| Season Number: | 3 |
| Bgcolour: |
|
| Num Episodes: | 15 |
| Network: | FX |
| Prev Season: | Season 2 |
| Next Season: | Season 4 |
| Episode List: | List of Nip/Tuck episodes |
The third season of Nip/Tuck premiered on September 20, 2005 and concluded on December 20, 2005. It consisted of 15 episodes.
See also: List of Nip/Tuck episodes.
| Season premiere | Season finale | Viewers total (in millions) | Viewers age 18–49 (in millions) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | span style="width:7%; font-size:smaller; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%;" | Viewers total (in millions) | span style="width:7%; font-size:smaller; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%;" | Viewers 18–49 (in millions) | Date | span style="width:7%; font-size:smaller; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%;" | Viewers total (in millions) | span style="width:7%; font-size:smaller; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%;" | Viewers 18–49 (in millions) | ||
| September 20, 2005 | 5.3[1] | 3.7 | December 20, 2005 | 5.7[2] | 3.9 | 3.9 | 2.7 | ||||
The third season aired in the fall of 2005, as opposed to the summer, like the previous two seasons. John Landgraf, president of FX, stated that such a move was a "huge risk", since it stacked up "against the full barrage of fall network competition".[2] The second season premiere rating was eclipsed on September 20, 2005, when the third-season premiere, entitled "Momma Boone", drew roughly 5.3 million viewers. Three months later on December 20, 2005, the third-season finale, entitled "Cherry Peck / Quentin Costa", drew 5.7 million viewers. According to Zap2It, of those 5.7 million viewers, 3.9 million were in the 18–49 age group demographic, "making the finale the number-one episode among the key advertising demographic of any cable series in 2005. It's also the largest demographic number for any single telecast in the network's history."[2] Despite some criticism, the story arc involving The Carver attracted even more of an audience to the series than any of the seasons before, reaching its climax in a December 20, 2005, 2-hour season finale, entitled "Cherry Peck / Quentin Costa", which became the most-watched scripted episode in the history of the FX network.[2]
The third season received positive reviews from critics, holding a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3] Brian Lowry wrote for Variety "The not-so-subtle genius of this show is its ability to have it both ways – to skewer our culture's obsession with youth and beauty while simultaneously reveling in it."[4] Melanie McFarland wrote for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that "Beneath this skin is one-of-a-kind daring television that explores the complexities of human relationships with an unparalleled intelligence, sensitivity, appropriate level of fun and, when it is warranted, menace."[5] Some criticism was aimed at the casting, with Joe Reid of The Atlantic quoting "Some unfortunate casting decisions placed a good deal of the plot's weight on the shoulders of people like Rhona Mitra and Bruno Campos, which was ... a mistake",[6] whilst Gillian Flynn, at Entertainment Weekly, was critical of the season's storylines and character development.[7]