It’s a storyline and set of characters that are neatly disposed of and forgotten about once the season is over. Case in point: Season 4, which sees the arrival of Burt and Michelle Landau (Larry Hagman and Sanaa Lathan), who buy into the McNamara/Troy business, only to see Michelle be blackmailed by her former pimp/lover, James (Jacqueline Bisset), into turning the office into a den of organ thievery. But amidst the sometimes messy results, there are moments-and even full hours-of creative brilliance that make watching the series in its entirety worth the time and effort.

Seasons/Episodes You Can Skip: Like facelifts, not every season of Nip/Tuck is perfectly executed.

Over the course of six seasons, viewers faced an onslaught of bizarre storylines that included brushes with drug-dealing, organ-harvesting, porn-making, Scientology, and an unhinged wannabe talent agent who kills a rival with a teddy bear-making machine. Which makes it sound a lot more touchy-feely than it really is.

The series touches on a number of taboo subjects that would still be considered a bit controversial today-including, on more than one occasion, pedophilia and incest-but at its heart, the series is about accepting people, including ourselves, with all of our flaws. In addition to being an immediate hit when it premiered in 2003, Nip/Tuck was also immediately controversial. Though it quickly becomes apparent that no one’s life is as perfect as it seems. Meanwhile, Sean is a dutiful family man: husband to his college sweetheart, Julia (Joely Richardson), and father to his children Matt (John Hensley) and Annie (Kelsey Batelaan). Christian, on the other hand, is in this business for the women when he’s not in surgery, he’s often out trolling the city’s nightlife scene for new patients. Like a hipper, and far more stomach-churning, version of House, the series sees the doctors perform your standard vanity procedures-boob jobs, liposuction, facelifts-but also paints them as innovators in their field, largely due to Sean’s medical expertise. The series begins its run in Miami, where college buddies-turned-medical partners Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) run one of the city’s most elite plastic surgery practices.

WIRED Binge-Watching Guide: Halt and Catch Fire Arrow

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