Nip/Tuck: Chaz Darling (5.5)

Matt and Kimber's descent into meth-ravaged junkiedom was played pretty well here. Both characters are easily manipulated, and both have exhibited major dependency issues in the past. So it's unsurprising they've gotten addicted to drugs. Kelly Carlson had a great monologue this episode in which she poured her heart out to her old porn boss, telling him how she's spent her entire life seeking some kind of meaning, and how she's always ended up falling into bad situations. Christian, cocaine, The Carver, Scientology, now meth. Like Christian this season, she's also prostituting herself, but for very different reasons. While Christian does it for validation, she's doing it for drug money. It's pretty depressing.

They both look gross, live in a crumbling motel room somewhere, and have seemingly abandoned their daughter. John Schneider was surprisingly good as Ram Peters, Kimber's former manager, who did exhibit a compassionate side when it came to his one-time best client. Matt's brief exploration into the porn industry was again depressing. These two are such train-wrecks.

I'm assuming Chaz was introduced to 'humanize' trash beast Eden, but the idea that she's such a reprehensible monster because of the naughty influence of her gay best friend is pretty obnoxious. The entire subplot continues to be ridiculous. I liked Christian's ability to see right through her schemes and get her framed for drug addiction, but the rest of the story was too dumb to take seriously. I especially loved that moment where Eden played the secret recording of her mom having sex, Olivia asking a post-climax Julia if she's "better than Christian". Gah! Who writes this show? This storyline is like a bad porno.

Sean's break-up with Kate reminded me of Christian's similarly brutal break-up with blind Natasha Charles in season two. He's literally becoming just like him this season. The cruelty, the selfishness. But, unlike Christian, he's actually stupid. At least Christian acknowledges his flaws, Sean simply denies them. The Mandingo party was gross (the old white guys looking on as their wives were boned by black hunks was just plain icky), but it was unsurprising that Sean didn't allow Kate to indulge in her fantasy. He's a coward and a flake, through and through. I guess the whole 'naughty school girl' fantasy is a better known (and therefore more accepted) fetish, but it was still annoying of him. Poor Kate, though. Like she doesn't feel shitty enough already?

Chaz Darling continues the season's rapid swinging from lofty heights of greatness to sub-porno ridiculousness. Great acting all round (safe for AnnaLynne McCord, naturally), but too much silliness to make it a truly great episode. C+

Credits
Guest stars Portia de Rossi (Olivia Lord); Paula Marshall (Kate Tinsley); AnnaLynne McCord (Eden Lord); Jai Rodriguez (Chaz Darling); Boris Kodjoe (Elton Forrest); Lisa Arturo (Busty Peters); Joel Bissonnette (Rob); John Schneider (Ram Peters)
Writer Sean Jablonski Director Sean Jablonski