New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

How fitting, then, that the plastic-surgery drama returns Tuesday for its fifth season by dangerously reinventing itself. Dangerously - and totally successfully.

USA TodayRobert Bianco

Tonight, the surgeons set up shop in Beverly Hills, a move that has inspired the show to rediscover its sense of style and fun.

Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn

Nip/Tuck has reclaimed its sense of humor.

Los Angeles TimesMary McNamara

Ten minutes into the season premiere of Nip/Tuck and you have to wonder what those deeply disturbed plastic surgeons were doing wasting four seasons, and all that unexplored sexual tension, in Miami when they so clearly belong in Los Angeles.

Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan

Nip/Tuck is back to being the frothy, fun and knowing show it was in its early days.

Kansas City StarAaron Barnhart

After four seasons of showing us cosmetic enhancement from every conceivable angle, Nip/Tuck is ready to take its scalpel to something else: the entertainment industry. I’m not saying that it’s going to work or that Nip/Tuck's longtime fans will appreciate the gesture, but tonight’s episode introduces us to a show-within-a-show that is simply dreadful, and that alone (to this TV critic) is worth the price of admission.

NewsdayDiane Werts

The busy season premiere quickly constructs an intriguing seesaw of aspirations and emotions, and it's self-contained enough to sell itself to even Nip/Tuck newcomers.

Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen

Having watched the first two episodes, I'm pleasantly surprised to say: It worked.

TV GuideMatt Roush

The new setting and a fresh, swank look help restore energy and a sense of freakish fun to what had become a morose melodrama.

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

The shamelessness of Nip/Tuck returns intact, which is a good thing.

San Jose Mercury NewsCharlie McCollum

At least early on, Nip/Tuck manages to hit the right notes and reclaim a spot as one of television's most watchable and entertaining series.

Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland

Severe as the new situation may sound, the show initially explores this idea with humor--starting with a studio executive (played by Craig Bierko) coming in for a little touch-up to hide the scars of his, shall we say, therapy delivered by his mistress.

Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman

It's still solidly entertaining (if less so) thanks to Walsh and McMahon's dependable character arcs.

New York PostLinda Stasi

I wish I hated this cheeseball show as much as I used to. But damn, if it ain't a hoot and a half.

Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall

The humor provided by the new setting makes the show a bit more palatable than it was last season, but Nip/Tuck is still Nip/Tuck, for both good and ill.

VarietyBrian Lowry

So if it's not the great show it was, the latest incarnation proves extremely watchable, which is surely welcome.