Magda & Jeff

Season 5, Episode 10, Aired

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EPISODE RATING: Superb
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Sean's role on Hearts & Scalpels is expanded after he takes on an agent. A suspicious Christian questions Gina's motives for moving to Los Angeles and working at McNamara/Troy.
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Fan Episode Reviews (12)

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  • "Another one bites the dust"

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By lostcy, Apr 12, 2010
    In this episode we see that Julia is still sick. She visits the doctor in order to find out what is happening to her. Julia and Christian have worries about HIV so they take some test to show if they are positive or negative.
    Meanwhile, Sean gets a bigger role on Hearts and Scalpels when an agent contacts him. Christian has troubles with Gina when she tries to manipulate him.
    At the end, Julia's and Christian's HIV Test results come out to be negative for both of them. In the very last scene of this episode Gina seduces Christian when he meets her on the top of a building for a dinner but eventually they start having sex. Suddenly, while Gina leans against a glass wall when they are having sex, the glass cracks and she falls down from the building..
    It was a very good episode, i did not see that coming at the end,it was so unexpected. I give it 9.3 .moreless

  • "You wanna dance with the devil?" Aidan Stone to Sean

    9.9
    "Superb"
    By crimsonmiss, Apr 12, 2010
    Excellent episode. Sean is sent further down the darker side of fame by his interactions with both Magda and the talent agent Colleen. Colleen helps catapult him to lead role status on Hearts and Scalpels by conveniently popping up as his agent and being there when Aidan Stone's 'stones' and weakness for barely legals gets him into trouble on the show. Jury still out as to whether Colleen was involved in Eden's taping of her career destroying tryst with Aidan. Magda's advice to (paraphrase) seize the day because "no one's keeping score" prompts Sean to embrace not only his star status, but the implied consent to be an a@#hole that goes along with said status. The truth is Magda's rich and funny, but not particularly likeable. Colleen is an apparently excellent agent, but obviously unbalanced. And hence, we have the makings of a possible Aidan-like downfall in Sean's future.

    Christian struggles with his relationship with Julia and her mystery illness. Julia's insistence that she's sick and his assumption that her illness is somatoform in nature does not make for happy coupledom. He turns to Gina, who's not as well adjusted as she's led him and Sean to believe, and she promptly directs him to more sexcapades as a "release" from the stress inherent in being the caretaker of someone who's ill. Gina soon overtly tries to destroy his relationship with Julia, prompting Christian to get a restraining order against her. Their last encounter with eachother takes place on the roof of a high rise. The roles are reversed from their first sexual encounter in S1. This time, it's Gina who equates love with sex and Christian who rejects her assumption. However, Christian can't resist the urge for one more release and in true N/T fashion she goes out with a bang, i.e., she falls off the side of the building while they're having sex. Her last words- "this is love." Christian did care about Gina in his own way, but it didn't make her words true. While I thought the fall was an accident, others see more ambiguity or outright intent by Christian to finally get rid of Gina. I think we'll find out more next episode. Great show. So many questions raised, and as others have pointed out awesome soundtrack. We even got the eery Exorcist music ("tubular bells") accompanying each scene the characters are confronted by their demons (e.g. when Sean first meets Colleen, and when Magda gives her last bit of advice). Can't wait till next Tuesday.

    Some other highlights:

    Julia trying to figure out what's wrong with her and her heartbroken reaction to the distance between her and Christian.

    Freddy Prune back in all his glory trying to salvage his show after Aidan's indiscretion and demanding strawberry fruit roll-ups(?) from his assistant. Again, Freddy had some of the best lines tonight and his track suits are growing on me.moreless

  • Wow.

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By tjaman, Apr 12, 2010
    The message of M&J seems to be grab life by the balls and squeeze all the joy you can out of it until you can't squeeze no more.

    This is not a new storyline for "Nip/Tuck." The Joel Gideon shark-stalking blowfish-eating storyline, a good portion of the Grubman character arc, all bear out Jeff in his determination to run screaming from "Beelzebubbe" (fun nickname, btw).

    It's often contrasted with characters who are finding quieter, less extreme happiness, usually in a renewed appreciation of themselves or new love, like Megan O'Hara (sort of ... I mean, right up until she killed herself) and Naomi Gaines.

    The message is that the extreme personalities like Bobbie Broderick and Nanette Babcock can't survive. They're too self-destructive.

    So when Jeff determines to cut his losses and take his new face and make a new life, he's a hopeful character. It's his fear that traps him. His fear and his loathing and ultimately his self-loathing. Sure he'd have a bigger allowance and a nice new car, but when would he get to enjoy it?

