In the sixth season premiere, plastic surgeon Dr. Christian Troy (the immaculately eyebrowed Julian McMahon) has escaped a breast cancer death sentence - and has become more profoundly superficial and acquisitive than before. He tells his new wife (Roma Maffia) he wants a divorce, and channels whatever affection he's capable of into his luxury boat.

As always, "Nip/Tuck" is inventive and unpredictable. (Guest star Wayne Knight - didn't see that one coming.) Rose McGowan takes over from Katee Sackhoff as Sean's (Dylan Walsh) calculating love interest, and she's a freakishly perfect fit.

The boys are struggling with the downtown in the economy - it's cheaper to get a Wonder Bra than a breast lift, after all. So they try to generate more business by collaborating with a hot specialist (the exquisitely chiseled Mario Lopez).

My main complaint is that "Nip/Tuck" is so relentlessly . . . ugly. I don't require my shows to have a moral, but it would be nice to have one character you don't loathe. As of now, I'm rooting for porn queen Kimber (Kelly Carlson) -- and that's a sad state of affairs.