Nip/Tuck (2003–2010): Season 4, Episode 10 - Merrill Bobolit - full transcript

Previously on Nip / Tuck...

Allow me to introduce myself.

I'm Escobar Gallardo.
The former boss of Sylvio Perez.

My brother would like a new nose.

- What happened?
- I killed my brother.

You chose the right family, Alejandro.

What are we supposed to do
with this body?

Hi. I'm Merrill, and I'm a drug addict.

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for this man.

What are you planning on doing, Merrill?

If I can't have your life,
I'll just take your face.



I said what I always say,
whatever it takes to get me laid.

You really are a beautiful soul,
Matthew McNamara.

I don't wanna lie to you, Sean.

I was at Marlowe's.

Married?

- What kind of joke is this?
- This isn't a joke, Christian.

Matt and I exchanged our vows
three days ago.

Three days ago?

I'm eighteen now. I can do...

I'm just gonna handle this. Go get my bag.

The Church is Matt's family now

and we both know
how you feel about that.

Inviting you would've been a mistake.

But you're still his parents, and we do
feel bad that you couldn't be there.



But I thought this might help.

You can pick out the ones you like
and we'll send you copies.

Really? You sure you won't have to check
with the mothership first?

See? This is why neither one of you
are in my life anymore.

You can't be happy for me
no matter what I do, right?

That's ridiculous, Matt.

That's like saying we should be happy

if you're a drug addict
and just scored a bag of heroin.

And don't think
I don't know what you're doing.

You married Matt to get back at me.

Christian, I was done with you
a long time ago.

Really, I think you're the one
who needs to let go.

Matt, this just seems so abrupt.
I mean, you were gonna go to college.

What're you gonna do
to support yourself now?

The Church has a lot of opportunity
available to me. I'll work there.

Cleaning up trash. Big future in that.

Now, why can't you both just admit
what you're really pissed about, okay?

Your own lives have failed
and I'm doing great!

I mean, really,
it's a wonder I turned out this well!

Turned out well?

Going from dating a transsexual
to marrying a faded porn star

is not doing well in my mind!

They're just trying to control you.
Sit down.

- All right.
- And stay quiet!

- You leave!
- He's being polite.

Get the hell out of here before
I kick you out! I need to talk to my son!

But this is a consult.

And I have every right
to have my husband in a consult.

Now, besides filling you in
on our marriage,

I made an appointment
because I needed a little work done.

You think either one of us
would ever operate on you again?

Well, I think you'd be pissed
if I didn't give you the opportunity.

Besides, it'd be
in your best interest, Grandpa.

That's right. We're pregnant.

And if I'm going to have any chance
at breastfeeding our son,

I'll need my implants removed.

Just think of the operation
as a wedding gift to us.

What are you doing?

Now that Marlowe
isn't working here anymore,

I can finally paint over this monstrosity
without offending him.

Don't just stand there.
I bought a roller for you, too.

Conor loved this mural.

It agitated him.

All the darkness and movement.

It's what was keeping him
from sleeping well.

That's probably why Marlowe paints
these things in his client's nurseries,

to ensure that he gets to stick around.

I wish you'd asked me first.

Well, I just assumed, now that Marlowe
was gone, we'd wanna move on.

Besides, I didn't think
I needed to ask permission

to paint a wall in my own house.

No, you don't.
But it doesn't mean I'm gonna help you.

- How's Michelle holding up?
- She won't return my calls.

All I know is she's in Houston
with Burt's attorneys

and spreading his ashes.

We sent flowers.

So, what did Julia say
when you told her about Matt?

She was upset.

Then again,
she's dealing with her own secret.

She's having an affair with Marlowe.

That's ridiculous.

- Julia and Marlowe?
- Just 'cause of the size doesn't mean...

No, because he's the nanny.

You banged the nanny,

now your guilty conscience is making
you think she's banging the nanny.

- So, I'm just being paranoid?
- Do you have any proof?

I don't need proof. I have my gut.

You know what my gut's telling me?
My gut is telling me it's not Matt's kid.

