It took 91 episodes of "Nip/Tuck," but Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) may finally grow a backbone.

In tonight's season opener - the first of the last nine episodes in the series - McNamara finally realizes all of the bad in his life can be traced back to his plastic surgery partner, Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon).

Of course, if there had been no bad events this medical melodrama would have ended a long time ago.

"Nip/Tuck" continues to feature a combination of bizarre medical conditions, sexual antics and absurd calamities. But the mix is starting to feel redundant.

The season opener storyline - about a man who ate his own lips - is a clue that the writers are getting toward the end of their medical dictionary.

Troy's sexual prowess made him an interesting character at the start, but his lechery has been aimed at younger and younger women in recent years and now just feels creepy.

And the calamity of the medical partners on the verge of a break-up has been used numerous times before - the only original twist is the newfound courage exhibited by McNamara.

"Nip/Tuck" has survived on pushing the limits of soap opera standards for adultery, betrayal and criminal activities. It has pushed those limits as far as cable TV allows. It's time to pull the plug.