Nip/Tuck

Rhea Reynolds

Season 3, Episode 4, Aired 10/11/05

Episode Summary

A woman wants surgery to make her look like her when she was younger, to jog her Alzheimer-stricken husband's memory. Christian and Sean work on another Carver victim, who does not have the same physical attributes as the other victims.

9.2

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Cast & Crew

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Dylan Walsh

Dr. Sean McNamara
Julian McMahon

Dr. Christian Troy
John Hensley

Matt McNamara

Fan Episode Reviews (18)

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Invisible

8.5

"Great"

By napen, Oct 29, 2008 Report Abuse

"invisible, I feel like i'm invisible..." quin cantaba eso? Por dios! Hitazo de los inolvidables ochenta que define tan bien este episodio. Esos momentos de la vida en que te das cuenta que simplemente dejaste de existir para la otra persona (querida, por cierto). Cuando te das cuenta que sos absolutamente prescindible en esa vida. Que triste... Qu queda por hacer adems de resignarse? Hacer lo posible por no tirarse por la ventana, por no volar por unos segundos. Aferrarse eternamente a la esperanza? Jams de los jamases, al menos no yo.

Nip/Tuck, Season 3, Episode 4 {Rhea Reynolds}: 8,8. Convertirse en un fantasma.moreless

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Memories Light the Corner of My Mind

9.5

"Superb"

By maxpower03, Feb 08, 2008 Report Abuse

As much as she sucked, Rhea Reynolds certainly got pulled through the ringer toward the end of this episode. Her surgery scene was terrifying (I had to push mute after a while), and the closing moments were even worse, with The Carver back on the scene and more knife-happy than ever. I was a little confused over the anaesthetic though. Did Christian sabotage it on purpose? Or was it just good ol' fashioned karma that got Rhea?

K Callan's subplot was extremely moving. While its principal purpose was to parallel Sean's family breakdown, Callan's heartfelt performance and the excellent characterization make it one of Nip/Tuck's all-time best Nip/Tuck surgery stories. You really want Ellie to re-ignite her husband's memory, and the last moments of their story is so painful to watch, as you truly wish for the best. The closing shot of Ellie sitting next to her husband and his "new girlfriend" is just devastating.

A powerful episode featuring two patients with drastically different stories. This episode effortlessly shows how far Nip/Tuck has come, balancing such a saddening and emotional story with something so violent and screwy.

Director: Greer Shephard
Writer: Jennifer Salt
Rating: Amoreless

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Christian: (to Liz) "Is this open surgery or open mike night at the lesbian coffee shop?"

9.5

"Superb"

By Tim_Bronx, Sep 17, 2006 Report Abuse

This episode was an excellent exploration of the different ways people handle pain.

Rhea Reynolds, tired of being invisible and not being noticed, cuts her own face to simulate a Carver attack. I thought straight off the bat that Rhea was way too cheerful when she was discussing her attack, and the minute she referred to her attack as a "miracle" I knew something was up.

Throwing in a little life lesson about "crying wolf", Rhea, in a cruel karmic way, learns what real pain feels like when the anesthesia doesn't kick in during her operation and she is able to feel the doctor's every slice, nip and tuck (pun intended). Rhea's unfortunate surgery was efficiently appalling, and also provided a nice parallel to Christian's powerless feeling during his Carver attack (the single tear sliding down her cheek was also a nice callback to his attack).

I found Matt putting a restraining order against Sean ridiculous, and I couldn't believe when Julia said she wasn't surprised that Matt did it (although she did later redeem herself when she defended Sean to "Frik and Frak".) At least Matt finally rescinded the order in the end, but it still must have been very hard for Sean to hear Matt say that he only did it for Julia, and that he and Sean "are through". Matt is hurting Sean a lot, even pushing him to the point of self mutilation, and Matt doesn't seem to care (Matt: "You're very sad"). I understand Matt's pain, but that doesn't take away from how much I dislike him this season.

K. Callan as Ellie gave a wonderful, sympathetic and touching performance as a woman loosing her husband to Alzheimer. As someone who has had a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer, it was particularly emotional for me watching Ellie go through it also. It's a nice treat when the doctor's actually get a patient who's face lift is motivated by more then just self image problems.

Final Notes and Quotes

- As if Rhea hadn't already paid enough for her lie, the episode ended with the Carver, deciding to teach Rhea a lesson of his own, attacking her.

- I have to wonder, why would Julia tell Matt about when Sean choked her?

- The Child Protective Services agents infuriated me. They didn't even try and listen to Sean; it was as if they wanted to find something wrong.

- Outstanding Performance of the Week: The whole cast was excellent this week (like always), but I have to hand it to Dylan Walsh.

- The Carver: (to Rhea) "I'm going to give you what you've been wanting all along. Real pain."

Final Rating: Excellent. 4 out of 4 stars.

- Tim Bronx
Find this and many other reviews at: www.motionpicturereviews.commoreless

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possibly one of three best episodes of the series;musically especially.

9.6

"Superb"

By fallenepitaph, Jul 27, 2006 Report Abuse

Woaaa! Everything about this one was great.The scenes were great,the script was great. music was absolutely the best.
Classic 70s track \"those were the days\"perfectly summed up the desire of the old woman to be like she used to be so her husband can remember him.The episode hits our emotional state with revealing the new lover of the guy;telling us that nothing stays the same even if you can pay surgents thausands of dolars to make your face so,so we have to do what is right and live...

