tragic. Christian begins his brief stint of being completely hateable, and we really don’t turn back now from the utmost sympathy for Kimber in her final few episodes. The scene she shares with Liz is great, and a joy to see Liz getting back to some normality after her marriage to Christian. But it is perhaps not as impactful as it could’ve overall been had it not been for the lackluster episodes and stories we had to this point of the season. Special props however go to the dinner table scene, which is a fan favourite trademark and always a welcome addition to any episode.

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75. Cliff Mantegna (1.7)

Given it has taken a quarter of all episodes to finally get to a season 1 episode shows the overall quality the first season of Nip/Tuck has and why it was so ground-breaking for TV when it first premiered. And this by all means isn’t a bad episode. It is a fairly strong ‘rent’ on the grand scheme of things. Kimber with Christian really starts to intensify, and you really do feel bad for Kimber when it comes to the swingers party. Then there is the unfaithful pairing of Julia and Sean, with both Megan and Jude giving us a variety of feelings alongside our (at this stage at least) favourite couple. Where this episode though delivers the real impact is the conclusion of Matt with his threesome storyline. What started off as some innocent teenage love and wanting to self mutilate his own penis turns into a fairly deep exploration of love, lust and exploration which is solidified by the incredible Kate Mara and her breakdown over realising her love for Ridley isn’t reciprocated. A sucker punch of an episode for anyone who has been in a similar situation in their life.

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74. Everett Poe (5.3)

Oh Eden. What an incredible character she was. Our first taste of the delightful AnnaLynne McCord comes in this episode and hits you so hard in the face that you are desiring more and more as every minute passes. Her manipulative nature is evident within moments of her arrival and she shows why she is easily one of the stars of season 5. The entry of Matt and Kimber this season also works incredibly well, as we go from them seemingly in a good place to quickly realising they are incredibly drugged up and at complete rock bottom. Does it feel forced? A bit. But this is Nip/Tuck and if any two characters were going to hit this stage and get addicted to meth, you would put good money on it being Matt and Kimber. The bad news in this episode however is the recycled and completely pointless Christian and Julia storyline. There is no need for this to be re-explored, as it felt well and truly closed off back in season 3 at Christian’s wedding to Kimber. It’s a real shame we have to deal with this, but the good news is it won’t last for long.

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73. Ricky Wells (5.18)

Another middle of the road episode that has us getting mad at some ridiculous storylines but also really enjoying some others. Liz and Christian are still front and centre, and we really are rolling our eyes at this point. Liz has fallen so madly in love with Christian that she is capable of just letting him get away with his unfaithful ways? Why? It just doesn’t work in any capacity. But then there is the positive side of this episode. It’s a great episode to explore Sean and Matt’s relationship, something that hasn’t been properly explored in some time. It’s also great to see Matt go down a medical path, seemingly connecting it with Conor McNamara 2026 from last season (which we know has been flushed down the toilet previously but at this point it was still posssible). Then there is the Raj storyline which finally gives him a chance to shine in what ultimately turns out to be such a waste of a great character. Added to all of this the titular character and the creepy, pedophile teacher which just screams classic Nip/Tuck that you feel yourself smiling and repulsive all at the same time by the time the credits close. A real classic feel to an episode that is let down by one storyline.

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72. Candy Richards (5.14)

Oh the potential this episode had. Technically a ‘season finale’ given it drew to a close the first half of season 6, it definitely had enough going for it to really make it feel like it was going for that feel. However when you reach a point with a character that you feel you have to play the amnesia card, there really is no credit to be had and therefore a ‘rent’ is the only place this episode could end up. Amnesia storylines are the most lazy way of writing a TV episode, and 99.999999% of the time it never works so why do it? Especially with Julia, who at this point has become so pointless and phoned in that we really have no ounce of care left for her. Added to this Sean jumping in to once again have a crack it just makes you roll your eyes and ignore it. Outside of this however there are some real shining lights. Jennifer Coolidge is incredible and hilarious once again as Candy. Lisa Darr is amazing as Christian’s long lost one night stand that leads to the reveal he has a daughter. And Sharon Gless of course is incredible as Colleen. You do have to drop some points though for the fact that the whole reveal of Christian’s daughter goes absolutely nowhere and is forgotten about in about 2 episodes, and the random use of Annie just to have her involved in a accident is just an utter waste once again of the character. The cliffhanger at the end though is a great way to draw the episode to a close, and one that easily drew you back in to watch the remainder of season 5.

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71. Lola Wlodkowski (6.8)

This is an episode that really shouldn’t work and should be ranked a lot lower. It’s so over the top and over the place that it doesn’t quite fit when it comes to the episodes that are ranked around it. But something just works. Something just makes this episode fun. And given the awful stretch of episodes we’ve had to endure in the beginning part of season 6, it’s a welcome change. Having Christian sleep with a big woman, only to make Kimber more self-conscious and think she then needs to get big herself is confusing, but fun. As is Sean dealing with a couple who want to be like Barbie and Ken. It’s odd. Quirky. And just weird. But again, it’s fun. What is the most fun perhaps this episode are the dream sequences. From Kimber in a fat suit to Sean having the body of Ken with no penis, it just really makes it interesting and fun viewing. There is also the great scene between Kimber and Christian and the deep conversation around their hatred for each other that makes them so compatible. It’s just a shame there wasn’t more of this during season 6.

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70. Montana/Sassy/Justice (1.11)

Any episode that involves Gina is going to be a highlight. Jessalyn Gilsig is just pure fun, and having her reveal she is pregnant to Christian gives her easily her best story arc in the entire series. The fact she can spin around in a chair, deliver a simple ‘hey asshole’ and give that amazing smirk and have you glued to every moment is just a huge testament to the incredible Gilsig and the incredible character of Gina. We also have a pretty interesting titular character, with the idea around split personality being thoroughly explored and done in a way that works. The Matt storyline with Henry and Cara is a bit meh, with Henry starting to irk us a bit with his bipolar nature and his turn around into getting rid of religion all together and to what ultimately will happen with him and Cara. It’s only a small blip in an otherwise good episode.

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69. Trudy Nye (2.14)

A fascinating episode that really starts to seep into the ‘more good than bad’ territory. The storyline involving Christian and Natasha comes to a dramatic close, with the episode finely balanced with the tragic yet comedic from the beginning to the end. How somebody can be in a car as all the wheels are stolen and not realise is a tad hard to believe, but it also lends to a memorable opening sequence. Kimber and Sean also have their moments, especially when it comes to Kimber firmly believing that fixing her love lines on her hand will fix her relationship with Sean. Then there is the titular character, who once again steals the limelight from the entire main cast. A tragic story of an abused woman who just can’t let go of her abuser, it speaks volumes to the viewer and still holds up (unfortunately) as very relevant in today’s society. Then there is Ava. Any episode with her in it is automatically amazing, and Famke Janssen owns every single scene she is in. There just happens to be a lot more episodes that stand out over this one, and given the quality of this show that is not a bad thing.

