Masters of Sex - Recap: Bombs Were Dropped
Masters of Sex dropped a few bombs tonight in an episode that saw the fallout of some iffy past decisions. Duck and cover!
To open the recap, Virginia continued to cope with Bill’s icy treatment of her during last week’s episode’s close by sleeping with Ethan, who’s tried his best to man up after making the decision to leave Scully’s (Beau Bridges) daughter. If you recall, Bill’s offer to pay Virginia for her “services” in the study followed the unwelcome news of his wife’s recent pregnancy. It seemed guilt had begun to truly creep in, and matters were only made worse when another study participant, Flora, arrived unannounced to fill Bill in on the project’s latest hiccup. Three months prior, the night of her participation in the study, Flora got pregnant as well. The confidentiality agreements signed by those participating couldn’t allow Bill to disclose any information about the man who’d been just a number the night of Flora’s contribution; however, it was made clear that Bill probably wouldn’t have dabbled in helping out in any case. Bill is quite frigid, and another unwanted unborn child was simply too much to deal with from the get-go. Virginia, on the other hand, is compassionate as a single mom of two, and she inevitably took matters into her own hands behind Masters’ back.
Showtime "Masters of Sex"
Doing a bit of digging after cracking into Bill’s records safe, Virginia managed to deduce that the man who’d unknowingly gotten Flora pregnant was Austin, who’d spent plenty of nights offering his services to the study on sex. Of course, a diaphragm is only about 94% secure as a means of contraception, and after two hundred clocked cases, a slipup like this was all but certain. After having his mind blown by the shocking news, Austin spent the rest of Episode 10 contemplating measures to protect himself from the bomb that had been dropped, an explosion that would certainly destroy his family. Later, a frantic Austin confronted Bill just before Masters could head into surgery. Masters, once again, assured his colleague that the ironclad agreement he’d signed before deciding to participate freed him from having to take any responsibility.
Virginia had previously brought up the fact that men are immune to the possibility of a potential accidentally pregnancy, not that Bill cared in the slightest. Women were the only ones truly at risk of this sort of a situation. This is a nice segue into another plotline that dealt with women’s fight for equality this week. Dr. DePaul had received funding for her proposed Pap smear project, but a measly six hundred dollars truly offered her no chance at successfully launching her program. For someone who’s so stern, DePaul somehow manages to bring a sense of humor to most of the scenes she’s included in, a sarcastic quality that Virginia normally seems to appreciate. Of course, you do catch more flies with honey, and in a conversation with DePaul that took place under a desk during the first ridiculous mock bombing, Virginia suggested to the doctor that she attempt to switch up her means of winning over her male counterparts. Later, DePaul let her hair down, literally, and threw on some makeup before setting up a planned encounter with the chancellor in the elevator. There, her attempts to woo the man into weaseling in a meeting to further discuss her proposal merely blew up in her face. Feminine charms are not this woman's forte.Showtime "Masters of Sex"
Ethan was unfortunately informed that he’d be unwelcome in a permanent position following his fellowship. Haas, who chose to initially incorrectly peg the firing on Provost Scully, was then clued in to the truth. Scully is no fan of Ethan following his decision to leave his daughter as a shattered wreck, but he’d merely sat by idly as a poor review ruined Ethan’s career at the hospital. Clearly, Bill was behind the decision to refuse Ethan his coveted position, even though Ethan is clearly highly qualified to take the next step. Following Austin’s confrontation with Bill, Ethan subsequently met the doctor in the prep room after a successful surgery. Bill, who’d become enraged following Ethan’s decision to act behind his back in aiding Libby, lashed out at his former protégé. Haas, who could have lost his license, stood by his decision, even after Bill physically assaulted him in an uncharacteristic bout of fury. We’ve seen Bill get frightfully angry, but it's rare to see him losing his cool to the point of getting physical. I nearly forgot the encounter with the adult film store clerk last week! Ethan, on the other hand, only further had his sentiments affirmed. Libby would make a fantastic mother, and he was happy to give her that chance. See, we didn’t catch up with Libby this week, but I still think something is fishy with this pregnancy. I don’t know if this is necessarily Bill’s child, and time seems to be flying during Season 1. I wouldn’t be surprised if Libby managed to give birth by the finale. Time will tell!
Showtime "Masters of Sex"
Meanwhile, Mrs. Scully continued her search for answers. A woman of a certain age would certainly have difficulty finding another lover at this point in American history, and rather than simply carrying on with the proposed divorce proceedings, Margaret decided to secretly attempt one last go at reconciling things within her marriage. At her favorite local watering hole, Margaret sipped a martini before hitting up a prostitute for information. What was it that men searched for in straying from there marriages? In the end, the woman merely helped Margaret come to the hard truth; Provost Scully, her husband, is gay. At home, Margaret shared a moment alone in her husband’s separate bedroom, as if finally beginning to lay to rest her woes in another nuanced heartbreaking scene.
Showtime "Masters of Sex"
Two of my favorite scenes during Episode 10 involved two unlikely couples. Jane, who’d taken pride her in position leading preventative measures and attack simulations, in truth knew what a hydrogen bomb dropping meant. She’s a smart cookie, that Jane. Lester (Kevin Christy), the cameraman responsible for filming the study, is smart in his own kind of awkward way. The two developed a strange and interesting chemistry this week. Jane, who closed out her arc during Episode 10 by apologizing to Lester for snapping at him during the processes of organizing the civil defense procedures, found herself on the receiving end of a first kiss! If that bomb was going to drop, Lester was going to make his move. I’m excited to see how this plays out. I think Masters of Sex smartly started something good here. Jane is a gem, and Lester has been a scene-stealer. Margaret, coping with her newfound information, took to the school swimming pool to quell her mind. Austin, remembering that she’d often swim alone at night, sought her out looking for some decent consoling conversation following his own brutal day. The two floated in the quiet water, as though in outer space, again questioning the meaning of it all when a simple explosion could strip away everything. I also like Margaret’s correction to Austin’s claim that satellites calmly float out in space. They aren’t truly floating. They’re falling as the earth escapes them. Oh, the symbolism, Masters of Sex!
To close the recap of Episode 10, Virginia finally laid into Bill regarding his maltreatment of her. Realizing that Libby is pregnant again thanks to a talk with Ethan, Virginia managed to piece together the truth regarding Masters’ decision to pay her out of the blue for her contributions to their shared study. His guilt had begun to consume him. Bill, in truth, allowed his emotions to cloud his judgment, and the two were not at all behaving like scientists. They were having an affair. Virginia, in an attempt to write her wrong in violating the confidentiality of the study, met with Flora one last time, choosing to sign over two thousand dollars of the study’s funding in the name of the baby’s father, much to Bill's utter dismay. Virginia ended her arc this week by quitting the study in a flash before heading to Dr. DePaul’s office. It might be a secretarial position for minimum wage, but Virginia’s self-respect would remain intact helping her new mentor to woo the trustees above the chancellor. Unlike DePaul, Virginia certainly seems to have an aptitude for pinning men under her thumb.
What did you think of Masters of Sex, Season 1 Episode 10, “Fallout”? What’s going on with Libby’s pregnancy? Will Virginia remain with DePaul or head back to Bill? Do you like Jane with Lester? What does this mean for Margaret and Austin?
Thanks for reading my Recap and Review of Masters of Sex, Season 1 Episode 10, “Fallout”!