    It becomes a fool's wager in the end, because he collapses in shock -- mostly because that selfish, horny old goat doesn't stock enough Energizers.

    But wow, what a seduction technique, huh? "I'm not long for this world. Do me!" :roll:

    In reality, she was living her life. She probably was dying when she and Jeff got together 20 years ago. Who knew that bribery and power and control and manipulation and sex on demand were some kind of fountain of youth? For sure it gave her something to wake up to in the morning.

    And we saw the exact same thing all of last season with Burt and Michelle and no one saw anything impossibly wrong with what she was doing (marrying some decrepit old guy 'til death do they part in the not-so-unforeseeable future), so what's sauce for the gander in this case is sauce for the goose.

    What it means for our heroes is when an opportunity presents itself to live life more fully, take it. Sean! Step out from the shadows of that ridiculous hack! Christian! Pursue your dream of dumping Julia because on reflection you're having exactly the same amount of fun with her that Sean always seemed to be having! Sean! Disentangle yourself from the weird needy agent lady and tap that nubile young starlet! You are, after all, a teevee star.

    Side note: Between Sean at the hell party and her scene in Aiden's trailer, Eden seems pretty much reconciled with missionary. I'm intrigued by her placing a camera and how YouTube is just her personal bitca. Generally, tho, I'm just horrified by the decision-making processes in her presence. Are visibility and EPA standards just compromised painfully by the gallons of pheromone hanging in her wake wherever she goes? How can people breathe? :|

    Oh, and finally, Christian! Send that weird, manipulative, disruptive, post-modern-sex-having, plague ho bitca flying! What an exit. Watch that first step, Gina -- it's a doozie.

    And don't worry about a thing. After all ...

    ... nobody's keeping score. :twisted:moreless

  • Gina Russo Written by Hank Chilton Directed by Craig Zisk

    10
    "Perfect"
    By shawnlunn2002, Apr 12, 2010
    Christian: "I'm nothing like you. You're a goddamn Medusa"
    Gina: "What? You're a frigging saint?"

    With the exception of either Liz or Olivia, there is no-one on this show that could to become a saint as such. Virtually everyone on this show is messed up and has done enough destructive things but there are some people who only excel in destruction.

    There's Gina. Her addiction to sex resulted her in believing that Christian was the father of her son until she gave birth and her poor judgement in sexual partners resulted in her contracting AIDS. Last week she re-entered the picture and scored herself a job at McNamara/Troy. However losing said job is least destructive thing to happen to Gina in this episode.

    I knew she was never going to last particularly long, especially given how tempestuous her relationship with Christian is but it was nice of the writers to put Gina in that environment. After only popping up briefly in the previous, it's also great that Gina largely dominates proceedings here too.

    Job wise, Gina is actually quite good at being a secretary. She's polite on the phones, is great for getting free food and in a fun moment she even has Christian complimenting her to Sean. Okay, where is the real Gina because much as I love her, nice is not a word I would to describe our sex fiend.

    In fact I have to admit that watching her behave quite civil to Christian is a weird thing. Gina can barely last five minutes without needing to use the A word and her pleasantness to Christian is too suspect for words. Gina has to be up to something, right?

    I'll go one better and say that I hope Gina is up to something and thank goodness that we don't have to wait ages to figure it out mess with Christian. It seems that what Gina really wants is to help speed up the inevitable break up between Christian and Julia. As to why, I'm not really sure but anyone who helps end this crappy Christian/Julia thing is fine with me.

    Under normal circumstances, I would object to Gina's meddling but instead I'm more content to egg her on. Christian and Julia continue to suck as a couple and while Julian McMahon is a hottie, neither him or Joely Richardson elicits any chemistry to care for them. McMahon and Jessalyn Gilseg on the other hand, more than do this in spades.

    Gina's interfering is interesting even if it does boil down to her wanting Christian all for herself. However because of her AIDS and the fact that Christian hates her guts, physically seducing Christian isn't an option for her. Then again, Gina can be quite the little innovator when she puts her mind to it and she comes with an alternative to nail Christian.

    This alternative would be to hire a woman who looks so much like Gina to screw Christian while she watches in the background. That would be twisted if it wasn't for the main patient's storyline but it does show how desperate Gina is. I knew she had feelings for Christian beyond her hatred for him but she does go to a lot of lengths to get to him.