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68. Natasha Charles (2.11)

As such a complex character, it is amazing that it took a blind woman to really see who Christian really was. Natasha might not be the greatest character the show has ever produced, but she certainly is memorable and has her moments. Rebecca Gayheart is great as Natasha, and the amazing prop work around her blindness really adds to the believability of the storyline. Then there is the sex scene between her and Christian. After so much graphic and intense sex scenes in the past, it’s comforting to have a truly wonderful and artistic scene which almost comes out of nowhere. A subtle tear rolling down Christian’s cheek as they finish adds so much to a powerful scene. Outside of this storyline, Julia’s path has completely taken her to the end and Sean’s treatment of her can be a bit jarring to stomach. It’s well balanced out by Erica, who although a bit on the nose sometimes actually holds up well in this episode.

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67. Megan O’Hara (1.6)

Watching this episode feels as though Nip/Tuck has been around for a lot longer than six episodes. It really is that well established and each of the characters have so many layers it feels as though we’re deep into a second or third season rather than the first. Kimber shines in this episode, and Kelly Carlson proves that she is perhaps one of the 2000s most underrated actresses given she came into this show as a model with limited to no acting experience at all. Her and Christian are perfect together, and it’s almost exciting to think we still have over 90 episodes to see just how these two will develop from this point on. We also get to meet Megan for the first time, and while her story is tragic and humanising, there is a feeling of strangeness around the fact that Sean is so quick into falling for her. It’s almost a contradiction based on what we just said about this show feeling so comfortable at this point, but right now it feels a little quick for one of our main characters to be doing something so drastic. But it does sort of work too. Outside of this we get a great Ryan Murphy alumni appearance by the charming Leslie Grossman, who plays internet dating hopeful Bliss Berger. Fans of Murphy’s first TV show Popular loved her as Mary Cherry in that show, and it’s great to think that this character will return in season 5. A highlight of a middle of the road episode.

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66. Frankenlaura (3.6)

What an odd episode. Perhaps one of the most odd the show has ever done, and that’s saying something. We have our main surgery patient who is nothing more than a crazed necrophiliac, which once again serves to tick off another box on the ‘taboo bingo’ game this show seems to play. We also have Gina returning (yay) to try and open a new business, which leads to the interesting storyline involving her, Julia, Liz and the spa. On the grand scheme of things it’s a pointless storyline. But there is something about it, and the fact Julia has something more to do rather than sit around and be fought over by our two main leads is somewhat interesting while it happens. But the struggles of Sean and Christian that lead them to getting involved with necrophiliac Silas really is the real talking point of this episode. Sure, you have no reason to sympathise with Silas (hopefully) which maybe makes it a tad hard to fully get on board with his plight. But Raphael Sbarge does such a great job at playing the crazed Silas that it sells it in a way that is hard to explain. An odd episode that might not be the best, but easily one of the most memorable.

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65. Kimber Henry (2.10)

The fact that J.K Simmons is in this episode is enough to make it a good one. Well before he became an Oscar winning, Simmons was plugging along in a variety of TV shows and movies and giving amazing performances everytime. His story about wanting to get breast implants to help feel the struggles his wife went through during cancer certainly is a memorable one, although the big reveal about her questioning her sexuality is a bit odd and unnecessary. Sean perhaps though is the most interesting person this time around. His treatment of Julia continues to be horrible, but his new found lust for Kimber is also somewhat odd but also somewhat believable. There is a weird chemistry between the two of them, and the scenes involving the Kimber doll are hilarious. A very solid entry in a very solid season.

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64. Antonia Ramos (1.12)

This episode really sums up the first season. So much great happening, so much tension and drama, and just great and unique television that felt so fresh. Any episode involving Escobar is always going to be a great one, and the exploration of his character and his criminal empire is compelling viewing. The models being used and abused really make you feel deep sympathy for them, and it all leads into what will be an epic finale a week later. Added to this the Gina and Christian stuff is just fantastic. Although they aren’t on the same level as a couple as Christian and Kimber, there is just something so perfect about the two of them together that just works. The scene of them in bed together when Gina reveals her last name is a fantastic scene, and all the moments involving the creepy baby store guy are disturbing but entertaining. Julia too even has some interesting things to go over in this episode, with her dealing with Sofia being somewhat pointless on the grand scheme of things but still entertaining. Nip/Tuck once again shows how ahead of its time it was when it came to dealing with issues of this nature and really deserves more credit when it comes to this.

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63. Joyce & Sharon Monroe (5.2)

Oh hello random plot twist that goes nowhere! Guess what?! Julia is a lesbian! Yay? It’s such an odd addition to the show which at this point doesn’t feel entirely implausible, but it definitely comes out of nowhere and knowing that it does ultimately go nowhere really lessens the overall impact it should have. Portia de Rossi is great, but again, she goes nowhere so what really is there to care about in the long run? The Marilyn vs Marilyn storyline is fun, and the ending with Christian in bed with them is extremely powerful with the camera just holding on his face showing a sense of desperation not previously seen by him. It’s moving and deep and gives the viewer an emotional moment with the character few shows are willing to try. Then there is Sean and Kate. Can we say ‘meh’ again? It’s nothing personal with the character of Kate as clearly there is an exploration of the insecurities of actresses when it comes to Hollywood, as well as the self references to medical shows and how over the top they can be which adds a great layer of comedic commentary to Nip/Tuck itself. But Kate is just so…meh…that it’s hard to fully connect with her and Sean together. There is Bradley Cooper too in this episode, which, can we just say is amazing and how great he is? That’s something you’ll hear us say a lot more as we get to more of his episodes soon.

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62. Momma Boone (3.1)

Well that’s definitely a fresh way to open a new season. Thinking Christian has died after the epic season 2 finale, we soon find out it was all a dream and that Christian has survived the attack and is dealing with the ramifications that have come with it. It is a bit of a jarring opening, but once you get past it there is a lot to like about this episode. The Momma Boone storyline is so sad and tragic that you can’t help but pile on the sympathy for her. Even her husband, who admittedly is a bit of a jerk, still comes off as somewhat sympathetic which adds a lot of layers to this already layered episode. Then we get the introduction of Kit. Oh how do we love Kit. Rhona Mitra is incredible on so many levels and i’s great to have her on board. Then there is the threesome at the end. Oh boy. So. Damn. Hot. It’s all so good, it will definitely make you forget about any terrible scenes involving Julia and Jude that have no place at being in this episode.

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61. Duke Collins (5.8)

Is there a traditional Christmas song about fruitcake? Well apparently based on this episode there is. It is just odd. As this episode also is. But it does have some pretty entertaining stuff to go alongside some of the odd stuff. Julia and Christian are still a thing, but we really don’t care at this point anymore. Eden poisons a fruitcake to make Julia sick, which, is odd but adds more creep to the amazing Eden. Matt in the burn unit with Rachel is kind of refreshing, even though we all know that it won’t last and it won’t be long until Matt soon moves on to screw up his life (and in this case his sister) sometime soon. Kimber is becoming even more evil randomly which doesn’t really work but is still fun to see Kelly Carlson play that type of character. And then we have the real fun stuff involving Santa getting shot and the Christmas choir always being around to sing away the blues. It’s odd, but memorable.