I didn't wanna say it
in front of the poor guy,

but I screwed Kimber recently.

Wait a minute.
Are you saying it's your baby now?

Well, my sperm certainly knows its way
around her uterus better than his.

And you know she only married him
to get to me.

Have you ever had a baby
that someone else didn't think was theirs?

Once I find out that the kid is mine,
I'll handle Matt, all right?

No need for the kid to suffer my mistake.

Will you turn that shit off?
I've had enough torture for one day.

- Oh, I wouldn't count on that.
- What?

What ever happened to, "How you doing?"
"Looking great"?

"Good to see you got out"?

Last time I saw you, Merrill,
you tried to cut my face off.

Fair enough.
But I was under the influence of narcotics.

And that bitch, Madam Rose.

Is that what you told the judge?

How'd you get out so fast anyway?
I thought they got you on manslaughter.

I cut a deal. Squealed like a pig.

Madam Rose was the one
that killed the girl.

I was just a poor soul addicted
to the nitrous she was feeding me.

I pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting,

and then I got a 32-month
slap on the wrist.

You always were good
at squirreling your way out of things.

More like ratting.

You know what the prosecutors
don't tell you,

is that rats are the lowest form
of pond scum in prison.

I was fresh fish target numero uno.

Tell it to your parole officer, Merrill.
I don't give a shit.

They raped me, Christian. Repeatedly.

They passed me around
for a year and a half,

and now I can't even leave the house
without fear of shitting my pants.

What do you want me to do?

I need an anal retread.

That's a pretty expensive
procedure, Merrill.

I assume you don't have insurance.

Of course not.

But you'll be doing the surgery for free.

Unless you wanna end up in prison
takin' it like a woman, too.

Excuse me?

The only way for a guy like me to protect
himself on the inside is get married.

It's not like I wore a white dress
and danced to Unforgettable, Christian.

I became someone's prison wife.
Someone more powerful than me.

- A bitch.
- I prefer the term "prag".

I cleaned, I did the laundry,
I serviced him when he needed it.

You'd have done the same thing
in my situation, trust me.

- I'm no one's bitch, Merrill.
- Everyone is someone's bitch.

Wasn't too bad, actually.

I found it somewhat liberating to have
all of my choices taken away from me.

Must be one hell of a guy.

It usually takes at least six karats
for a bitch to give it up like that.

They don't have wedding rings in prison.

Marriage is symbolized

by the branding of the husband's name
on the wife's ass.

- Wanna see who my husband is?
- Not really.

Who's the bitch now, Christian?

Oh, man!

You should see your face.
I knew I should've brought a camera.

My retread aside,
my hubby has some medical conditions.

He wants you and Sean
to come and see him.

Tell him I'll come visit him
when he's in the prison cemetery.

I wouldn't refuse him,

unless you want him
to start blabbing about

your mutual friend in the Everglades.

Dr. McNamara.

To what do I owe the pleasure?

Nice.

A little depressing, but I understand why,

considering your mood.

Come again?

Since you canceled your surgery,

I assumed something happened
with the girl you were doing it for.

You guys break up?

Do you always make house calls
to patients with cold feet?

No.

But you were our nanny.

You were a member of our family, right?

Yeah, we're taking some time apart.

I don't know what I was thinking.

I guess women
make us do crazy things sometimes.

Why did you split up?

Did she snore?

Didn't like your taste in movies?

Or was she married?

As a child, I learned early on

that if I was going to compete
in a world that was taller than I was,

I needed to go straight at things.

- No pussyfooting.
- Are you having an affair with my wife?

Julia and I have an intimacy that goes
beyond just employer and employee,

probably more than just even friends.

But it was never physical.

Are you gonna hit me?

How about now?

Do you think that'll make you
more of a man?

Do you think that'll impress Julia?

I painted over your mural.

Belts, too. Anything with metal on it.

How do we know
he doesn't have a weapon?

Four members of the MS-13 lit his face
on fire with lighter fluid last week.

Got third-degree burns on his hands,
trying to put it out.

You got nothing to worry about.

On the gate!

- I'll holler when we're done, Van!
- Sure thing, boss.

