Carving up a third season

When season two of "Nip/Tuck" came to a close, the mysterious murderer "The Carver" had just paralyzed Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and taken a fine slash to his handsome features. Commence season three. Who could the Carver be? Who has the sick and twisted mentality to run around Miami slashing open the faces of all the beautiful people while leaving a simple note stating, "Beauty is a curse upon the world?" \nSeason three dances around this question for 15 episodes but thankfully isn't dominated by it. Instead, Dr. Troy and his partner Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) take on some of their most extreme surgeries, those ranging from a 650-pound woman fused with her sofa to a gorilla named Kiki (referencing real-life ape phenomenon Koko) just to name a few. And while the clientele offers some exciting new cases, new faces show up as well, including Dr. Quentin Costa (Bruno Campos), the newest addition to the McNamara/Troy surgical team; Kit McGraw (Rhona Mitra), the detective assigned to the Carver case; and Nicole Morretti (Anne Heche), a woman in the witness protection program who Dr. McNamara falls for after altering her face. \nSeason two was a bit of a mess. At times the plot was all over the place, elements were sleazier than normal and I was beginning to care less for some of the major players. Thanks to season three, all of those problems were resolved, although I wish there were a few more episodes to tie up some open-ended plot devices. Perhaps the greatest award that comes with watching this season is the full transformation of Dr. Troy, who aims to end his playboy lifestyle if his porn star girlfriend Kimber (Kelly Carlson) will just marry him already. \nFans of "Nip/Tuck" know when they buy the DVDs they shouldn't expect much in the extras department. The usual "Cutting Room Floor" deleted scenes are available and as fatty as the cellulite that women want sucked out of their thighs. While deleted scenes sometimes make for interesting observation with movies, when it comes to TV it is quite obvious why they were cut. \nTwo tiny featurettes cover the psychology of the Carver and the excessive style that runs rampant in "N/T." While the show can sometimes become a bit too soapy, all it need rely on is the sheer style and modernism of its set pieces. That and, of course, its oh-so-provocative subject matter. \nWith season four starting up this past Tuesday and creator Ryan Murphy getting his big-screen writing/directing debut with "Running with Scissors" this fall, I'm sure all fans can applaud the success this series continues to maintain.