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60. Joel Gideon (2.5)

The first of the big reveal episodes this season, Christian is the first to find out that Matt is actually his son and not Sean’s. It is done in such a powerful way at the end of a fairly emotion charged episode that it really kicks you in the gut as the credits close out. It was always going to happen that Christian would lose Wilber, but it still is done in a way that you are shocked at the outcome. Julian McMahon shines in this episode, and it really serves to a point as to how much of a tragedy it is that he was never rewarded for his efforts on this show or the fact that he never went on to anything bigger. Julia too shines in this episode, and her scene with Christian right at the end is a real highlight. The Sean storyline over risk is a bit odd and doesn’t go anywhere, but it’s still enjoyable to watch him get a bit loose and try different things along the way. It also leads into some great scenes with him and Matt, which we know are going to be changing very soon as this season progresses.

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59. Oona Wentworth (2.13)

How amazing is Joey Slotnick? Maybe we’re a bit biased because we were lucky enough to talk to him on the show, but Merrill is such a great character and Slotnick does such great work in making him a great character that there is plenty of evidence to back this claim up. Everything up till this point comes to a head in this episode, with Merrill at rock bottom and so much at the bottom that he is willing to chop his own face off and help chop a body in pure desperation. There is something about hearing Goodbye Stranger by Supertramp that will always make you think of a crazy man chopping his own face off thanks to this episode. Elsewhere the Ava storyline still shines, with lots of fun to be had around her manipulation of Matt, Adrian, Christian and the school principal. We’re sure if she had a middle name it would be manipulation, as she is just so damn good at it.

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58. Kyle Ainge (5.11)

This is one bonkers episode. It has a man literally being stuffed to death, and that’s barely even the craziest part of what we’re seeing. We have cannibalism (taboo bingo check), a kindergarten teacher who likes to bite children (played by the superb Kathleen Rose Perkins) and then there is Gina’s funeral. It definitely isn’t treated too serious and played off like a big joke, but something about it just works given the Gina character was almost exactly the same. There is just so much being thrown at you this episode that it really shouldn’t work, but it somehow does. There is a slight whiff happening about this period of the show though that you can’t help but sense what is to come in the coming weeks, but try getting that scene out of your head with Colleen, the agent and the bear machine. It’s alone is enough to excuse all the craziness happening and make it a solid and strong episode.

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57. Budi Sabri (5.20)

It’s crazy to think any episode featuring the Liz/Christian relationship would rank as high as this one does, but there is enough about this episode that makes it a high ‘rent’. Namely Teddy. Can we just promote how amazing of a character she is in this portion of the show and say once again how amazing Katee Sackhoff is? There is just something so captivating about her character that makes it easy to see why Sean is so drawn to her and would be willing to do crazy things such as drugs with her. As an audience we are hooked to her and would basically do whatever she asks us, she’s that good. And that’s all down to Sackhoff. Yes we’ve gone on about how badly Rose McGowan destroyed the character in season 6, but watch this episode next to any with McGowan in it and you will see the contrast between the two and how the character changes from the wickedly charming and sadistic to the downright boring and just crazy. Outside of Teddy we have a fantastic titular character who is as fascinating as he is tragic, and then we have the utter utter stupidity that is Christian proposing to Liz. We’re just going to ignore that however and just think again of how amazing Teddy is when it comes to having this episode in this position.

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56. Mandi/Randi (1.2)

It’s proof of how amazing and ground-breaking Nip/Tuck was at the time that in only its second episode you can feature a character giving himself a circumcision, have one of the main characters sleep with teenage twins and also feature the start of an intriguing love triangle between a married couple and one half of the couple’s business partner. The seeds are slowly being sown for just how tragic Matt will become as this show progresses, and the #PoorMatt sentiment you will feel for most of the series run is definitely felt in one snip as the episode fades to black. It is also perhaps important to briefly mention the most pointless main cast member the show will ever see and her introduction this episode. Grace is just the ultimate blah character who for some reason gets star billing and disappears with no explanation in season 2. She has her moments, but knowing that she is not important on the grand scheme of things just makes her wasted viewing across this season. Special mention to the first use of the title credits and the haunting theme A Perfect Lie. It fits the show like a glove and is great to see for the first time.

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55. Sofia Lopez II (1.9)

It’s great to see the return of Sofia Lopez and also great to see her get another episode title. She is such an interesting character and her dynamic with Liz is great. It would’ve been fun to see that perhaps develop a little more, but it is appreciated we at least get something this episode. Outside of the Sofia/Liz goodness we have some pretty strong Christian and Kimber things going on. It is a great exploration of both their characters, from the utter asshole Christian becomes in wanting to trade Kimber for a car, to the pure desperation, helplessness and pain Kimber goes through in holding Christian hostage at the end of the episode. You really do end up rooting for Kimber by the end of this episode, although it once again goes to prove just how layered and deep the Christian character is that you also forgive him and are back on board with him next episode. There is also the small matter of Jude being a gigolo and having a fake accent. Uh…what? That is the only thing preventing this episode from being a ‘buy’.

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54. Rachel Ben Natan (5.9)

This episode has a lot going on. A lot. And it seems to be a trend going through some of the middle season 5 episodes. But for all the stuff happening there is just way too much to enjoy to overlook some of the issues. The one glaring issue comes from the fantasy sequence Sean has which sees him implied as a terrorist. That is just plain odd, and something that shouldn’t be a thing but we can overlook it as a thing as it’s so minor on the grand scheme of things you probably didn’t even remember it until we just mentioned it. Rachel Ben Natan as a character is an interesting one, and one that could’ve been explored more in a longer arc throughout the season. But clearly Matt has to screw up at some point to keep his character flowing so that was never going to happen long term. The fight between Sean and Christian is half-hearted but still always interesting to see our lovable duo come to blows. Where this episode shines however is with its guest stars. Oliver Platt and Bradley Cooper are stars in their own right, so it’s amazing to see both of them together and seemingly having so much fun with their roles. Then there is also the last appearance of Rosie O’Donnell who again is incredible as Dawn Budge. It’s a shame to see her farewell the show at this point, but she goes out with a bang and an emotional whizz with Platt’s Freddy finally coming out. An over the top episode that delivers over the top fun.

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53. Manya Mabika (2.3)

The last of the ‘rents’ before we really get into the great episodes. This episode is of course best known for the very first appearance of Ava Moore, the best villain ever to appear on Nip/Tuck. Just seeing Famke Janssen on the screen is enough to get anybody excited, and she excels with every minute of screentime she gets. As a viewer we’re already captivated by the Ava character and knowing it’s only going to get better is beyond exciting. Another strong part is Aisha Tyler as the titular character. Perhaps more known for her comedic roles at the time this episode aired, she shines as a patient who has suffered through the trauma of genital mutilation and hopes to discover what it means to orgasm. Of course Christian believes he is the one to give her this pleasure, but even Christian can fail in the bedroom from time to time. There is also some great stuff happening with Julia and Sean too, which makes this easily the best of the ‘rent’ episodes.

