(S06E02) "Watching them bleed makes me feel less... alone." - Vivian

Despite being depressing as hell, "Enigma" was still a refreshing episode when compared to last week's light-hearted pseudo-documentary take on Sean and Christian's financial troubles. Nip/Tuck doesn't always focus solely on one of the main characters, but when the show does take that angle, it's often quite good. This episode could have just as easily been called "Sean McNamara II." (The first Sean-centric ep was back in season two.)

Enigma's story was fairly predictable - it almost seemed destined from the second Enigma's parents wanted to change him that he'd end up killing them. However, that he actually went through with it leaves a few questions up in the air. For instance, did the removal of his scars and tattoos really create a so-called lightness in him? Or was he still the same dark individual just putting on his parents while he simmered with resentment on the inside? Or could it be possible that Enigma's light side was even more volatile than his dark side?

Enigma's presence really did bring a darkness to the episode though. The exploration of Sean's insomnia was incredibly well done but it's probably a good thing, plot wise, that his pill addiction seems to have stopped here.

Amy Price-Francis was phenomenal as Vivian and seeing Sean go from obsessing over her because of what she does to becoming disgusted by it was also very well set up. After she stabbed Sean (because it was "his turn" to scam the hospital for pills), he found her playing the same hands-down-the-pants game with the next best person for scamming pills besides a doctor - a hospital janitor. The things people do for sleep. Probably should have just called Adam Jasinski.

As for Christian and Kimber, this was an incredibly satisfying episode. How many times has Christian screwed her over? Too many to count and as Liz pointed out to her, some were pretty low. Like the time he traded Kimber for a car. So it was great to see her lead Christian on in their blossoming sex-toy business only to find out that she went with a mold of Dr. Hamoui's penis instead. And speaking of Mike's junk, we finally got another homoerotic scene between him and Christian and it easily trumps the shower scene - the ol' my-penis-is-too-big-it-always-falls-in-the-urinal-when-I-whip-it-out conundrum. I hate when it when that happens!

A few more thoughts on "Enigma" --

• Glad that we finally got some confirmation that Rose McGowan Teddy is the apparently running the same scam as Katee Sackhoff Teddy. She's after the life insurance. Wed 'em and kill 'em. She played it perfectly, though, when Liz walked by and Teddy immediately turned on the water works, claiming she just loves Sean so much.
• Anyone else notice when Teddy looked at Sean's check for the life insurance company? Nice little nod to Alias - it was from Credit Dauphine, Arvin Sloan's front for SD-6.

In the end, light won out over dark. Enigma murdered his parents and turned the gun on himself, but his horrible actions flipped a switch in Liz. She'd fallen to Christian's level by being so cruel during the divorce. So she called it off... that and any potential for a future friendship between the two. Once again, Christian is all alone and it's all his fault.

[Watch clips and full episodes of Nip/Tuck over at SlashControl.]