So you got my message, huh?

- Thank you for coming so quickly, man.
- Didn't sound like we had a choice.

Don't worry.

I didn't tell Merrill our little secret.
About the swamp?

He's just an errand boy.
You guys look good.

So, should I tell you what I don't like
about myself

or is that too obvious right now?

We'll fix your face for you.

Who do you wanna look like?
Charles Manson or Hitler?

I must admit, that was some clever shit
you guys pulled, you know?

Turning me into
the FBl's "Most Wanted" like that.

Here's what you'll look like
four months after surgery.

On your knees. Hands behind your head.

Actually worked to my advantage
for a while, too.

I copped a plea
the real Escobar never would've gotten.

I was told I'd be out in 18 years.

Only I didn't realize
that the man you turned me into

shot a federal agent

because he was about to be arrested
for child molestation charges.

Is that why they burned your face?

You can kill a hundred cops,
come in here and run the joint.

General population finds out
that you banged a six-year-old,

it doesn't go over too well.

You become a target.

One thing prison has taught me,

you live and die
not just based on who you are,

but on who people perceive you to be.

Not much different from your line of work.

So if I'm going to spend
the next 15 years in here,

I want to go back to being
the man that I was.

- The Escobar people feared.
- Doesn't make sense.

They'll find out they got the wrong guy,
you'll go back on trial and get life.

I'll take spending an entire lifetime in here
as the man I am

before I live another day
as the bottom feeder that I'm seen as now.

A pervert.

Quite like Sylvio Perez.

You know, the man that you wrapped
in hams and threw in the swamp?

Hopefully, they're gonna get confused
and eat everything.

Then there won't be any trace left.

You don't have any proof of that.

No, I don't. But Alejandro does.

Do you remember him? Sylvio's brother?

You don't think I would let you
dispose of Sylvio's body yourselves.

I had Alejandro follow you to the swamp.

Which means that I know
where the evidence is.

So you better fix me.

Or, I don't know, maybe I'll direct certain
authorities to the scene of your crime.

You're full of shit.

Amigo, if I was full of shit,
you wouldn't be here right now.

But did you miss me?

Let me see what they did to you.

Jesus...

I don't know how much we can do for you,
especially in this chop shop.

I've already arranged with the warden

to have all the work done
at McNamara/Troy.

I take care of his heroin habit,
he takes care of me.

I'm not asking for a miracle.

Just do your best.

I know you still remember
what I look like, Sean.

You sure you don't want me
to take off the brand, Merrill?

Never.

Escobar saved my life.
I owe him my loyalty.

You know, most of the damage was done
before he started protecting me

or when he loaned me out
in exchange for favors.

And just so we're clear, Christian,
being a prag isn't about going queer.

It's about surrender.

From the condition your anus is in,

it looks like you surrendered
to the entire South Florida Penal System.

I expected that kind of cynicism

from a man who's never
fully given himself to anyone or anything.

Come on, Merrill.
I know it was tough for you in there,

but you can't be serious
about all this bullshit.

You and I come
from a world of achievement.

We're doctors, plastic surgeons,

it's all about being the best,
the most beautiful, the winner.

It's goddamn exhausting is what it is.

Are you trying to tell me you don't get
worn down by expectations?

I'm trying to tell you I like being in control.

I like Osetra better than Beluga,

I like Anejo better than Reposado,

I like blondes who can
suck the yellow out of a canary

better than brunettes with great asses.

I like them when I want them,
and I like them how I want them.

Which means, Merrill, no matter how
hard you try, you could never be like me.

Speaking of blondes who blow,
how's Kimber?

I wrote her a bunch of letters from prison,

but she must have changed her address
because she never wrote me back.

Consider yourself lucky.

Her venom has become more potent
with age.

She's still got her claws in you?

I wish it was just me.

Since you've been gone,

she has screwed, and screwed over,
me, Sean and now my son.

- Well, her pimp hand is strong.
- Bullshit.

The only thing strong about her
are her vagina muscles.

When you're tired of those,
she ain't got nothing.

I don't know, Christian.