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52. Hiro Yoshimura (6.19)

After one interesting ride that was season 6, the season and series finale that is Hiro Yoshimura somehow manages to deliver (for the most part) a fitting finale. It brings all the characters together and lets them all go their separate ways, which somehow brings a level of satisfaction. Given this show is a ‘heterosexual love story’ between our two leading men, it had to mainly be about Christian and Sean’s relationship and making sacrifices for each other and that is seen perfectly throughout this episode. Having Ava back and rekindling with Matt (of some sorts) works a treat, and it is somewhat ambiguous how the two leave in the airport which is fitting. Another dinner table scene is much appreciated, as are the final moments involving the airport goodbye and then the bar scene which all but recreates Christian’s first meeting with Kimber in the pilot. All of this is balanced out beautifully with one final titular character that definitely is classic Nip/Tuck. While it isn’t the perfect episode, the show was bar far the perfect show it once was. But it was all wrapped up neatly enough to leave a smile on your face and feel satisfied at how it all was drawn to a close.

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51. Joel Seabrook (6.13)

This episode solidifies why Kelly Carlson is an amazing actress and perhaps the most underrated star Nip/Tuck ever produced. Kimber was an incredibly tragic character who always tried her best to be the best, but found herself wrapped up and manipulated by those around her and other devices in her life she felt the need to use to get by. Having her commit suicide was a bold decision by the writers and something very rarely explored on a major television show. But this is Nip/Tuck, and it was only fitting that Kimber would end this way. Carlson’s acting is absolutely superb, and the fact she got no proper recognition for her work on this show is a disgrace. Outside of the Kimber storyline, there are definitely frustrations around both Christian and Sean and their decisions. Christian seemingly has become the king of assholes with no turning back, while Sean once again abandons an opportunity to make something good for himself. There is also a strong titular character and an interesting arc around auto erotic exficiation. A strong episode that will be remembered as the end for one of the show’s best characters.

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50. Edith and Walter Krieger (6.18)

Who would think that the series penultimate episode would work out to be more memorable and impactful than the series finale? This episode shines, and it’s a shame that the rest of season 6 wasn’t able to replicate just how good this episode is. Famke Janssen returning as Ava is enough to get anyone excited, and she doesn’t miss a beat when returning to the characters shoes. Her power over Matt is so strong after all these years, and goes to show just how much she defined Matt as a character. Julia returning is far less impactful and nothing more than a ‘oh hey let’s get her back on the show before it ends’ plot point. But it is still somewhat exciting to see her again, even though she has been credited in every episode this season. The titular character storyline is maybe where this episode shines the most. Having two elderly holocaust victims with a tragic twist involved is classic Nip/Tuck, and once again shows the strong titular characters we’ve had as the season draws to a close. Having it end up at the half way point of all the episodes might seem like we over talking it right now, but it actually goes to show just how strong the next 49 episodes are on this list that we have this episode only at 50.

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49. Allegra Calderello (5.21)

It’s refreshing to see a strong, fun episode at a point in the show that is among it’s worst. Once again we’ll ignore Christian and Liz being together, but will give props to Lillian Hurst as Liz’s mother. It’s a shame she couldn’t have appeared earlier on in the show when we weren’t so distracted by such a terrible storyline, but it was still rather fun and interesting to see her appear and her interaction with Liz. Richard Burgi though, now there is a delight. The man who was nearly Jack Bauer and married a Desperate Housewife shines as the titular character in what can only be deemed as absolutely quintessential Nip/Tuck. The guy literally has sex with furniture, which is literally an actual condition. How can you not appreciate the wackiness that brings? There is also more great Teddy goodness and even some more throwbacks with the appearance of college videos. A thoroughly enjoyable episode with a real old school vibe.

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48. Chaz Darling (5.5)

One of the biggest shocks seen on Nip/Tuck came when Jonn Schneider, fresh from his father of the year performance on Smallville, made an appearance as a sleazy porn producer. And although it was a shock, it was also a great shock. As was this episode, as it really shows some outstanding acting from both John Hensley and Kelly Carlson as they go deeper down to bottomville with their meth addiction. Props to the makeup department has to be had for making both of them look truly awful, and same to the special effects crew too for their outstanding work over the floating sequence around Matt. It’s a powerful turn which is both entertaining and shocking at the same time. Elsewhere Sean and Kate break up, which isn’t the worst thing in the world as Kate, meh. But it is done in a powerful and shocking way that definitely makes you feel for her. And Eden once again shines alongside her best friend Chaz Darling, who is a pretty decent titular character.

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47. Dr. Griffin (6.16)

As an avid promoter of Third Watch, it’s certainly exciting to have a main cast member from the show in Molly Price make an appearance in this episode as a crazed ex-wife who ends up shooting Dr Griffin in the head. But even putting her appearance aside, this episode is a delight. It seems like it was only a matter of time until both Sean and Christian ended up in therapy together and finally we get to see it happen this episode. Yes there are a few random plot twists such as Liz being pregnant and Matt being with another woman, but it still has enough emotional impact to keep you glued to the screen. The episodes exploring Christian and Sean’s relationship on a deeper level always seem to be the most intriguing, and this episode is case in point of that example. There will be better ones we will visit on this list, but Dr Griffin is still a great episode to see our two main men find out just a bit more about their relationship.

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46. Derek, Alex & Gary (3.3)

Oh Quentin. What an underrated character you are. Bruno Campos is a great actor, and it’s such a shame that his character gets so wasted as season 3 moves along. Yes there is that little reveal about him to come, but there is no other reason to have him so hated as the season reaches the end. But now we’re just jumping ahead of ourselves. This episode is great, from the epic dinner scene and the fun that happens under the table, through to Matt continuing to go deeper and deeper down a dark, evil and scary path. Christian for the first time comes across as the better father and the one that speaks the most sense, and it’s great turn of the books to see the story develop in that matter. And there is also the fun that comes with both Christian and Sean discovering that Quentin is bi-sexual. He is such a unique addition to this show at this point in its run that you can’t help but smile and like the fresh change he brings.

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45. Virginia Hayes (6.15)

It’s incredible how impactful ties to the past can be on television, and Nip/Tuck really pulled a gut punch when it came to Virginia Hayes. Fan service is something we like, and having Escobar show up once again is something that we can never complain about. His daughter was definitely a strong point to bring in, as was the body disposal sequence. Yes, it’s slightly over the top when it comes to the believability scale, but at least they didn’t try and make us believe that California had alligators to really make this work even more right? The sequence of Sean, Christian and ghost Escobar in the car listening to Drive by The Cars is goosebump inducing, as it really gives you a quiet and emotional ending that we haven’t seen in sometime in this show.