And the awake-surgery scene!the track was \"a cry for love\" from black heart procession.perfect choice!PERFECT!lyrics, even the name of the track totally totally defines what is going on on that table,emotionally,physically.and that tear drop coming from her eyes!!aaaargh the hardest scene on nip tuck ever.

the first surgery with the song from that juliet chick,i dont know the name.And closing with sia\'s \"numb\" everything on this episode was very special.The ending was expected but still shocking.

Really,one of the greatest nip tuck episodes ever.it has so much to think on.Too much...

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Real Pain

10

"Perfect"

By queerlybeloved, Apr 10, 2006 Report Abuse

Moving on to 'Rhea Reynolds', the strongest and best episode of the series, in my opinion. A strong guest cast in a well-written and tightly directed episode (another great script by credited writer Jennifer Salt, adeptly directed by executive producer Greer Shephard) with the overarching theme of pain and how we deal with it, it is heartbreaking, chilling and shocking in equal measures. The episode starts with Sean in a consultation with a woman called Ellie Harkness, who seeks plastic surgery to help jog her Alzheimer's-stricken husband's memory, as he claims to no longer recognise her. He initially refuses but, after seeing Ellie with her husband, agrees (A wonderful use of music- the melancholic 'Those Were The Days'- is used for Ellie's surgery). But after all that... Ellie's husband still doesn't recognise her and introduces her to his girlfriend. This is the heartbreaking strand to the episode, along with Sean's continued run of bad luck. After getting served with a restraining order from Matt, he is unable to see him or talk to him. Things get worse when two well-meaning but utterly inept social workers turn up and interview Annie to see if she is at risk. After finding Annie's football injuries, and Sean attempting to protect his daughter from the social worker's examination, it is ruled he cannot be left alone with her until the restraining order is rescinded, which Matt does at the end of the episode but makes it clear it was done for Julia, not Sean. Annie's final line to Sean choked me completely, and I'm not one for sentimentality. Luckily, this episode marks the final appearance of Matt for the next three episodes (he resurfaces in 'Tommy Bolton') as his anti-social pouting was really pissing me off.

The opening surgery is on a woman who self-mutilates, and the surgery staff discuss the notion of cutting yourself. Liz gives a wonderful and concise explanation as to why some people do it (as a former cutter myself, I could completely empathise with this). And we see Sean reverting to it at the end of the episode; a moving scene which wasn't referenced again in the series (maybe that once was all it took?). But this theme is kept up in the main thrust of the story; the titular character comes to the surgery as the next victim of the Carver. Her positive look on the tragedy sharply contrasts with Christian's own pain. But here's the twist - Rhea Reynolds is not a true victim. She mutilated herself for attention. Christian suspects as much as she's preparing for surgery but the others do not agree. They perform the facial surgery upon the cuts but there's just one thing; Rhea's anaesthetic hasn't kicked in. She is paralysed but conscious and can feel every slice of the scalpel. This is the chilling part of the episode; during the surgery, Rhea gives an internal monologue about the pain and is screaming inside her own head, but cannot make a sound. There's a particularly nice cross-reference to Christian's attack; a single tear slides from her eye. Afterwards, she tries suing the company but lets it slip that she cut herself as she couldn't cope with feeling invisible. But the episode ends with one hell of a shock: as she is at home recovering from the surgery, Rhea gets a visit from the real Carver who promises her the real pain she's always wanted! She sinks to the floor, the Carver raises the knife... snap to black.

This episode seriously has a lot to recommend it. Some great performances from the regular cast, Roma Maffia especially (Liz is my favourite character anyway) and Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon too. Tara Buck is incredibly strong as the deluded victim Rhea, veering from joy to pain- the look on her face when she finds out Christian is a real Carver victim is brilliant. K Callan's performance as Ellie Harkness is one of the best guest performances I've seen on the show; tender, caring and desperate to make amends for 'deserting' her husband before his illness. If anyone asks me why I like Nip/Tuck so much, I point them towards this episode; it is a prime example of the brilliantness of this show in its full glory.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Rhea Reynolds claims that she can feel the pain but can't move during the surgery. Under such pain, she will surely sweat a lot and her heart will beat very fast, even unconsciously. All these symptoms should not have been neglected by the doctors. Edit
- Music: "Ride the Pain" by Juliet (First surgery) "Those Were the Days" by Susan Lainey (Ellie's pre-surgery facial mapping and played during her surgery with Sean) "A Cry For Love" by The Black Heart Procession (Surgery on Rhea Reynolds after her "Carver attack") "Numb" by Sia (Sean cuts himself / Liz puts Christian under / Rhea Reynolds is attacked by the Carver) Edit
Notes
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- International Air Dates: Czech Republic: August 27, 2008 on TV Nova Edit
- This episode was nominated for the 2006 WGA TV Award for Best Episodic Drama. Edit
- Although listed in the opening credits, Kelly Carlson does not appear in this episode. Edit
Quotes
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- Quentin: How did the apology go? Christian: She's lying, she made the whole thing up. Rhea Reynolds is not a victim of the Carver. Quentin: What are you suggesting, her cat did it? Edit
- Sean: Matt, we've got to talk. We're family, we don't treat each other like criminals. Matt: Well, you should have thought about that before you acted like one, or didn't you know it was against the law to beat your children. Edit
- The Carver: (to Rhea, at the end of the episode) You've made a mess, Rhea. It's alright. Sh.... Don't worry, cos I'm going to give you what you've been wanting all along. Real pain. (raises knife) Edit
Allusions
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