    The woman is one thing and while Christian is a dolt for doing it (does that guy ever use his brain nowadays), Gina trying to cut in on the action was stopped by Christian. He might not mind banging a woman who looks like Gina but banging Gina herself is a no-no. Christian has become so idiotic this season, that words escape me. Gina's not the kind of girl that takes rejection well and resolves to get even by paying Julia a house call and telling her that Christian is screwing around. The fact that Julia so eagerly believes Gina is only further proof that Julia doesn't trust Christian. In fairness she has every right to feel this way but she's being a hypocrite as well given that she doesn't seem to give a damn how screwing Christian affects both Sean and Olivia too.

    In a twisted I love Gina in this episode. All of her actions may be wrong and rooted in selfish urges but as a viewer the fact that her meddling is widening that divide between Christian and Julia is great. Gina points out that Christian is unable to keep his dick in his pants and Julia made no attempt to challenge Gina on that assessment either.

    Even on the rooftops, when Christian hands Gina a restraining order, Gina is still able to dish out nuggets of wisdom. If Christian is unable to keep it in his pants, then what is Julia's flaw? Gina thinks it's Julia's inability to give herself fully to anyone else and when Christian doesn't bother to challenge, you know that Gina's work is effectively done.

    What's more is her death. Yes, Gina is unfortunately the character that snuffs it and while an angry part of me still wishes that it was Kimber finally being killed off, there are only two real qualms I have with Gina being the dead one here. First off I hate the writers for not giving her a scene with Wilbur (that boy has lost both biological parents) and secondly, couldn't they have waited until four more episodes? It feels like Gina's death is being rushed in some ways.

    That being said I did love the tongue in cheek way that Gina died. Only on this show (and maybe Six Feet Under) would a character plummet to their death while having sex on a rooftop. Christian has screwed people over plenty of times but until now it's never actually resulted in someone dying.

    The thing is, Gina's death was an accident. It didn't look to me that she was trying to do herself in and frame Christian and it certainly didn't look like Christian wanting to kill her. Gina is the least of Christian's problems. It's too bad she had to die but for a character only originally intended for one episode, she certainly lasted a lot longer. Still I will miss the crazy lady. Can Kimber die next?

    Gina left many good things on this planet and while Wilbur is the obvious one, I think the fact that both Christian and Julia are slowly beginning to realise that they'll never work is her best one yet. I mean Julia's virtually on her death bed and Christian couldn't give a ****

    When she goes to get tested and thinks it might be AIDS, she demands that Christian get an AIDS. If I didn't think she had a point with that demand, I would've thought she was being a **** The fact Christian is clean is good but after screwing Gina, he might want to get tested again. Either way, Christian and Julia seriously need to break up. This plot is boring already.

    Thankfully while Christian and Julia as a couple might suck out all the fun in this show, there are some interesting developments for Sean. Ever since joining the very series that reflects how terrible Grey's Anatomy actually is as a show, Sean has gotten a lot of attention.

    Now he's managed to get even more when Aidan is caught having sex with Eden on a tape and says something about the Jewish Mafia. It's enough to get him fired from the Hearts And Scalpels show and even get Sean a regular role. The person we have to thank for this is Colleen.

    Played by Sharon Gless, Colleen is an agent with more than a passing interest in Sean. It doesn't take much to figure out that it was her who made sure that Aidan got caught with his pants down and it was definitely her who got Sean the bigger part. Having someone like Colleen would be great if you know, Hearts And Scalpels wasn't such a dire series.

    It's also because of these actions that not only it appears that Freddy is bad at his job but you're left with the impression that Colleen isn't quite right in the head. At a dinner with Sean, she makes a clumsy pass at him and when he drops her off at her home, she bolts from the place. Even when Sean flirts with an extra, Colleen has a jealous glint in her eye. Looks like Sean has inherited yet another stalker. What the hell did he and Christian do in past lives to have so many nutters follow them around? Plus it doesn't help that Colleen seemed to literally pop out of nowhere. I'm wondering if she's our second villain of the season. If so, will she be any better than Eden?

    The wacky isn't just limited to Colleen. Nope, we've got our main patient Jeff, a 40 something bloke at the mercy of ageing sugar mama Magda. Well we've had younger/older couplings before as patients in Season Four but this pairing really take the biscuit.

    On one hand you've got the overbearing Magda who wants Jeff to fulfil her fantasies with the surgeries. Jeff comparing her hideous wife to the Devil is painfully accurate when he tries to leave her. Some people might have thrown a hissy fit upon being dumped. Magda just ended up screwing Jeff into a vegetable like state. If ever there was a sex scene on this show I didn't need to see, it was definitely that one.

