Episode Guide

Season 5

Episode 56- Plastic Fantastic Lovers

The Case

Leslie Hunzinger hires Blue Moon to investigate Dr Brill, the plastic surgeon who botched his face surgery. He wants Maddie and David to dig up some dirt on Dr Brill to put him out of business. Dave and Maddie discover that Dr Brill's patients are usually women and that he uses his practice to create "perfect" women for him to have affairs with. When he tires of his latest 'creation' he moves on to the next. His current project turns out to be Leslie Hunzinger's wife! They follow her to his office one night and find Dr Brill dead, the question is whodunnit?

What's Really Going on Chris?

David doesn't want to take the case. Maddie claims that it is because he is vain and is uncomfortable taking a case where a husband has plastic surgery to keep his young and attractive wife. David claims that the reason is because the case is not romantic. Later, they get into a discussion about David's vanity. He says it's cheap talk coming from Maddie, "someone who used to say cheese for a living." Maddie doesn't understand David's reluctance to do this case. He says that he feels that you marry someone for better or worse, richer or poorer, goregeous or butt ugly. He explains that he feels that there is no reason to mess with mother nature. Maddie suggests that he feels this way because he is good looking and doesn't have to worry about being "butt ugly." She complains that it is unfair that women have plastic surgery as they age to attract men. David says it's not his fault that Father Time plays favorites, as men age it's 'character.'
They continue their discussion while staking out Mrs Hunzinger. Maddie ponders how superficial everything is. She asks David what he thought of her when they first met. He replies (after a string of insults) that she was the most knock down goregous broad he had ever met in real life. She then asks if she had been half as tall and twice as wide, would he have given her a second thought? He answers that he would've, "mistook her for a filing cabinet." He tries to defend himself by pointing out that she only dates good-looking men and that she is as guilty as he is. She asks him if "I weren't a finalist in that beauty pageant in your head, and you didn't have that smirking mug to hide behind" what would he do? He answers that he would, "probably be rifling the drawers of this blonde filing cabinet I know."
During the chase, David explains to the murderer about love. David says that it doesn't matter what's on the outside, only what's on the inside- trust, compassion, soul, and being there for that special someone. Later he tells Maddie that he's not going to call Nurse Saunders (who gave him her number.) He explains that he can't imagine being with someone who isn't biodegradable (she was one of Dr Brill's 'creations'.) Maddie is surprised that David has developed standards and David claims it's because he's older and wiser. He asks her out for dinner, but she declines saying that it's beauty night and she needs to go home to paint nails and pump iron, after all, "a girl's got to take care of what she's got." David tells Maddie that what she's got looks pretty good. She asks David if he really thinks so- after all these years. He replies, "drop dead gorgeous- and not just on the outside, inside too." Maddie leans in to kiss David but they stop. David then offers to spot her in the shower as 90% of accidents occur in the home while naked.

Chris's Obsessive Analysis

This episode is as much about David's vanity as it is about Maddie's insecurity. At times the show has lightly touched on the subject of Maddie's feelings about the way she looks, and how men respond. Now she questions David's response to try and find out if he saw anything more in her than her looks. David reassures her that his attraction to her was more than skin deep, revealing the deeper and more mature David Addison that we all knew was in there somewhere.
I am at a loss to explain the "almost kiss" at the end. Anyone want to take a stab as to why the writers put it in that way? Why put it in at all? They must've known that it would make fans mad. It looked to me (I could be wrong) as if Maddie was leaning in to kiss David, but he never met her halfway. She opened her eyes as if she were surprised and then he started babbling about how they should shower together. I know he uses his humor as shield to protect himself and maybe the shower babble was to distract Maddie from realizing he didn't want (or wasn't ready) to kiss her. Maybe I'm making way too much of it, was it simply a tease like in the earlier seasons (possibly an attempt to rebuild some sexual tension between the characters?) I know they're trying to get away from the relationship storyline, but after the sweet and romantic thing David just said, a tease like that seems uneven or nonsensical (c'mon, David not taking an opportunity to kiss Maddie when she was willing?)
One last thing to note is the conversation David and Maddie have in the hotel room as they spy on Dr Brill. David suggests they stay and 'take advantage' of the hotel room they rented. Maddie questions her ability to judge character and David tells her not to give herself too much credit, after all, she was involved with "old Dave-a-roony for a minute." Maybe I'm over-interpreting, but it is the first statement by either of them that even remotely sounds like it's 'over' between them. If that is the meaning of the statement, it really doesn't fit in with the rest of the episode which seems to try to deepen Dave and Maddie's relationship past the physical.

Memorable Moments

Maddie watching David's 'adult' movie
David's encounter with Nurse Saunders
Maddie and David in the hotel room
Both of Maddie and David's conversations about the blonde filing cabinet
David telling Maddie that she is beautiful, inside and out- and their 'almost' kiss

Links

Back to the Episode Guide main page
The next episode, "Shirts and Skins"
Brian's "Plastic Fantastic Lover" page
Aubrey's Blue Moon Banter page for this episode