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| Left to right: Michael Sheen and Caitlin Fitzgerald |
Welcome to the weekly recaps of the new Showtime series Masters of Sex that follows the history of Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson's (Lizzy Caplan) actual studies of sex. Make sure to tune in every Wednesday for a dissection of the week's episode as well as thoughts of the show in general as well as potential thoughts of where things are headed. Also, please feel free to check out my recaps on Bob's Burgers every Tuesday and Brooklyn Nine-Nine every Thursday.
Plot: Virginia attends a lecture on Sigmund Freud and begins to question his beliefs on women's sexuality, notably because of his lack of actual familiarity. As she begins to experiment in breakthrough ways that show differing forms of stimulation in women, Masters decides to take an anniversary trip with Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) in order to hopefully get their minds off of the miscarriage. Things don't go well and Libby quickly realizes that Masters' way of coping involves analyzing other people's sex lives, as apparent when he studies the sexual nature of the neighboring room. After one of Margaret's (Allison Janney) friends talks about the sex research she has done, she begins to become curious. On top of reading a book called "Peyton Place," she begins to explore her own sexuality. After Libby kicks Masters off of the trip for not paying enough attention to her and her seductive manner, he comes back to work to discover that Virginia has done exceptional amount of research. This leaves Libby on the trip to deal with a promiscuous old couple who tries to talk her into sex. It is also discovered that Margaret is highly undersexed. She attempts to drag Barton (Beau Bridges) to a theatrical showing of "Peyton Place," but he cops out due to lack of interest. She runs into Dr. Langham (Teddy Sears) afterwards and the two begin flirting and eventually have sex. Masters hears how effective Virginia's studies have been and promotes her to assistant. The episode ends with them exploring the stimulation of orgasm through touch as Virginia disrobes in front of Masters.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
It almost seemed impossible for Masters of Sex to even top the tragedy of the miscarriage that was the crux of the previous episode. It threw the characters into darker, more complicated territory and suggested that we were in for a change. While we have always sensed that there was tension between varying characters in the story, it almost felt like everything before "Catherine" was setting up the final half of the first season. Most of all, it finally addresses the tension between Virginia and Masters that has been there and we knew had to be addressed eventually. While the slow burn approach to the show made it highly rewarding, it does suggest that even with a big hurdle out of the way, we'll slowly get through the other things. It may be as shocking and intriguing as the past two episodes, but it may just play out in the narrative's slow format.
The notable highlight of the episode is the cathartic break-up between Libby and Masters. Even if the audience has known about the growing disinterest that the characters have had in each other, it was nice to finally hear it address. It makes Masters seem a little too aloof however to have him more fascinated with the idea of sex than sex with his own wife. It's a rather telling moment that makes the research all the more fascinating. His coping skills involve just doing his work and isolating his "loved ones." It almost makes the study in general not an act of science, but an act of sanity and survival. When Libby finally calls it quits, it is a powerful moment that would suggest that even if Masters and Virginia hits it off, the real chemistry is going to fall between the man and his study, which grows increasingly voyeuristic.
Of the other plots, the one that most mirrors Masters is the relationship of the Scully couple. Barton is still hiding some homosexuality and appears mundane to his wife, refusing to take part in her activities. He would rather go to bed than see a movie, which easily makes him the most boring character in the story and it helps to make clear why Margaret is so starved for arousal and affection. By confronting information with Masters and Virginia, we get a full understanding to the Scully couple and that much like Masters, maybe Barton is more obsessed with his work than his wife. They both also have secret mistresses and are hard to understand outside of the scientific community. It explains why the two had an entire flashback a few weeks ago detailing their meeting.
It is intriguing to see how sex isn't treated as taboo, but more as a move to progress the story. These characters have a sense of disconnect not because of actions, but from a lack of intimacy and sexual attraction. Sexual inadequacy pretty much describes these characters and with the revolution of sex being openly discussed, this episode reflects multiple characters taking steps forward. Margaret has sex with Langham. Virginia questions Freud's methods and makes big leaps of progress in the process. In fact, the analogy to Freud is fascinating when considering that his point in the plot may seem more as a springboard for Virginia's studies, but is actually reflective of a lot of the male characters. Much like Freud, there is a sense of respect for being professional while also just not understanding women. Barton and Masters surely don't, as they lose them to disconnection.