    Also in "Magda And Jeff"

    Patients of the week: Poor Jeff got all the hair implants that made him look like a rent boy from the 1980's.

    Jeff (to Sean/Christian, re Magda): "I sold my soul to the devil and this devil won't die".

    There was a bit of a Queer As Folk/The L Word convention with this episode. We had Robert Gant, Sharon Gless and Marlee Matlan all here.

    Kate: "Dating a black guy now"
    Sean: "Yeah? Good for you".

    Christian: "I'm not HIV positive"
    Julia: "I was fine until I started sleeping with you".

    I love the sly dig the writers had about Isaiah Washington's departure from Grey's Anatomy when Freddy had to fire Aidan.

    Aidan (re Barbara): "I'm sorry, what did she say?"
    Colleen: "That you are an offensive piece of ****

    Jeff: "Not again, Magda"
    Magda: "Yes again, GI Joe".

    Hearts And Scalpels did a parody on Manya Mabika this week. It would be nice if a former patient complained about that show.

    Magda: "I'm not gonna be around forever"
    Jeff: "You promise?"

    Julia: "So what are you suggesting?"
    Gina: "Christian is having an affair. I practically walked in on them. It was degrading".

    Interesting that Gina mentioned the fall of De La Mer. It's actually more sad that Julia and Gina's sort of friendship got decimated here rather than Sean and Aidan's.

    Gina: "Oh Julia what I neglected to tell you is the woman that Christian is having the affair with is me".

    Christian: "I want you to leave. By the way, you're fired"
    Gina: "I expected that".

    There was no sign of Matt, Kimber, Liz or Olivia in this episode. And Gina died in the 69th episode of the series. Another sly sexual reference.

    Gina (re being filed a restraining order): "That's bull**** I didn't do anything"
    Christian: "I took a page from your book, Satan. I lied".

    Christian: "This is the last time we'll see each other"
    Gina: "You love me **** in your own way".

    Standout music: "Tabular Bells" by Book Of Love and "Loving You" by Minnie Ripperton. Also the Halloween type music that played during the Christian/Gina scenes.

    Gina (to Christian as she dies): "This is love. This is love".

    Chronology: About February 2008.

    By far, this is the best episode of the season. "Magda And Jeff" hits all the right buttons and then more. We have a potentially dangerous threat in Colleen, a memorable (if slightly rushed) death for Gina and further hope that Christian and Julia will call it a day. With only four episodes left, let's hope this show is getting back on track.moreless

  • This is lov... HOLY SH1T!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By PabloExobar, Apr 12, 2010
    One of the best episodes of the show, and probably the best one of the season. The episode was just pure suspense from the start to finish. Obviously, it's the ending that bumped it up to a 10, but, heck, the build up was so massive, I'm still shivering.

    The weekly case was hilarious, nothing sort of amazing but definitely a cool comic relief. I sort of liked Magda's character for being such a crazy lady.

    What the heck is Sean's agent up to? I thought she was a cool character at first but now she's just really dodgy. I wonder what will happen next - I can't wait! Sean takes the lead position in the show as Aidan was caught on sex tape with Eden. That was hilarious by the way - "there must be at least 3 hours missing!"

    But of course, it's the CHristian drama that made the episode. That last scene. Holy crap. So did Christian push Gina off the building? Certainly looked like it since he didn't seem shocked seeing Gina fall. What an excellent builld and and conclusion.... damn it. This episode was a true gem, classic Nip/Tuck. I love this season! Surely, there are some occasional mis steps like the previous episode, but pieces like this make me forgive the writers real easy.moreless
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    • Freddie said that if Aidan was black, he could stay until the end of the season. During the third season of Grey's Anatomy, actor Isaiah Washington said one of his gay co-stars was a f*gg*t. It caused a lot of controversy, and the producers wanted to fire him. However, he stayed until the end of the season, due to his contract, and after it ended, he left. The joke is that Freddie (and many fans) feel that they only left him stay due to his race.

    • Gina: Oh, don't be such a Pollyanna, Julia. Pollyanna is a fictional character in the book written by Eleanor H. Porter. She has a sunny personality and a sincere, sympathetic soul with an optimistic attitude.

    • Aiden calls Sean "Judas" when he believes that Sean is responsible for the sex-tape that been recorded of Aiden and Eden. Judas is a name synonymous with betrayal due to the story in the Bible where Judas betrays Jesus but giving a kiss on the cheek, helping the Romans identify Jesus.

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