Masters of Sex - Recap: Well, You Don't Know Me

Episode 11 of Season 1 of Masters of Sex, “Phallic Victories,” found Bill Masters (Michael Sheen) dealing with the loss of his partner, Virginia (Lizzy Caplan), and scrambling to continue the study on his own. Of course, his actual partner, Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald), ended up tending to his needs as his very pregnant wife. Meanwhile, a failed business trip for Virginia and Lillian (Julianne Nicholson) inevitably led to new advocates for Dr. DePaul’s project and a massive revelation that bonded the two women. Finally, Ethan (Nicholas D’Agosto) went form surgeon to glorified babysitter this week, but when Virginia’s children’s father, George (Mather Zickel), rolled back into town unexpectedly, the situation got even stickier. Here is the Recap and Review of Season 1 Episode 11 of Masters of Sex, “Phallic Victories”!

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

First, Masters dozed in and out of fantasy sequences this week, further amplifying the impact Virginia has had on his daily life over the past several months. Jane (Heléne York) did her best to live up to Bill’s impossibly high standards, even dealing quite adequately with being redubbed “Virg-Jane” amidst all of Bill’s apathy towards her. Libby, dropping in to spend some time with her husband during his busy work schedule, initially bumped into Ethan during his farewell speech. Feeling immense guilt over the fact that her pregnancy caused Haas his position at the hospital, she offered her sincere condolences before further offering her own services to Bill. She’s the new Virginia, everybody! Well, she’ll never be Virginia, which is what makes Libby such a compelling character. She truly has a “smile in her voice,” as new fellow Malcolm noted during Episode 11, and we’ve always known this. Her love for Masters shines through his icy exterior, whether he likes it or not, so it was interesting to find Libby voluntarily answering work phones for her husband this week, as Bill continuously imagined Virginia standing in her place. It’s a risky move for any series to vilify its main character this way, so I give props to Masters of Sex for taking risks in flawing most of its male cast so well. Good writing, storytelling, and acting can always trump a character’s un-likability.

With Ethan on board as her new dutiful boyfriend and babysitter, Virginia was off to a conference with Dr. DePaul. If you recall, Virginia had signed on as Lillian’s new secretary, offering her feminine touch to a study directed towards males but created for females. Lillian, who’s done her best to combat with her male counterparts, had found just the right companion to match her drive and ambition but to challenge her semi-frigid social skills. I found it fitting that Virginia managed to book Lillian the closing spot at the conference after the comedian dropped out because, honestly, I think she’s funny! At least, I get a kick out of her character’s incredibly dry humor and sarcastic comments. I think she's entertaining. Obviously, that does not a standup routine make, but I do enjoy her. In my opinion, her brand of coldness stands as a stark contrast to Bill’s. Perhaps it is the sense of a feminine vulnerability to her. This was highlighted tremendously later in Episode 11.

Bill’s work was entirely focused on preparing for his massive presentation of the study this week. Without Virginia, though, his mind was lost in numbers and the basic layout of his speech was sure to bore anyone listening. He was scheduled for failure. Remember, it was Virginia’s touch that brought this study to life in the first place. Now that she’s gone, Bill has reverted back to his charmless ways. Recognizing this with a little help form the phantom Virginia guiding him, Bill decided to focus part of his presentation on the relationship between penis size and pleasure. Unfortunately, only twelve women qualified as legitimate subjects, yet Bill proceeded anyway in an effort to capture the audience’s attention long enough to deliver the hardcore truths. Still, perhaps there was more to this specific new area of study that was weighing on Bill’s mind. Was he not good enough for Virginia? Revealing a false relationship between penis size and pleasure could mean shattering the realities of many men who never realized they actually needed to bring a certain x-factor to the bedroom in order to please. Was Ethan better for Virginia?

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

Speaking of Ethan, Episode 11 of Masters of Sex pitted Virginia’s new young beau against George, the father of her children. George, who showed up unexpectedly during Ethan’s overnight babysitting session, didn’t take too kindly to a new man watching over his children. The arc was actually more humorous than anything to begin with. The men squabbled over, well, who was manlier, annoying the kids to no end. Nobody likes their T.V. dinner disrupted! By the close of Episode 11, though, things got a bit more serious. George knows he hasn’t been the best father to his children, but the title seems to have always meant something. He isn't a bad person. More of the conversation turned to Virginia, both men’s weakness; however, George knew the Virginia of the past, a Virginia Ethan will never know. Ethan knows this new ambitious Virginia who seems to be more of a solo act than anything. The men ended their feuding with a handshake this week, though both seem to have lost something in the battle for Virginia’s heart. In truth, that piece of something was lost to Virginia.