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44. Manny Skerritt (5.19)

The first appearance of Teddy is great, and you don’t really need us going on again about how much we love Katee Sackhoff. But, she is amazing okay? And it’s great to see just how much fun she can have with this character. There is some darkness around when it comes to Christian and Kimber and what they do with baby Jenna, but it is so Nip/Tuck with the deep depravity of the situation and the cover ups that go alongside it. The star of this episode is Bradley Cooper, who once again shines as Aidan. It’s a shame this is his last appearance on the show, but he does go out with a bang and seems to once again be relishing playing this character. His delivery of the lines is nothing short of incredible, and it’s easy to see why he has gone on to be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Just don’t go trying what he tried in this episode, okay? A friend told us it doesn’t work very well…

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43. Dan Daly (6.11)

It’s funny to think that we have cleared off season 6 without even getting to a season 4 episode, but there is a reason to that which you’ll find out soon. Dan Daly is a great episode and an overdue look into just how Christian and Sean met and how their characters developed from the very beginning. Paul David Story and Andrew J West are perfectly cast as young Sean and Christian, and the flashback scenes are some of the best scenes this show has seen in a long time. What makes it even better is the continuity, with so much happening in the flashback that was mentioned way back in the earlier seasons to really tie everything together perfectly. The titular character too is another great one, with a great look into the self destructive nature of people to really tie in to the episode as a whole. It is clear from this episode (which was the mid-season premiere) that the show was about to go into deep ‘Christian and Sean are going to break up’ territory, but it definitely is a great way to get it started.

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42. Cara Fitzgerald (1.8)

Arguably one of the most powerful episodes in the history of Nip/Tuck, the closing scene alone is worth the price of admission. Julian McMahon once again shows why is such an amazing actor, and his breakdown with Sean in the church is as powerful of a scene as you will ever get on TV. The fact that Nip/Tuck wasn’t afraid to tackle the issue of one of its main characters being sexually abused as a child within the first eight episodes is a testament to the ground-breaking nature of the show and one which it should be credited for. Outside of the Christian storyline, Matt has his own deep moments to discover himself and come to terms with his actions of getting stoned and hitting someone. It is actually quite terrifying to think there are people in the world who legitimately believe the power of prayer is more powerful than the power of medicine, but this episode does what it can to really paint that picture in a deep fashion. A gut punch from start to finish.

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41. Sofia Lopez (1.4)

We’ve already praised the Sofia Lopez character in her previous two episodes on this list, but her first appearance is by far the best. Jonathan Del Arco is fantastic as Lopez, and works perfectly alongside Sean as he comes to terms with dealing with her and overcoming his own prejudices. Dylan Walsh highlights how great he is in this episode, and gives heart and understanding to the situation that the audience has no choice but to connect with. We also meet Merrill for the time which is of course as great as it should be, and see Matt getting himself into some more trouble, which of course we get used to quite quickly. Jude is here too, which…yay? And there are also a couple of great appearances from Patti D’Arbanville (aka Rose Boscorelli from Third Watch) and Brenda Strong (aka Mary-Alice Young from Desperate Housewives) to go alongside everything else great about this episode.

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40. Carly Summers (5.1)

One thing that is frustrating is to read the negativity that came about the move from Miami to Los Angeles at the beginning of season 5. It’s frustrating mainly because this episode goes to show that it was a genius move that injected a huge amount of life into the show and gave it some of its most fun and unique episodes ever seen across the first half of season 5. Everything that sings season 5 comes in this episode. From the LA types wanting to cling on to fame and power, through to the role reversals of Sean and Christian. It is incredible to watch. The ability the show has too to make fun of itself with the introduction of Hearts & Scalpels is also brilliant, and having the likes of Oliver Platt, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Coolidge on board to make it even better is a delight. This episode is one of the few examples of a TV show taking a huge risk by changing things up dramatically and having it work instantly. Easily one of the most underrated episodes in the shows history.

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39. Kiki (3.2)

After the different vibe brought on by Momma Boone, we’re straight back into true Nip/Tuck territory when it comes to Kiki. John Hensley easily provides his best work in the entire series run as Matt has his breakdown, and the scene where he shaves his head is by far one of the most memorable in the series. His descent down a pretty dark path which ultimately leads him to attack Cherry can be difficult to watch, but it is balanced well by the confronting final scene which is paralleled perfectly with that of the Ramirez character. Erica returns this episode and Vanessa Redgrave also gives perhaps her best work, and the scene with Julia and the bong is hilarious. An extremely solid and memorable episode.

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38. Lulu Grandiron (5.12)

An episode involving some crazed middle age women, one of whom turns into a cat, as well as some over the top porn cliches and a plot reveal that Colleen is actually a teddy bear salesperson? It’s one hell of a roller coaster ride that’s for sure. We seem to glow so much about how amazing certain characters are, but once again the Eden character just entraps you into how amazing she is. Is is easy to see why AnnaLynne McCord went onto bigger and better things after her role on Nip/Tuck, and the balance she brings alongside Kimber is a great addition to the show. The cougar storyline too is nothing but fun, and the scene involving Christian pulling his penis out and slopping it down onto the table is a laugh out loud moment. This episode is a classic example of pure Nip/Tuck fun that should be watched again by all those season 5 haters.

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37. Liz Cruz (4.9)

Well it’s taken us 63 episodes to finally reach a season 4 episode and we’re sure you can sense a bit of a trend with where these episodes will rank. Season 4 by far is the most underrated season of the show and is Nip/Tuck at it’s most complete. Solid storylines that stretch across the entire season, a great supporting cast (some of whom should’ve been main cast but we’ll get to that) as well as some of the best titular and celebrity stars you will see in all six seasons. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, Liz Cruz does find itself at the bottom of season 4 but still is a solid and great episode. Liz finally getting an episode named after her is a good thing, as is the acting of Alanis Morissette who is sadly wasted throughout the season. Having Liz go through cosmetic surgery is a bit of a stretch for the character, but not entirely unbelievable given why she is doing it. Other great parts involve Jacqueline Bisset and Peter Dinklage being perfectly cast in both their respective roles, as well as the absolutely incredible Sanaa Lathan as Michelle. Let this be the first opportunity to say that it maybe the most frustrating thing about all of Nip/Tuck that she was never given main cast billing considering how amazing she was and how great the Michelle character is, but this show for one always considers her a main cast member. The scene with her and Burt at the end as Burt dies is tragic on so many levels, and delivers a well thought out and dramatic Nip/Tuck soap-opera style storyline perfectly. When this is the worst episode of season 4, you know the rest is going to be even more amazing.

