Nip/Tuck season 3

Nip/Tuck
Season 3
DVD cover
No. of episodes	15
Release
Original network	FX
Original release	September 20 (2005-09-20) – December 20, 2005 (2005-12-20)
Season chronology

The third season of Nip/Tuck premiered on September 20, 2005 and concluded on December 20, 2005. It consisted of 15 episodes.

Cast and characters

Main cast

• Dylan Walsh as Dr. Sean McNamara
• Julian McMahon as Dr. Christian Troy
• John Hensley as Matt McNamara
• Roma Maffia as Liz Cruz
• Bruno Campos as Dr. Quentin Costa
• Kelly Carlson as Kimber Henry
• Jessalyn Gilsig as Gina Russo
• Joely Richardson as Julia McNamara

Special guest stars

• Vanessa Redgrave as Dr. Erica Noughton
• Famke Janssen as Ava Moore
• Joan Rivers as herself
• Anne Heche as Nicole Morretti
• Brittany Snow as Ariel Alderman
• Rhona Mitra as Kit McGraw

Recurring cast

• Conor O'Farrell as Det. Fischman
• Phillip Rhys as Jude Sawyer
• Kelsey Lynn Batelaan as Annie McNamara
• Willam Belli as Cherry Peck
• Kathy Baker as Gail Pollack
• Mary Page Keller as Andrea Hall
• Tanner Richie as Austin Morretti
• Bob Gunton as Agent Sagamore
• Brian Kerwin as Eugene Alderman
• Colleen Flynn as Dr. Allamby

Episodes

See also: List of Nip/Tuck episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Patient Portrayer	Original air date	Prod. code
30	1	"Momma Boone"	Elodie Keene	Ryan Murphy	Kathy Lamkin	September 20, 2005 (2005-09-20)	2T5951
31	2	"Kiki"	Elodie Keene	Lyn Greene & Richard Levine	Kiki (gorilla)	September 27, 2005 (2005-09-27)	2T5952
32	3	"Derek, Alex, and Gary"	Craig Zisk	Brad Falchuk	Adam Henderson, Aaron Moody and Graham Miller	October 4, 2005 (2005-10-04)	2T5953
33	4	"Rhea Reynolds"	Greer Shephard	Jennifer Salt	Tara Buck	October 11, 2005 (2005-10-11)	2T5954
34	5	"Granville Trapp"	Jeremy Podeswa	Sean Jablonski	Erik Passoja	October 18, 2005 (2005-10-18)	2T5955
35	6	"Frankenlaura"	Michael M. Robin	Hank Chilton	Valentin Siroon	October 25, 2005 (2005-10-25)	2T5956
36	7	"Ben White"	Jeremy Podeswa	Lyn Greene & Richard Levine	John Billingsley	November 1, 2005 (2005-11-01)	2T5957
37	8	"Tommy Bolton"	Guy Ferland	Brad Falchuk	Blair Williamson	November 8, 2005 (2005-11-08)	2T5958
38	9	"Hannah Tedesco"	Michael M. Robin	Sean Jablonski	Uncredited	November 15, 2005 (2005-11-15)	2T5959
39	10	"Madison Berg"	Greg Yaitanes	Jennifer Salt	Hallee Hirsh	November 22, 2005 (2005-11-22)	2T5960
40	11	"Abby Mays"	Michael M. Robin	Hank Chilton	Rebecca Metz	November 29, 2005 (2005-11-29)	2T5961
41	12	"Sal Perri"	David Nutter	Lyn Greene & Richard Levine	Louis Mustillo	December 6, 2005 (2005-12-06)	2T5962
42	13	"Joy Kringle"	Greer Shephard	Sean Jablonski & Jennifer Salt	Elizabeth Ruscio	December 13, 2005 (2005-12-13)	2T5963
43	14	"Cherry Peck"	Craig Zisk	Brad Falchuk & Hank Chilton	Willam Belli	December 20, 2005 (2005-12-20)	2T5964
44	15	"Quentin Costa"	Ryan Murphy	Ryan Murphy	Bruno Campos	December 20, 2005 (2005-12-20)	2T5965

U.S television ratings

Season premiere			Season finale			Viewers Total (in millions)	Viewers Age 18–49 (in millions)
Date	Viewers Total (in millions)	Viewers 18–49 (in millions)	Date	Viewers Total (in millions)	Viewers 18–49 (in millions)
September 20, 2005	5.3	3.7	December 20, 2005	5.7	3.9	3.9	2.7

The third season aired Nip/Tuck in the fall of 2005, as oppose to the summer season, like the previous two years seasons. John Landgraf, president of FX, stated that such a move was a "huge risk", since it stacked up "against the full barrage of fall network competition". The second season premiere rating was eclipsed on September 20, 2005, when the third-season premiere, entitled "Momma Boone", drew roughly 5.3 million viewers. Three months later. on December 20, 2005, the third-season finale, entitled "Cherry Peck / Quentin Costa", drew 5.7 million viewers. Of those 5.7 million viewers, 3.9 million were in the 18–49 age group demographic, "making the finale the number-one episode among the key advertising demographic of any cable series in 2005. It's also the largest demographic number for any single telecast in the network's history," according to Zap2It. Despite some criticism, the story arc involving The Carver attracted even more of an audience to the series than any of the seasons before, reaching its climax in a December 20, 2005, 2-hour season finale, entitled "Cherry Peck / Quentin Costa", which became the most-watched scripted program in the history of the FX network.

Reception

The third season received positive reviews from critics, holding an 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Brian Lowry wrote for Variety Magazine “The not-so-subtle genius of this show is its ability to have it both ways - to skewer our culture's obsession with youth and beauty while simultaneously reveling in it.” Melanie McFarland wrote for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer “Beneath this skin is one-of-a-kind daring television that explores the complexities of human relationships with an unparalleled intelligence, sensitivity, appropriate level of fun and, when it is warranted, menace.” Some criticism was aimed at the casting, with Joe Reid of The Atlantic quoting “Some unfortunate casting decisions placed a good deal of the plot's weight on the shoulders of people like Rhona Mitra and Bruno Campos, which was... a mistake,” whilst others were critical of the season’s storylines and character development.