Nip/Tuck: Escobar Gallardo (1.13)

A near-perfect season finale, which brings together all the tension and craziness of the previous episodes and produces a great final hour. It also creates a lot of storyline opportunity for season two, including most importantly the issue of Matt's paternity, which Julia is still keeping quiet about before the credits roll.

Nip/Tuck: Antonia Ramos (1.12)

I'm not ashamed to say it, but Escobar Gallardo scares the crap out of me. As I was watching this episode, I was wondering to myself if Robert LaSardo is a nice person in real life, or if he's actually evil. He's probably a really great family man or something though, but, man, he's one hell of a convincing actor.

Nip/Tuck: Montana/Sassy/Justice (1.11)

So Gina's pregnant, and Christian has to face up to taking responsibility of somebody other than himself. It was great to have Jessalyn Gilsig back, who can get laughs from just one reading of the world "asshole". I found it a little ridiculous though that Gina was accusing Christian of being a bad parent. Considering she's a raging former sexaholic, she's hardly one to talk!

Nip/Tuck: Adelle Coffin (1.10)

I've never lost anybody close to me to cancer, and hopefully never will. So I went into this episode not exactly knowing what to expect. One thing I was expecting was sadness, and unsurprisingly we got a lot of that. This episode sees death hit the show like a ton of bricks, and it's unrelentingly devastating.

Nip/Tuck: Sofia Lopez II (1.9)

Sofia Lopez made such an impression in her first appearance, so it's no surprise they wrote her back into the show. I loved seeing her growing relationship with Liz, even though it was sad too in equal measure. Both of them were in completely wrong places in their lives, so you knew things couldn't work out. Liz is a gay woman, while Sofia wants to be a straight woman. And if Sofia didn't have her gender surgery, Liz would still see her as a man in the sexual sense of the word.

Nip/Tuck: Cara Fitzgerald (1.8)

Most of the time, Nip/Tuck is seen as a trashy guilty pleasure, full of sex and violence, with nothing else besides that. Being perfectly honest, that is kinda true... especially of the later seasons. But Nip/Tuck also features dark, haunting and character-driven episodes like this: the complete antithesis of what the show would eventually grow to be known for.

Nip/Tuck: Cliff Mantegna (1.7)

I found Kimber really depressing in this episode. She's clearly a damaged woman, who is madly in love with Christian, and willing to fulfill all his desires in order to make him love her like she loves him. Unfortunately, she's realizing this is impossible. The scene where she begins making out with the girl at the party made for uncomfortable viewing, seeing as she really didn't want to do it, but ended up doing so only to try and please Christian. She's a really sad character.

Nip/Tuck: Megan O'Hara (1.6)

Kimber has always been my favorite Nip/Tuck character, and this episode is the first to give her a lot of material. It also gives her a lot more depth than she had previously been given, as well as a chance for Kelly Carlson to show what a talented actress she is.

Nip/Tuck: Kurt Dempsey (1.5)

Another spanner is thrown into the works when it comes to Sean and Julia's relationship, as an unexpected pregnancy disrupts their lives and they both end up feeling emotions which they never expected they'd feel. In Sean's case, he's surprisingly excited about the possibility of another child, and wants to go through with it. I found it interesting that he originally wanted Julia to have an abortion when she fell pregnant with Matt, whereas now he doesn't. Maybe he's subconsciously nervous over Julia becoming a success, and hopes that a baby would make that impossible?

Nip/Tuck: Sofia Lopez (1.4)

Like Nanette Babcock last episode, Sofia Lopez was another moving, memorable patient of the week. Played to perfection by Jonathan Del Arco, Sofia was one classic example of a transsexual and the struggles they go through in almost every aspect of their lives. Something as simple and routine to many people as a hospital visit is turned into a nightmare, with transphobic doctors willing to let somebody bleed to death because they don't want to get near them.

Nip/Tuck: Nanette Babcock (1.3)

This episode was all about how plastic surgery can't cover up your inner feelings, with both Mrs Grubman and Nanette being damaged inside, and liposuction and tummy tucks being unable to heal all their internal issues. It's also the first real masterpiece Nip/Tuck has produced so far.

Nip/Tuck: Mandi/Randi (1.2)

A great second episode which maintains the humor and visual style of the pilot, but with all the minor improvements which make the show even stronger. From the debut of the series' trademark opening credits (reflecting the coldness and clinical feel of the world of plastic) to the already familiar whip-smart dialogue, Mandi/Randi further pushes the envelope for basic cable.

Nip/Tuck: Pilot (1.1)

I never expect much from pilot episodes. While they always give a vague impression of what the show is like, they're generally average, with the writers and actors still working out the show, and trying to see what works and what doesn't. Nip/Tuck's pilot isn't like that. At all.