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36. Diana Lubey (4.12)

This episode often gets loads of credit given the vitriol that is given to the amazing Conor McNamara 2026 which proceeds it, and for the most part it is warranted. It is a very solid and great episode which once again shows how strong season 4 is to make this the second worst episode. But you’ll read later just how unfair the criticism is labelled towards the aforementioned episode which does make for far better viewing than Diana Lubey. Having said that, this is a great episode as we just mentioned. The scene that stands out by far is the bedroom scene showing girlfriends from Christian’s past, and even has a couple of returning favourites added in there for good fortune. Seeing Christian move on from his bachelor pad and starting a life with Michelle feels right, and given that he never returns to this place after they move to Los Angeles at the end of the season it really is a strong moment which works so well. The titular character too is another super strong one, and having a storyline involving ashes in breast implants that strikes an emotional core with the audience is Nip/Tuck at its finest. Special props must go out to Brooke Shields as well in her last appearance as Dr Wolper. While she wasn’t maybe used as best as she could be (and we will talk about her more soon), having Brooke Shields appear was definitely a highlight in the series.

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35. Magda & Jeff (5.10)

“This is love.” Three words that will haunt you forever if you are a Gina fan. It’s such a tragic but fitting ending for the character, and the first time Nip/Tuck goes out of it’s way to actually kill off a major character. Gina was a pure delight everytime she was on screen, and it really made sense to end her run on the show at this point. As great as she was, there wasn’t a whole lot happening with her character and very little room for development, so it made sense for her to be fucked off a building to her death. The titular characters in this episode too are a blast. Another classic case of Nip/Tuck balancing fun and tragedy all at the same time. Bradley Cooper once again shows how amazing he is, and Sean becoming the star of Hearts & Scalpels is hilarious as it is completely unbelievable. A very solid episode with one of the most tragic endings in all the series.

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34. Mrs Grubman (2.4)

The way Nip/Tuck can tug at your emotions across 42 minutes is absolutely incredible, and season 2 really was the season that made this work the most. Any episode with Annie at the centre of the storyline is one you know we’ll be fans of, and props have to be given to Kelsey Lynn Batelaan for what we’re sure were difficult scenes for her to both do and understand at such a young age. Mrs Grubman as always steals the show, and adding a tragic layer with her having a stroke at the end really kicks you in the feels. As does the Kimber storyline, with Kelly Carlson again shining with every scene she’s involved in. Her connection and constant need to be rescued with Christian is tragic as always, but you can’t help but feel even more for her at the very end when she’s gone back into porn. It works on all levels and delivers with every moment.

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33. Bobbi Broderick (2.6)

Another episode which we can lay all levels of love towards Famke Janssen and her Ava character, and for the first time she is given a chance to work with Christian and show the oodles of sexual chemistry she has with him. Every moment they are on screen together is so captivating you just want to watch it again, and her levels of manipulation are like nothing seen before on television at the time. It’s somewhat creepy how she is able to get the best out of Matt, but there is also such an engaging aspect to it that you can’t help but root for them in every step of the way. We also have two extremely strong patients in this episode who both are deserving of titular character status. Bobbi Broderick is all kinds of frustrating and crazy but there is also a level of sympathy you can’t help but feel for her. Then there is Allegra, who rightfully does get an episode named after her in season 5. “Put my pussy on my lips” is one of those lines only Nip/Tuck could get away with, and it’s a storyline that is so good that it is brought back later on to poke fun at.

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32. Rhea Reynolds (3.4)

This is perhaps the most terrifying episode in the history of Nip/Tuck, and it all comes down to one scene. Rhea Reynolds is an absolute demon of a character, but having her laying on a surgery table being able to feel everything that is happening to her without anyway of stopping it is so hauntingly scary that it makes you second guess ever wanting to have surgery. The storyline involving Ellie too is tragic, and the way Dylan Walsh works with K Callan is just incredible. Dylan Walsh in general gives some of his finest work in this episode, and his reactions when it comes to having his fatherhood questioned by the social workers is incredibly raw. Added to everything else, the return of The Carver at the end of the episode is a shocking moment, and one that continues to lay the foundations to what will come throughout the remainder of season 3.

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31. Kurt Dempsey (1.5)

We’ve mentioned before about how Nip/Tuck was so good at making you feel so comfortable with these characters and situations at such an early part of the series run. This is another example of how strongly it was able to do so, with so much of this episode feeling like it could be in a later season. Julia being pregnant is a bit of a groan, not because it shouldn’t happen but it just brings an episode of unwarranted drama that will be brought up again in a couple of seasons time with more success. There are a few occasions when Nip/Tuck seemingly just forgets about storylines as they try different ones, and Julia going back to school is one of them so really trying to stay invested throughout this part of the show with this plot isn’t that easy. But Joely Richardson still does some great work in these earlier episodes of Nip/Tuck and that is easily what makes some of the situations bearable. Our first meeting of Gina is a great one, with Christian hooking up with someone from sexaholics anonymous something that was bound to happen. He does also sleep with Grace this episode, which, is, meh. Just like Grace in general. One thing that perhaps is somewhat interesting to watch in today’s society compared to when this episode aired is the titular character and his desire to change his appearance to look more Asian. It’s something that more than likely would not be explored in the current climate, but a bold choice by the writers which actually comes across quite well.

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30. Cherry Peck (3.14)

This episode technically is the first of a two-part finale, but it’s one that is best looked at separately. Having Kimber’s fate shown is both moving and tragic, and seeing just how disfigured she has become at the hands of The Carver was incredibly shocking. There were some fairly strong complaints labelled against some episodes in season 3 which took the show too far way from it was about and relied too much on being somewhat of a ‘cop show’. While there are definitely elements in this episode and the finale (which we will get to eventually), it somehow works this time around as there is definitely a balance which wasn’t achieved in those previous attempts. A lot of that is scene with a strong titular character and the return of Cherry Peck. It starts off somewhat jarring in how she approaches Christian and Sean, but the eventual friendship with Matt and the conflict it leads to with him and Ariel just work so well. It’s an episode that serves as great setup into a great finale, but also a great stand alone episode as well.

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29. Sean McNamara (2.15)

One thing that often gets forgotten about during the incredible season 2 is it was actually during that season that we first met The Carver. The creep level with that storyline really takes off during this episode, with Sean feeling the full brunt of exactly what The Carver was capable of in some pretty chilling scenes. We also get to meet Quentin for the first time, played by the always lovable Bruno Campos. While at this point we aren’t meant to think too much of him, it still is a shame to know how dramatic they turn his character during season 3. Where this episode shines mostly however is through the reveal that Gina has HIV and the reactions it leads to from Christian. The sequence with him calling his previous conquests is confronting, and definitely portrays a realistic side of dealing with a possible HIV diagnosis. Seeing Christian give the level of care he does to Gina at the end is incredible, and once again adds another layer to his already extremely layered character.

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28. Blue Mondae (4.2)

Season 4 is so consistent and character driven that every episode just warrants praise. It’s crazy to think that it is often derided as being boring, when it is by far the most complete season of them all. We joke about how great it is to see Annie getting a storyline whenever she does, but there is something about her character reacting to the news about her new brother being disabled by changing the appearances of her toys that is both emotional and disturbing. It is of course made all the more difficult by the reactions of her parents, but at least they realise she exists this episode right? Both Sean and Christian working out their own issues on their respective patients is a great exploration into where their characters go this season, and although it is a tad bit crazy it is somewhat fun to have the gay implications still continue to be placed upon Christian. Matt and Kimber coming together too works in some incredibly odd way, and the introduction of Scientology should be forced but it also works. A great example of how a variety of conflicting storylines can all work together as one when done right.