She may never have had
her dick up your ass,

but she's always had you by the balls.

Kimber plays like she's a bottom,

but no matter how beat up she seems,
she's always in control.

She's like those 300-pound
juggernauts in prison.

You wanna take her down,
you gotta sneak up behind her,

and club her over the head
before she knows what happened.

I'll be outside if you need me.

You're not gonna get all squeamish
like that in surgery, are you?

I need you 100%, Sean.

Or what?
You'll get a referral, go someplace else?

What are you so uptight about, man?

I'm doing you a favor
by not turning you in, remember?

All I want is an operation
in exchange for your freedom.

You should show a little appreciation
for my generosity.

Appreciation?

Your life could be so much worse
right now if I wanted it to be.

You have no idea
what my life is right now.

Poor baby.

Did someone lose your shirt
at the dry clean?

You think you're the only one
with problems?

My son just married my partner's
ex-girlfriend because he got her pregnant,

and I just found out my wife
is having an affair.

So you go ahead. You tell me how much
worse my life could be right now!

That pretty wife of yours...
What'd you do to her?

Sean, if she's stepping out on you,
you must've did something to piss her off.

You two not bang steady anymore or...

You bang someone else and she find out?
I knew it. I knew it.

You don't know what happened.

Yeah, but I know
what you need to do now.

Kill the man she slept with, right?

Come on.
What do you think I am, Sean, an animal?

All I was gonna tell you was to go home,

confess what you did, beg for forgiveness,

and then bang your wife
like you've never banged her before, man.

See, a real man
takes responsibility for his action.

He stands up to his mistake.

Hell, I'd be proud if my son
married the girl he knocked up.

I'm not like you.

My wife finds out what I did, she'll leave.

If she screwed around,
you're both on even ground.

You got a good chance
to save your marriage.

You keep trying to live a lie,
bad shit happens.

I'm living proof.

- Feel my finger.
- Thank you.

- Feel my finger.
- Thank you.

I think it's working.

I had awful morning sickness with Matt,

and the only thing
that would make me better

was a Coke and a bag of Twizzlers.

We believe that any pain in the body

is caused by a lack of communication
with the area.

Touch assist allows us to reconnect.

- Shall we continue?
- Please.

So, my baby's reactive mind will record
anything that's said during the birth?

Any words.

Even "push" or "you're doing great"

implant themselves in the infant's brain

and affect his emotional well-being
for the rest of his life.

That's what a silent birth is all about.

I hear that Kelly Preston gave birth
to both of her children silently.

Who's Kelly Preston?

Honey, will you go get me
a glass of water?

Yeah.

He's preclear.

Well, you know, I hope you're planning
on getting an epidural, Kimber,

because, you know, while Kelly Preston
may have a very high tolerance for pain,

there is not one woman I know

who can get through natural childbirth
without saying anything.

Well, I'm not taking any drugs.

The Church doesn't prohibit it,

but they do feel that a drugless delivery is
best for the child in terms of development.

- Can I say "ouch"?
- We prefer if you just moaned.

Okay. What about "ow"?

More like...

Thank you.

This is flat water, Matt.
I need sparkling water for my stomach.

Oh, I'm sorry.

You should be sorry.

How am I supposed to feel comfortable

with you caring for our child
when you can't get a glass of water right?

Jesus.

- Hey.
- Hey.

Listen, I really appreciate
you coming over here for this, Mom.

- Yeah.
- I mean, to tell you the truth,

I'm scared shitless
and I'm gonna really need you to lean on.

I just want you to be happy, Matty.

Yeah, I am.

Really?

I'm not gonna defend the Church
to you, too, Mom.

No. The Church, I can handle.

It's your relationship with Kimber
that worries me.

You need a partnership to raise a child.

What, like you and Dad
were always partners?

No. We always respected each other.

Kimber and I,
we're just working out the kinks.

Christ, we've only been married
for a couple of days.

Sweetheart, these were meant to be
the easy weeks.

I just don't want you to be blinded by lust.

Thanks.

Julia, Matt and I are in love.

