Facing the Demon on Nip/Tuck: Homophobia Can Be Fun

When Christian Troy is confronted by his psychotherapist that he may very well be in love with his plastic surgeon partner, Sean, she unleashed all the dormant same sex demons that lay in the deep recesses of the ID, that wonderful psycho/hypothetical construct either invented or discovered by psychonanalytical pioneers.

If Nip/Tuck holds true to the form initiated by the first two episodes in the current fourth season, viewers are in for an interesting ride through the funhouse in the recesses of Christian Troy's libido.

(It is hoped that the excesses of the third season will remain in the past. There is a way for a television series to have an edge without throwing it over the edge.)

The writing so far has been creative as well as maintaining that edge and the element of surprise essential to a show of this nature. The biggest issue of the last episode was the older gentleman's proclaiming that sexuality can be changed. Richard Chamberlain was appropriately fey in his interpretation which was Christian's invitation to bring the gentleman's young kept lover back into the fold of heterosexual lap dances -- a scenario Dr Troy himself lapped up as his young friend was getting serviced in eyesight.

Those demons were not to be denied their day in the sun. When the young man amply played by the hitherto unappreciated Thad Luckinbill shows up at Christian's apartment after being abandoned by his benefactor he is literally rebuffed by Dr Troy in a most un-christian manner and needless to say with a thoroughly politically incorrect attitude. Some gay men may find it offensive that this was depicted on screen, but it is obviously part of a journey that the fetching doctor is on.

He is facing the demons that were reawakened in therapy. There are good demons and bad demons depending on the perspective. The advent of Mario Lopez in a future episode may very well bring a little devil to life and dispel those destructive demons.


There are a number of subplots that may support this psychosexual journey in more than one of his ramifications ranging from a closeted lesbian investor to scientolgy and the value of therapy.

The catch phrase of Nip/Tuck is "Tell me what you don't like about yourself." Its plots revolve around -- needless to say -- what people want to change. As it happened the gauntlet was thrown down to Christian when he was confronted by his own sexuality in the form of the young man whose older lover wanted him to be transformed figuratively and literally into another version of himself.



So far so good, Nip/Tuck -- the only way to exorcise the demon is to face it. Bring it on.