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27. Burt Landau (4.7)

There is so much to love about this episode. The scene involving Kimber breaking down to Christian after he uses her for sex is a particular highlight. Once again Kelly Carlson shines in what is by far one of the most memorable scenes of the season. Having Rosie O’Donnell back too is great, as is her friendship with Liz. It’s just a shame it doesn’t get explored further through her subsequent appearances. It is a bit random having Sean be so against wanting to give Liz his kidney, but it does lead to another great scene with him and Liz during the episode. It really is an episode with loads of things going on, but all the things are great insights into each of our main characters and some of their crazy motivations that define who they are.

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26. Willy Ward (4.14)

One of the things that makes season 4 so great and underrated are the guest characters. Jacqueline Bisset is easily near the top of that list, and her pure desperation put on display in this episode shines above anything else. The scene involving her and Michelle before she shoots herself is among one of the shows best, and seeing her dead body convulsing on the floor after she dies is incredibly confronting. Gina as always is great, and in particular seeing her go head to head with Michelle is a particular highlight. As is our titular character and the whole story involving his puppet. Any storyline that can lead us to seeing Christian being a puppet on Sean’s knee definitely gets high praise. As does a storyline involving an alien and porn. Yeah, we just said that. Another incredibly solid and entertaining episode.

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25. Erica Noughton (2.1)

If you needed a reminder of how great this show can be after the first season then you get it in spades when it comes to the premiere of season 2. The first introduction to Erica is one that actually works, and although she does get slightly on the nose after a while, there is no denying that casting Joely Richardson’s real mother works a treat when it comes to the scenes between the two. There is also a great deal around the notion of ageing, with both Christian and Sean going through a variety of issues as they hit 40. Christian in particular is great this episode, dealing with everything that comes with getting older and becoming a father all at once. Special props also go out to the best friends who fail badly at a suicide pact. It’s a deep and depressing storyline that also warrants a large amount of sympathy when it is perhaps not warranted. Nip/Tuck once again on top form.

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24. Conor McNamara (4.8)

Season 4 by far stands out the most when it came to it’s big name guest stars. Each episode seemingly had another big celebrity to show off, and each time they did it with incredible results. This episode features a pre-Oscar winning Mo’nique who works perfectly with the returning Mrs Grubman. While it is sad that she ultimately dies this episode, she really does get the perfect send off with an incredible dream sequence featuring Burt Bacharach. It’s Nip/Tuck at its finest. There is also the Conor surgery finally coming to a head, with some great moments featuring Peter Dinklage and his Marlowe character. While the character can be somewhat annoying at first, he definitely grows on you on multiple viewings and Dinklage is as incredible as always in making that happen. The surgery scene featuring Jesus To A Child by George Michael really strikes a chord, and although the storyline about Sean being disfigured as a child is incredibly random and comes out of nowhere, it somehow really works. Just a shame that his long lost brother wasn’t mentioned at some point…

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23. Christian Troy (2.2)

There really is something so disturbing and graphic about watching a man break his own nose in an attempt to give himself a rhinoplasty. But that’s exactly what we get this episode as Christian has his own crisis about his appearance and having to deal with Sean not wanting to operate given his own crisis with the yips. It’s always great to have an episode that explores just why the pair of them are a great surgeon together but so different apart, and this is one of those. There is also the conclusion to the Cara Fitzgerald storyline and the first real glimpse of a #PoorMatt moment that is his own doing and no fault of others. Having him lie so blatantly at the end to get away with the hit and run is deep, but it is overshadowed by the deep and terrifying moment involving Henry being dragged back to his cell screaming “they’ll rape me.” It is hard to watch, and all the props go to Andrew Leeds in the acting department with making it that way.

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22. Madison Berg (3.10)

Given how complete this episode feels, it is a clear indication that every episode that follows on our ranking is an incredible one. What shines about this episode is the outstanding acting from everyone on screen. Sean and Christian having some fun ‘gay’ moments is great, seeing Gina go off at Kimber is great, having Ariel and Matt get together is great and even the scene between Julia and Christian before the ceremony is great, despite it being somewhat out of left field. Matt going down another #PoorMatt path isn’t surprising, but seeing him deal with Ariel and her racist beliefs is definitely a path that wasn’t expected. The dinner scene with Ariel’s family is very confronting, but also incredible viewing. And the cliffhanger that sees Kimber not showing up isn’t all that surprising if you think about it, but it is made all the more powerful if you know just why she doesn’t show up. A Nip/Tuck wedding episode done in an extremely Nip/Tuck way.

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21. Dr Joshua Lee (5.7)

This is a surprisingly great episode with so many things happening that shouldn’t work but somehow do. Julia and Olivia get kidnapped by one of the biggest creeps you’ll ever see, and somehow Julia turns super bad-ass and wants to get a gun. Typing that just sounds dumb, but again, it somehow works. As does the titular character and the idea behind an alien abduction. Nip/Tuck is a show that should in no way be doing a storyline involving an alien abduction, but again, it works. As does the Matt and Kimber storyline. Finally after all they’ve been through something drives them apart, and it’s the selfishness of Kimber that does exactly that. What makes it so powerful and amazing is John Hensley’s Matt. We may joke about the whole idea of #PoorMatt, but this is perhaps the king of all episodes when it comes to that. Matt is trying, trying so hard here. And yet, nothing he can do works. It all leads to the inevitable tragic ending that we get, and the haunting scene involving him catching on fire to the tune of Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Would it have worked better to just kill off Matt at this point? Perhaps. But no matter what you leave this episode definitely wanting to give the guy a big hug.

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20. Adelle Coffin (1.10)

Wow. An absolute emotional roller coaster. Death is at the centre of this episode, and the suicide scene involving Megan is so graphic that is incredible to think it made it to air. It’s exactly what makes Nip/Tuck so groundbreaking, that ability to not be afraid to explore extremely dark taboo subjects in this manner and it works so darn well. There is no way you can ever listen to Rocket Man the same after this episode, and it’s easy to see why that scene is the moment we declared as the best moment in the history of the show. There is also the great scene where Sean comes clean to Julia about the affair which is just so perfectly acted between Dylan Walsh and Joely Richardson that it’s impossible to not get angry over the fact that neither were rewarded with an award for their efforts. There is also a talking head, which might sound ridiculous but again, works so damn well. Quite possibly the most emotional episode in the history of the show.

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19. Shari Noble (4.4)

Kind of ironic to go from the episode that killed Megan off to the episode that brought her back in season 4. But what a way to bring her back. Damn. The scene involving her, Escobar, Monica and Obsession by Animotion is one of the best in the history of the show, and goes to show how well Nip/Tuck can pull off an outlandish fantasy sequence to move a story forward. There is also the little fact of Michelle and Christian. That sexual chemistry. Wow. Sanaa Lathan is just so damn amazing, and having her and Christian become a couple is easily one of the greatest pairings this show pulls off. There is another tick when it comes to ‘taboo bingo’ this episode (bestiality), an appearance from a pre-Breaking Bad Dean Norris as well as Marlowe really starting to get a tad too close to Julia. So much great stuff all in one.