However, what is to happen to Libby? She wants to have Masters out of her life, but soon realizes the advantages. She uses his existence as a defense when coming face to face with potential sexual assault. She isn't ready for a world without Masters, and it may make things complicated considering that Masters is finally making moves on Virginia by stimulating her to orgasm. Maybe the show will eventually translate to characters having affairs as a shocking plot device, though I like to think that there would be more to it. Maybe Barton will be revealed to be gay and Margaret and Langham's fling will come to light. There's a lot that could happen to bring emotion into the sex study, thus making it more complicated than the impersonal nature that Masters initially wanted.
All I know is that the show has officially reached an intriguing peak of what new drama could do in 2013. With two back-to-back episodes, it built up these characters only to knock them down through brilliant personal moments. We are starting to see change and the actions are beginning to take effect. New relationships are formed that have been a long time coming. There's only hope that what follows isn't going to destroy the good will of a show that has managed to not only discuss sex as a study, but as an emotional tool. Almost everyone in this episode is affected by sex and whether it is from lack of or too much attention to, it captures a depth that has made Masters of Sex intriguing and more than a novelty period show about sexual studies. As the title suggests, this is a brave new world, and a fascinating one full of mystery to boot. I cannot wait to see how Masters and Virginia's relationship changes as time goes on.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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| Left to right: Lizzy Caplan and Helene York |
The notable highlight of the episode is the cathartic break-up between Libby and Masters. Even if the audience has known about the growing disinterest that the characters have had in each other, it was nice to finally hear it address. It makes Masters seem a little too aloof however to have him more fascinated with the idea of sex than sex with his own wife. It's a rather telling moment that makes the research all the more fascinating. His coping skills involve just doing his work and isolating his "loved ones." It almost makes the study in general not an act of science, but an act of sanity and survival. When Libby finally calls it quits, it is a powerful moment that would suggest that even if Masters and Virginia hits it off, the real chemistry is going to fall between the man and his study, which grows increasingly voyeuristic.
Of the other plots, the one that most mirrors Masters is the relationship of the Scully couple. Barton is still hiding some homosexuality and appears mundane to his wife, refusing to take part in her activities. He would rather go to bed than see a movie, which easily makes him the most boring character in the story and it helps to make clear why Margaret is so starved for arousal and affection. By confronting information with Masters and Virginia, we get a full understanding to the Scully couple and that much like Masters, maybe Barton is more obsessed with his work than his wife. They both also have secret mistresses and are hard to understand outside of the scientific community. It explains why the two had an entire flashback a few weeks ago detailing their meeting.
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| Teddy Sears |
It is intriguing to see how sex isn't treated as taboo, but more as a move to progress the story. These characters have a sense of disconnect not because of actions, but from a lack of intimacy and sexual attraction. Sexual inadequacy pretty much describes these characters and with the revolution of sex being openly discussed, this episode reflects multiple characters taking steps forward. Margaret has sex with Langham. Virginia questions Freud's methods and makes big leaps of progress in the process. In fact, the analogy to Freud is fascinating when considering that his point in the plot may seem more as a springboard for Virginia's studies, but is actually reflective of a lot of the male characters. Much like Freud, there is a sense of respect for being professional while also just not understanding women. Barton and Masters surely don't, as they lose them to disconnection.
However, what is to happen to Libby? She wants to have Masters out of her life, but soon realizes the advantages. She uses his existence as a defense when coming face to face with potential sexual assault. She isn't ready for a world without Masters, and it may make things complicated considering that Masters is finally making moves on Virginia by stimulating her to orgasm. Maybe the show will eventually translate to characters having affairs as a shocking plot device, though I like to think that there would be more to it. Maybe Barton will be revealed to be gay and Margaret and Langham's fling will come to light. There's a lot that could happen to bring emotion into the sex study, thus making it more complicated than the impersonal nature that Masters initially wanted.
All I know is that the show has officially reached an intriguing peak of what new drama could do in 2013. With two back-to-back episodes, it built up these characters only to knock them down through brilliant personal moments. We are starting to see change and the actions are beginning to take effect. New relationships are formed that have been a long time coming. There's only hope that what follows isn't going to destroy the good will of a show that has managed to not only discuss sex as a study, but as an emotional tool. Almost everyone in this episode is affected by sex and whether it is from lack of or too much attention to, it captures a depth that has made Masters of Sex intriguing and more than a novelty period show about sexual studies. As the title suggests, this is a brave new world, and a fascinating one full of mystery to boot. I cannot wait to see how Masters and Virginia's relationship changes as time goes on.
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