And I understand
that becoming a grandmother

brings up complicated feelings,
but please don't make that our problem.

My 18-year-old son
is having a child with a woman

who happens to have slept
with both of his fathers.

There is nothing complicated
about my feelings.

- Mom...
- I'm gonna handle this, Matt.

This is what I'm talking about.

A silent childbirth is just the beginning.
You want a silent marriage, too?

Now is not a good time, Christian.

Hey.

- What are you doing here?
- Leaving.

Well, don't eat anything past 9:00.

I got you scheduled for surgery
first thing in the morning.

- Are you serious?
- I'm serious.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Well, I can't have my grandson
drinking silicone-tasting milk, now, can I?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for doing that.

I didn't have time after the last coat.

You did a nice job.

I think it was the right thing to do.

Get a fresh start.

There's something
that we need to talk about, Julia.

Let me be the one to say it, Sean.

Marlowe and I had an affair.

He told me you went and confronted him
about it.

And I feel you've known for a long time,

and I don't want to cover it up anymore.

- You're admitting you had an affair?
- I'm sorry.

It's just that, you know,
with everything that's happened,

with Conor and Matt getting married,
I just can't keep these lies down anymore.

Why would you? With him?

Because he accepted Conor
before he was even born

and all you wanted to do was change him!

How many times
did you have sex with him?

- Oh! God, Sean!
- Did he make you come?

- Yes, he did!
- How did you do it, the sex?

- Missionary? Doggie-style?
- Stop it! This is hurtful.

The truth is hurtful, Julia!

That's why we haven't been honest
all these months.

Maybe the truth is all that's left
in this marriage.

Maybe the truth is we should
never have gotten back together.

Well, then how are those details
going to help now?

Because it's the only honest conversation
we can have right now,

and I am entitled to an answer!

- Was his size an issue?
- No.

And I made him wear a condom,
and it was tender and beautiful.

Do you hate me more now?

No.

No.

I forgive you.

And you're right.

The only way we can get through this
is complete honesty.

There's nothing left for us at this point.

You know what worries me?

If we still love each other, then why
is it that all we do is hurt each other?

- Saying your goodbyes?
- I'm gonna miss them.

But I guess my body
doesn't belong to me anymore, right?

What's that?

This is a sonogram, so that
we can monitor the fetal heartbeat.

Make sure that the baby's okay
during surgery.

That's thoughtful of you, Christian,
but you're operating on my breasts.

- Why do I need to be numb below them?
- Good question.

When you operate on the woman
who's carrying your grandchild, Linda,

then you can have a say
in what's going on.

The epidural will help
slow down the blood flow

and it will also help in a speedy recovery.

- Wanna see your baby?
- Yeah.

- I assume you don't plan on watching.
- No.

- Feel that?
- No.

Good.

10-blade.

Not yet.

- What are you doing, Dr. Troy?
- It's my baby. I know it.

I just need proof.

This is a very sensitive procedure.

I'd hate to see Kimber flinch.

I'm gonna tell her
once she gets out of here.

You can do whatever the hell you want.
I don't give a damn.

Hey.

She's fine.

Thank you so much, Christian.

Look, I know you don't approve
of any of this, but I want you to know

that I'm committed to being
a good husband and a good father,

and I'm just counting on you
for your support.

You know what a good husband
and father does?

He pays the bills. He sets an example.

You're a loser, Matty.

This is the latest and greatest
in a long line of loser choices.

How can you say that to me
after my wife's just had surgery?

Your wife is a whore
who married you to piss me off!

Now, why don't you do something
to finally make me proud

and dump the bitch? Huh?

Why, so you can have her for yourself?

Look, Kimber and that baby

are the only thing in my life
that you can't take...

Don't be so naive, Matt.
That baby belongs to me.

- And I plan on proving it.
- What the hell is that?

This is DNA taken from your wife's uterus.

This will show us who the real daddy is.

Wait a minute.
And she gave you permission to take that?

- No.
- Man, I can't believe this.

You endanger
the life of my wife and my baby,

and you're telling me
about setting an example?

- What's this?
- Nothing!