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18. Nanette Babcock (1.3)

Another great example of Nip/Tuck being so mature and strong from the very beginning. Nanette Babcock is a top 10 titular character, and Lindsay Hollister shines in the role. The episode is a great reflection of inner beauty being different from outer beauty, and it strikes a strong emotional chord with the viewer. The introduction of Mrs Grubman is great, as is the scene involving her and Christian in bed together. Only Nip/Tuck could turn a scene from being funny to disturbing to emotional so quickly and it is a treat to watch. Matt too gets a large amount of sympathy, with the fun scene of seeing two cheerleaders make out overridden pretty quickly by the emotional impact it has on him. So Damn Beautiful by Poloroid playing at the end is a perfect way to close out the episode and hit you in the feels just a little bit more.

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17. Faith Wolper PhD (4.6)

It’s funny to think how well Ryan Murphy can turn two straight male characters into two gay lovers and then flick the switch back off into reality and not jump the shark. It should be so corny and cheesy but it’s perhaps the moment that we needed to see badly. And although it is a dream, tying it into the Faith Wolper storyline and her continued analysis of Christian being gay is a fantastic situation to watch. Brooke Shields as always is incredible, and having her be somewhat of a Christian stalker is a great little twist. As is the fact that she is working with Burt, and it adds another great layer to the whole Burt/Michelle situation that goes on throughout the season. One of the most shocking scenes in the series history comes with Monica getting hit by the bus, a scene that definitely comes out of nowhere. This is added to by the graphic dinner scene at the end of the episode to the tune of the Rolling Stones. A disturbing ending to a great episode.

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16. Naomi Gaines (2.7)

Naomi Gaines is an episode that once again has amazing acting at the core. A great performance from a Popular alumni in the always engaging Leslie Bibb, The Carver storyline is introduced in an extremely compelling way. The Bobbi Broderick storyline is also wrapped up nicely, bringing a sense of sympathy to the character that the audience no doubt wasn’t expecting to feel. The star of course of this episode is Famke Janssen and Ava. Particularly when it comes to the dinner scene. Having her showdown with Julia was great to watch, as was the creepy Adrian getting some great moments to work with along the way. But by far the most confronting scene comes from Matt finding out that Sean isn’t his real father and going off at Julia for it. The closing moment featuring him seeing Sean, crying and giving him a hug hits you right in the feels, and lays some strong foundations to what is still to come throughout season 2.

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15. Dawn Budge (4.5)

You always get a little bit skeptical when it comes to having Rosie O’Donnell as a guest star but there really is no reason to. The woman is incredible, and the Dawn Budge character is easily one of the best recurring characters the show ever produces. Having her first appearance as a white trash mother striking it rich by winning the lottery is nothing but pure fun mixed with tragedy, and it always works as a fun storyline whenever she comes back after this. The scene involving her and Christian having sex on the rug is laugh out loud funny and by far one of the most hilarious across the six seasons. James too is just fun as well. We’ve mentioned how great Jacqueline Bisset is previously and it comes across in spades this episode, particularly when it comes to the sexual chemistry she has with Christian. It’s another one of those ‘should be creepy but it works’ moments. The big reveal this episode though that she is actually involved in organ harvesting is a great twist, particularly when it comes to eventually tying it in to a season 1 storyline.

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14. Abby Mays (3.11)

There is no better Christian than a scorned Christian and watching him deal with the aftermath of Kimber dumping him at the aisle is incredible. It perhaps contains the most famous scene in the history of the show, with the paper bag moment being incredibly disturbing but on a level where it’s wrong but right for the character. There is probably no way the scene would work today, but somehow it manages to work in a way that makes Christian so vile but so sympathetic at the same time. Rebecca Metz owns the character of Abby Mays, and it’s exciting to think that she will make a brief appearance in season 4 (complete with paper bag). Seeing Christian break down at the end of the episode is hard to watch, but Julian McMahon is so compelling in this episode that it is another example of him (and the rest of the cast) being robbed of a major award. Elsewhere Quentin has now just become an absolute dumping ground for everyone which is a damn shame as there really is nothing wrong with him. Okay there is that slight reveal to come, but we don’t know that yet do we?

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13. Damien Sands (5.6)

This is an episode that is easy to see why it is hated. It’s completely out of the norm, really doesn’t do much to develop the story, introduces random plot points that go nowhere and is probably the silliest of all Nip/Tuck episodes. But that is actually what makes it so damn fun. It makes perfect sense that a reality show could be created around Sean and Christian, and it is another great example of season 5 being able to poke fun at itself and the show in general. There is a level of satire that has to be enjoyed through the Plastic Fantastic scenes, and one could argue that if you were to put on a random episode of Nip/Tuck to watch without any context to the overall storyline and actually enjoy it, this could be it. It really is an episode where you can check your brain at the door and just enjoy it for what it is, and with that in mind it is by far the best episode of season 5 and by far the silliest and fun episode the show ever produced.

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12. Escobar Gallardo (1.13)

One thing Nip/Tuck (mostly) did perfectly was the season finale, and that is why you’ll find four of the six finales in the top 12. The very first season finale wraps up everything from season 1 in a nice little bow, and also introduces enough to make you want to watch on again next season. Escobar is a coin toss with Ava from being the best villain the show produced, and having him caught in the manner he did was great fun to see. Wild World playing over the birth scene is a genius choice, and the big twist seeing the baby revealed to not be white was a great twist. The facial acting alone in the scene sells it home. We also have the tease over Matt’s paternity, which although can be a fairly lazy plot device, it actually is handled so well in the proceeding season that you can’t help but be intrigued about what it will mean moving forward. A great finale to a great season.

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11. Monica Wilder (4.3)

This is an episode that really shouldn’t rate as high as it does but it is done so damn well that you can’t help but love it. Mario Lopez makes his first appearance as Mike, and he relishes the role of basically playing what you could imagine is him in real life. Christian facing body issues is definitely and interesting plot to see happen, but it once again adds another layer to the character that works. What also works incredibly well is the moment Sean sleeps with the new babysitter Monica. It is something that should do nothing more than make you roll your eyes, as once again it seems as though the Julia/Sean relationship is doomed to fail. But what holds it together is the manner in which it happens. A car trip in the rain with no sound except for rain is a great setup, followed by Wonderwall by Oasis becoming another one of those songs that you’ll never hear the same because of this show. Added to this our first Peter Dinklage episode and you get an episode that does far more with the material than it had any right to.

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10. Quentin Costa (3.15)

An epic season finale that needs more credit than it ultimately gets. There was so much to wrap up leading into season 4 and it does it so well. The big reveal of course is Quentin as The Carver, and what is most incredible about the reveal is how everything is tied together so well with what we had seen earlier in the season. The r