"Liz Cruz" is the ninth episode in the fourth season of the FX medical drama Nip/Tuck. It originally aired on October 31, in 2006.
Synopsis[]
Liz's new girlfriend, Poppy, wants her to have cosmetic surgery. James makes Christian and Michelle help her steal another kidney. Sean offers consultation to Marlowe, who wants longer legs.
Plot[]
The show opens with Sean saying "Tell me what you don't like about yourself" to Liz! Liz has a new girlfriend who's physically fit, so she wants to get some liposuction on her stomach, remove her stretch marks, and fix the bags under her eyes. She tells them her girlfriend's name is Poppy and that she too is an anesthesiologist, and Liz has approved of Poppy being the anesthesiologist during her cosmetic surgery. Christian makes snide remarks. Sean tries to talk her out of doing the surgery. Liz stands up and tells Christian to knock off the rude comments and that if they don't do the surgery, she will quit. She tells them that Dr. Mike Hamoui has offered her a great deal to come work for him. Christian and Sean ultimately agree to do her surgery.
Sean and Julia are in Conor's room. Julia is looking at the painting on the wall that Marlo did. Sean comments that he doesn't like it, but Julia says she does. Sean has just finished wrapping up Conor's hand. Marlo comes in to check on Conor. Sean states that he got home early and wants to spend time with Conor, so he tells Marlo to take the night off. Marlo says great and that he'll go to a certain theatre. Julia remarks about loving a certain movie there, to which Sean tells her that she should get out too and go with Marlo and have a good time and that he & Conor will have a boys night. You can see the tension between Julia & Marlo.
Julia & Marlo are standing in line at the movies. Marlo is making comments about the movie and how it affected how he paints now. People around them make occasional glances at him or possibly remarks. Marlo tells Julia that he gets used to it after a time. They get to the window and the teller asks Julia how he can help her. Marlo states from down below that they want two tickets to the movie, to which the teller leans over in surprise and mumbles that he's sorry, to which Marlo says its okay. They get the tickets and go into the movie. While watching the movie, each keeps taking stolen glances at the other until finally they both look at each other and then lean in to kiss. After a few seconds of kissing, Julia pulls away saying she just can't do it and gets up and runs out of the theatre. Marlo catches up with her outside and tells her that he's never felt like this before. Julia says that she feels something for him as well, but that she's married. Marlo tells Julia he'll take her home.
We see James pull up to a gas station and honk her horn. After a second honk, she gets irritated and gets out of the vehicle to pump the gas herself. As she picks up the hose, someone steps up and grabs it from her and then proceeds to spray gasoline on her while another man holds her from behind. Its two Asian men and James speaks to the man that doused her with gasoline in his language begging him for more time to meet her quota. The man is lighting a cigarette and holds the match close to James. James is obviously terrified. The man blows out the match and tells her that she has 24 hours to get him another kidney. A vehicle pulls up and the two men get into it and leave. James, quite shaken, gets into her own vehicle as the phone rings. Without thinking, she picks it up and speaks French into the phone, to which Christian on the other end makes a sultry comment about it. James talks in English asking what he wants. He wants her to provide him with one of her girls to make him forget all about Michelle.
Later, Christian's doorbell rings and Christian yells out that the girl better be worth it since she's two hours late. When he opens the door, it's James herself. She starts basically telling Christian that he needed the best and I guess saying that she's it. She fixes them both drinks and Christian drinks all of his. James gets Christian fired up and he grabs her as James keeps mouthing off, asking if he's going to strike her or hit her hard. He stumbles a bit and lays onto the sofa saying he feels strange and then passes out. James calls Michelle and tells her to come over to Christian's place, that it's an emergency. Michelle shows up and tells James that she cannot take Christian's kidney, because Christian knows James and she would never get away with it. James tells Michelle that she will just take both because she didn't plan on letting him live anyway. Michelle begs her not to. James tells Michelle that she needs to get her another kidney or she'll take Christian's. Michelle leaves.