Just a little father-son chat.

What a handsome devil.

Unfortunately, the severity of your burns
is gonna require

that we use extensive grafts.

- Extensive what?
- Donated skin.

The cultured tissue we're putting
on your face is grown in the lab

from your own cells.

We can't have you any closer.
This is a sterile environment.

Please wait outside.

Now, once we get started,

we'll remove all the dead tissue around
your face and neck.

After that, we will undo the jaw reshaping

that was performed three years ago
and remove the malar implants as well.

- You make it look so simple.
- Don't let that fool you.

You're never going to look
exactly the way that you did.

- Burn victims rarely do.
- We'll do our best, though.

Well, just to make sure that you do,

I have a little insurance policy
I'm taking out.

Hello, boys.

Well, I guess this makes sense.
The last time you operated was on a dog.

Gotta get your feet wet again
somehow, huh?

Relax, Christian.
I'm not touching a scalpel.

Just here to make sure
you really do what you say you will.

And I brought music. Just like I was told.

15-blade.

You guys are so good.

You think I can get a little sippy water?
I'll keep an eye on the patient.

Amazing. He's gonna wake up
and he'll be the old Escobar again.

Back to his old tricks, I suppose, too.

What the hell?

Everyone! Please step away
from the table!

Put your guns down!

We have oxygen tanks in here.
You'll blow us all up.

What the hell are you doing, Merrill?

What I wanted to do ever since
he branded his name on my ass in prison.

Kill the monster!

How's it feel to be a helpless bitch
at the mercy of someone else?

If you kill him now,
you'll go right back to prison for life.

- Is that what you want?
- Are you kidding?

When everyone inside finds out
I killed Escobar Gallardo,

I'll be a goddamn king. A goddamn god!

I'll finally get the respect I deserve!

What's going on?

Let go!

Get him back under, quick!

Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!

Let me go!

You should've let him cut his throat, Sean.
Could've solved all our problems.

This is a restricted area.

I am the night nurse.
I need to change his bandages.

It'll look better
when the swelling goes down.

Maybe one of those telenovelas
will finally come calling.

They only disrespected him
because you killed him, Alejandro.

Have a car downstairs in an hour.

Then we'll pay a visit
to our doctor friends together.

I'm going to need copies
of all of the paperwork.

I know the kid's mine,

but I'm going to need hard evidence
to convince the mother.

I'm happy to give you copies
of whatever you want, Dr. Troy,

but while there are definite markers
to indicate that you are related

to the child,

according to our testing,
you're not the father.

Hey.

Conor must be going through
a growth spurt.

He was up five times last night.

Did you get any sleep?

A little, between 4:00 and 4:30.

I sang to him, and then finally,
he went down.

You haven't lost your touch, have you?

I'm gonna jump in the shower.

You didn't tell her yet, did you?

About having the affair.
You didn't follow through.

I'm not listening to you anymore.
You're not even here.

Then you should remember
to set the alarm at night.

It won't be so easy for me to sneak in.

You're a figment of my imagination.

You're not really here.
You're on your way back to prison.

Hey, Sean.

You know I've been plotting this operation
for months?

You know what the hardest part was?

It wasn't bribing the guards,
blackmailing the warden,

or waiting two years in that hole
to put this whole thing together.

It was lighting my own face on fire.

Man, that hurt like a son of a bitch.

What are you doing in my house?

I just came by to get rid of some evidence.

Relax, Sean.

I meant the evidence of the crime
you committed.

Against Sylvio Perez?

I told you that if you fix my face,

I'd set you free as well, and I meant it.

Sean,

a man is nothing in this world
if he doesn't keep his word, you know?

It's when you don't live your life honestly
that you get into trouble.

Believe me, if there's anything I've learned
after being locked up,

it's that the truth will set you free, man.

I just wanted to thank you, man,

for giving me my old self back.

It's gonna be okay.

Okay.

The evidence is in the den.

We're even now.

I need to report a murder.

Yes, at this address.

No, we're no longer in any danger.

How long?

Thank you.

Sean, what's going on?

I had an affair with Monica.

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