Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon return as the elite plastic surgery team of McNamara/Troy, whose skill at giving others perfect bodies contrasts with the doctors' imperfect personal lives. From love (Christian Troy falls for a self-assured blind woman) to lust (Sean McNamara dates a porn star), from painful revelations (a secret from the past shatters the practice) to powerful moments (conjoined adults seek the doctors' help) to astonishing truths (a New Age "life coach" hides what ultimately can't be hidden), this second-season operation is a total success. Thank you, doctors!

CRITIQUE

It took me only four days to get through all 13 episodes of the first season on DVD, yet the second season’s 16 episodes took two weeks to complete. There are a few reasons, one of which is that I was busy watching other stuff. As far as the show is concerned this season, the emotional impacts felt in the first season did not resonate as much the second time around, perhaps because the characters and stories moved in different directions. Several episodes contain very solid drama and stories, such as the conjoined twins episode (Rose & Raven Rosenberg) in which the doctors participate in a highly complex and dangerous procedure while also dealing with friendship and partnership issues.

The writing this season is good, but not as appealing as that in the first season. Some of the plots this season are interesting, such as the continuation of Christian’s baby and the implications that follow, and that Sean’s wife (Natasha Richardson) tested her son Matt (John Hensley) to find out who the real father is (when the news breaks the family goes through a dramatic time). The subplot concerning Matt having a sexual relationship with his life coach (played by Famke Janssen) is not as interesting as it sounds and plays out, though the season finale offers a crazy twist. A better subplot involves The Carver, a masked serial slasher who cuts up people's faces, which the doctors offer to repair for free, though there are repercussions, especially at the end. The subplots dealing with Sean and Christian are the most interesting, of course, since they are the driving force of the show, and both actors deliver very fine performances.

Perhaps the reason I feel the second season is not as appealing as the first one is that I didn’t invest myself in it as much, or I was distracted by another show (in this case The O.C.’s second season which isn't all that great either). In the end, though, Nip/Tuck remains a solid drama that at times is very addicting to watch; however I can’t say I’m as wild about it as other reviewers - basically I cared more for it in the first season. This sort of thing can happen, and I blame myself for that and not necessarily the show runners. Despite any reservations, I'm very much looking forward to what happens next after the season finale ended with a shocking scene.

THE VIDEO

Warner Bros. presents Nip/Tuck in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Despite looking good in widescreen (like any show would), the show's video quality on DVD is lacking. First, there's quite a lot of grain in the episodes. Perhaps the production uses natural light or it's because of something else. Image quality is not all that great as there are a few noticeable flaws, such as aliasing; no idea why such a new show would look like it does on DVD. On the other hand, colors are vibrant and well-saturated. Definition looks fine. For a show that's very recent I would've expected the video to look better than it does. Optional subtitles include English, Spanish and French.

THE AUDIO

Warner Bros. presents Nip/Tuck in English 2.0 Dolby Surround. This is a perfectly good presentation. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand, the sound effects are nicely emitted from across both front channels, and the music/score makes its way into the soundfield from time to time. No real complaints here, the 2.0 track serves its purpose just fine.

THE EXTRAS

Cutting Room Floor: Deleted Scenes presents some 40 minutes of deleted material from 10 episodes. These scenes are available on the individual discs corresponding to the select episodes. Many of these scenes provide more background info on the various stories and lives of the main characters, and in some scenes we see (more of) what happens to some of the doctor’s patients after their procedures.

Recurring Pain - Three Women and Their Man is an almost 9-minute featurette about Dr. Troy and the women who love him. Features interviews with producers and the actresses who vie for Christian Troy’s love. This extra is not very exciting, but mainly average filler material.

A commentary or two would’ve supplemented this DVD set quite well, plus an actual making-of featurette is sorely missing here.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I am recommending Nip/Tuck to fans of the show, while casual viewers should start at the beginning and make up their mind about Season 2 after that. The extras are lacking for this set, which disappoints, plus there’s no reason this set needed six discs. Five discs are perfectly acceptable, and you don’t need a sixth disc that only holds one 55-minute extended episode, a 9-minute featurette and a 2-minute deleted scene. In the end, considering the show as a whole, scheduling an appointment with the doctors could turn out to be a very good source of entertainment.