Marlo has come into McNamara/Troy to see Sean. He tells Sean that he wants to get his legs extended and want to know what the procedure entails. Sean is surprised he would want this surgery after all his objections to Conor's surgery and his feelings on just being yourself and accepting yourself. Marlo tells Sean he wants to do it for a woman he's in love with and that most people will do a lot for love. Sean describes the procedure, to which the viewers get a look at what it would look like if Marlo went through with it, as we are shown what Marlo imagines. But then Marlo imagines being back at that same theatre with Julia and standing taller next to her and the teller giving him respect. He tells Sean that he wants the surgery.
Liz is with Poppy in the break room. Sean enters and Liz introduces Poppy to him. She asks Sean to confirm that Poppy is family now, to which Sean hurriedly assures Liz that yes, of course she is! Poppy informs Sean that she's training/coaching Liz to get into shape to run a marathon and that "recovery" is just an excuse to sit on your lazy ass, and she's not going to let Liz do that. Sean seems rather put off a little by Poppy's comments, but doesn't say anything. Christian comes in at that moment telling Sean he needs to see him. Christian is in a bit of an agitated mood. Liz tries to introduce Poppy to him and Christian makes a snide remark and walks out telling Sean to follow.
Later, alone, he tells Sean about James and Michelle and Michelle's past as an escort. Sean baulks at the idea that their boss is a hooker, but Christian tells him that its past and everyone deserves a second chance and she's trying to start over. As they are talking, Nurse Linda pops in telling Sean that the toxic waste guys are there and Sean tells her its all in the back dumpster and some in another area. At Christian's look, Sean reminds him that the toxic waste disposal guys went on strike and that the stuff has been building up out back and didn't he notice the huge pile of it? Sean runs a blood test on Christian and confirms that he was drugged. Sean tells Christian to go to the cops, but Christian tells him that he's going to try to take care of it by himself first.
Later we see James heading toward her car and as she opens the door, huge amounts of medical toxic waste spills out (sucked out fat, liquid grossness). James completely gags as Christian walks up to her. He talks with her (about stuff that loses me for a sec), but basically telling her that she owes him about $300,000 or something like that and I think he threatened to turn her into the cops. She hurriedly tells him that a man somewhere offered a huge amount of money for a specific one of his girls and that she'll give Christian that girl. (I truly got lost on this whole conversation, so I apologize). Christian agrees to the girl, saying for James to watch it if she doesn't want to see stuff like what’s in her car to be in her apartment next time.
Later, at home, Sean is getting ready to adjust Conor's hand screw while he talks with Julia. He tells Julia what a hypocrite Marlo is and then proceeds to tell her about the surgery he wants to get for a woman he's seeing. Julia makes a remark that it must be that ballet dancer he told her about. Julia gets bothered a little too much and when Sean goes to finish unwrapping Conor's hand to adjust the screw, Julia says she can't watch and needs to get out and go for a walk. After she leaves, the viewers get to watch Sean turn the screw in Conor's hand, as Conor starts to cry.
Marlo is painting in his place and Julia knocks and enters. Marlo is surprised to see her. She tells him not to get the surgery just for her. He tells her that its not just for her. They talk and bond some more, but she reminds him again that she's married. He asks her what would happen if she wasn't married, if she was available to be with him. Julia tells him that if they were able to be together, that she wouldn't change a single thing about him. They can no longer resist each other and start kissing and eventually make love. Afterwards, as they are laying in Marlo's bed, Julia says that she better get back home.
Julia comes home and Sean comments that she had a long walk. Julia says she went down the beach and just watched the waves. Sean states "All by herself?", to which Julia tells Sean that she can't lie to him. She tells him that she was at Marlo's. When he asks why, she says because Marlo's her friend and she needed to talk to someone and to also talk to him about not doing the leg extension. As Julia tells Sean that she's going to get a shower and go to bed, she walks out of the room and Sean's expression seems as though he's just now realizing something.
Liz is having her surgery and Poppy is the anesthesiologist. During the surgery, Poppy keeps making terrible comments about how glad she is she won't have to wake up and roll over at look at Liz's raccoon eyes anymore. And how happy she is that the gross flab is leaving her stomach. Sean & Christian are taken aback. After they are done, Poppy tells them to keep going, to get the flabby skin off her arms. The doctors disagree, saying they'll do it, if thats what Liz wants. Christian gets very angry at Poppy and says he's done with the things LIZ wanted and walks out. Sean finishes up, again telling Poppy that if Liz wants the additional surgeries, then he'll be happy to give them to her then.