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

After a bumpy bus ride and a night roughing it in a motel room with a random hairdresser, Dr. DePaul and Virginia arrived at the convention too late to share Lillian’s proposal. Lillian sat devastated in an empty conference hall, realizing that, at times, her own anatomy seems to betray her. Bill has a deal worked out with the hospital. If he brings in a significant amount of patients, he gets more money and funding for his projects. Lillian, recognizing this as a man “skimming off the top” rather than a doctor earning a legitimate keep, was challenged by Virginia, who refused to peg Bill’s standing in the hospital on his penis. Still, the skewed allocation of funds had cost them train tickets, essentially landing them in this unfortunate predicament. Virginia, thinking on her feet, cleverly drummed up the idea of chatting up the wives of the doctors who were too busy with golf to care. These wives, mostly women who’d met their men in the workforce, seemed eager to listen to Lillian’s proposal, and the pair left the conference they’d initially deemed a failure with new advocates for the cause.

On the bus ride home, Lillian further opened up to her new protégé, Virginia. It’s not a man this doctor wants, it’s a legacy. Will Virginia’s name ever end up on the cover of Bill’s research project? Will she even be mentioned? Dr. DePaul opened up about her terminal cancer, which has spread to her liver, and confided in Virginia that she will not live long enough to see the Pap smear project carried out in full. She needs someone who will carry on with her work and fulfill her legacy, and perhaps Virginia is that woman. I think this conversation was great on its own, but in comparison to the talk Libby and Bill had regarding his study, it was made even better. Bill just seems to be digging for knowledge. Lillian has a purpose beyond facts, and accolades, and merely learning.

Helping Jane to sift through the files of the study in order to pluck candidates for Bill’s shoddy new concept, Libby eventually became privy to the fact that one couple in particular had participated in the study over twenty times. Were they a married couple? Wondering about their story, Libby subsequently brought the information to Bill as they settled down to sleep. Bill, realizing that Libby was a hair away from learning the truth about his affair with Virginia, could barely answer his wife’s questions as she inquisitively attempted to become more involved in her husband’s work. Libby is an eternal optimist, it seems, so I’m not sure she actually suspected anything from this, but it’s only a matter of time. She constantly turns a blind eye out of love for her first love, and we're never really let in on how much of it is conscious on her part. More importantly, Bill couldn’t even answer regarding whether or not this “random couple” had fallen in love, proving to us that the conflict he’s facing has always been internal. It’s not merely an issue of dealing with emotions out loud with these women.

Virginia returned home to a very eager Ethan. Ethan, who’ admitted to George that he planned on proposing to Virginia soon enough, proclaimed his support for her dreams in bed that evening. Still, there was something to Virginia’s reception that clued us in to the fact that she’s not truly looking for a man to validate her dreams or to cut her slack right now. It was nice to hear Ethan voice his desire to become “a team,” but a sweet gesture is one thing. Especially after her discussion with Dr. DePaul, I can’t ever imagine Virginia settling down with someone like Ethan. I just don’t think the chemistry is there. If Masters of Sex wants Virginia to have a legitimate love interest, they’re going to have to write in someone new. Then again, that's not really what this show is about.

Episode 11 of Masters of Sex closed with Virginia recording a track in a carnival booth as Ethan and her children watched on in awe. Maybe Ethan can bring a bit of the old Virginia back into the picture. Can you have ever actually lose that special magic that allures others to begin with? Is it just that men don't understand what that truly means for Virginia? Isn’t her charm with people what has most helped to propel her in her work? By the way, the song Virginia sang to close out Episode 11 was "You Don't Know Me," a song written by Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker. The most popular version of the song was recorded by Ray Charles.

What did you think of Masters of Sex, Season 1 Episode 11, “Phallic Victories”? Are you ready for next week’s finale? Will Virginia keep working with Lillian or head back to Bill? Do you like the comparing and contrasting between the two? Is Ethan right for Virginia? Will the footage Bill is set to show during his presentation expose Virginia’s face next week?

Thanks for reading my Recap and Review of Masters of Sex, Season 1 Episode 11, “Phallic Victories”!