Celebrity Joan Rivers, famous for having undergone many cosmetic surgeries, consults with the doctors. However, what Joan requests astonishes even Sean and Christian. Meanwhile, Sean, Christian and Julia learn the shocking truth about Ava.

Sean has been operating pro bono on victims of The Carver, a serial rapist who chooses good-looking people and carves their faces as a message to society. After repairing the face of the latest victim, Sean attracts the attention of a newswoman.

Sean and Christian reluctantly accept the case of Trudy Nye, who wants her nose fixed. Years ago, her abusive husband broke it--on the same day he killed their young son in anger. Now he is getting out of prison early.

When a poor Latina woman arrives in Sean and Christian's office with horrible blisters on her forehead, the doctors learn that their old associate, Merrill Bobolit, is performing cheap, illegal cosmetic surgery on poverty-stricken people.

After taking too many painkillers and drinking alcohol, Julia has fallen through a glass door, severely damaging her face. At first, Sean refuses to operate on her, still bitter that she recently went to a rival plastic surgeon and got breast implants.

While the doctors work with an expert ocularist to create and implant artificial eyes for a beautiful blind woman, Natasha Charles, Christian finds himself drawn to Natasha's direct and disarming sensuality.

Having tenuously reconciled and agreed to continue their partnership, Sean and Christian consult with an exuberant newspaper journalist, Ike Connors, who wants breast implants for himself.

Sean's life is in ruins after learning that Christian is Matt's biological father due to a premarital tryst with Julia. He ejects Julia from their house and demands the dissolution of his partnership with Christian.

When a homeless prostitute arrives at McNamara/Troy, the doctors fear she wants pro bono surgery for scars on her wrists. But she tells them she is being deified because her injuries resemble the stigmata, the wounds Jesus Christ suffered on the cross.

Disgruntled former McNamara/Troy patient Bobbi Broderick stalks the doctors, threatens to sue them, drives away customers and tries to persuade an investigative reporter to do an expos on what she perceives as their malpractice.

While Julia enjoys socializing with "life coach" Ava Moore, Matt also makes progress working through his feelings with the alluring Ava--especially when she removes her blouse as part of a trust exercise.

While driving home, Sean is broadsided by another car and rushed to the hospital. He was saved from major injury by his vehicle's safety devices, but his view of life has changed. Inspired by a patient, Sean plans a shark-diving trip with Matt.

Sean and Julia are shocked to discover that 8-year-old Annie is entering puberty already. While struggling with their own issues regarding aging, they try to help their daughter understand what's happening to her.

Christian and Sean agree to rehabilitate a stalwart, optimistic Somali woman, Manya Mabika, who was genitally mutilated as a girl in her home country.

Sean suffers uncontrollable spasms in his hands. After he nicks a patient's major neck artery during a routine cyst lancing, Sean stops performing surgeries.

Set in the sexy world of Miami's South Beach, "Nip/Tuck" cuts beneath the surface of the superficial world of plastic surgery, revealing the complexities and fragile nature of patients trying to mask their psychological flaws through cosmetic enhancement.