Later in the recovery room, Sean comes in to check on Liz. Sean starts to tell her about Poppy's comments, but after seeing how much its going to hurt Liz by watching Liz's reactions, he covers and makes it seem like he was over-reacting and that Poppy is crazy about her, to which Poppy enters about this time. Sean gives some final instructions on recovery and leaves the two alone. Poppy has Liz scoot over on the bed so she can lay beside her and cuddle with her. Poppy makes the comment that as soon as she's healed; they can schedule the other surgeries. Liz has a look as though she is hurt by that or confused by Poppy or simply maybe realizing what Sean was trying to tell her.
Michelle walks into McNamara/Troy and see's the girl that James sent over. Obviously they recognize each other. Michelle immediately goes to Christian to ask what he's doing. She tells him not to trust anything that James offers or gives him. He tells her to back off; that he's going to big time use what god gave him. He goes into the lobby as the woman stands up. They kiss deeply with Michelle watching on, and leave the office together.
Later we see Christian and the woman making out hard core on his sofa.
We see Michelle at home now and the nurse is there with a tray of pills saying how bad Burt was today. She thinks maybe she should stay the night, but Michelle snaps at her that she'll handle it just fine. The nurse leaves. Burt calls out to Michelle. Michelle sets the tray of pills down and heads upstairs. Burt isn't doing well and needs his white pills. Michelle mumbles, "now where are they"....as she glances around. Burt tells her to take off her blouse so he can play with her breasts some. She tells him that its not good for him to get himself worked up. He curses some, but agrees that she's right. He states again he needs his pills and where are they. Michelle says they are downstairs. Burt seems a little nervous now. They talk a bit and Burt makes a remark about if he dies, that it was sweet for a while, wasn't it? At which moment, Michelle says, "Sweet?! It stopped being sweet the day you forced me to make love to another man in front of you. What ever love I had for you died that day. You don’t do that to someone you love; you do that to something you own." She tells Burt, "You knew I loved Christian and all your money and power couldn’t change that.", to which Burt replies, "Well you’re here aren’t you. If it wasn’t the money and power, why’d you stay?". Michelle says, "I stayed, because I pitied you." This gets Burt very angry and when he sees that Michelle isn't going to get his medicine, he snaps that he'll get it himself. He rips off the IVs and tubes on him and tries to stand up out of the bed, but falls to the floor. Michelle makes no effort to help him at all. He starts crawling toward the stairs. He makes it to top of the stairs and collapses as Michelle just casually strolls behind him a bit, watching. Once she sees that he has collapsed, she brings over a medical kit and proceeds to take his kidney.
Back at Christian's, he tells the woman that he has to use the restroom. When he walks out of the room, the escort quickly reaches into a bag and takes out a razor blade that she places in her mouth! And at that moment, her cell phone rings. She looks at it and it says that there's a text message from James. She clicks it and it says "ABORT!". The girl immediately does so, placing the razor blade away right as Christian walks back into the room. She then proceeds to start making out with him again as they fall back onto the sofa together.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Dylan Walsh as Dr. Sean McNamara
- Julian McMahon as Dr. Christian Troy
- John Hensley as Matt McNamara (credit only)
- Roma Maffia as Dr. Liz Cruz
- Kelly Carlson as Kimber Henry (credit only)
- Joely Richardson as Julia McNamara
Guest Starring[]
- Jacqueline Bisset as James LeBeau
- Peter Dinklage as Marlowe Sawyer
- Alanis Morissette as Poppy
- Sanaa Lathan as Michelle Landau
- Kate McGregor-Stewart as Frances
- Jack Yang as Chiyo
- Larry Hagman as Burt Landau
Co-Starring[]
- Olga Fonda as Elena
- Linda Klein as Nurse Linda
- Michael Kopelow as Ticket Taker
- Charles Shen as Hanae
Uncredited[]
- Evelina Pereira as Muse
- Chris Spinelli as Moviegoer
Music[]
Trivia[]
- This episode had the production code 3T5009.
- The episode had 3.27 million U.S. viewers upon release.
Gallery[]
