Masters of Sex - Review: We'll Always Have Paris

Episode 2 of Season 1 of Masters of Sex, “Race to Space,” continued to strike intrigue among us, the viewers. Today’s society is so heavily based on the concept of a fairytale romance. Love and sex are expected to work hand in hand to breed happiness. Masters of Sex is a series that takes us back several decades to a time when the concepts of an active sex life and a happy healthy marriage were separate entities. The mere idea of embracing sexuality from a personal perspective is so taboo that, for many, exploration is a turn-off. The idea of intimate foreplay, like oral sex, is far more risqué than actual intercourse, and social norms and moral codes are simultaneously dictated by and warped around what goes on between the sheets. I’m still going to keep this week’s recap more review based, as this is a new series and breaking down the core is somewhat more important at this point than sharing the plot detail by detail. Here is the Recap and Review of Masters of Sex Season 1 Episode 2, “Race to Space”!

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

To begin, I’m going to chalk it up as an unfortunate limit that resulted in creating a solid working pilot episode, but meeting Virginia’s (Lizzy Caplan) children this week, specifically her young son, added more heart to a show that was already driven by Caplan’s character’s charm. This series is constantly starting conversations about sex, yet we often forget what the actual purpose of the act is. Children are born, and unconditional love comes with the territory. Virginia is a classy modern woman who embraces her sexuality and enjoys the pleasures of sex, yet she’s never truly known romantic love. Her son, an adorable avid comic book geek, is a handful with all of his endearing quirks, but he’s taught her true love. In dedicating her time to the legacy she’s building with William Masters (Michael Sheen), she, in turn, sacrifices time with her children, gifting said moments to babysitters she can barely afford to keep.

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

Episode 2 began the Monday following Dr. Masters’ suggestion to Virginia that the two partner up as participants in their own couples study. Virginia, feeling uncomfortable yet torn, oscillated throughout the episode between wanting to please her boss and respecting herself as a woman. She’d have time to truly think, though, as the head of the department, Scully (Beau Bridges) had a sudden change of heart regarding his approval of the project following the realization that actual intercourse was going on behind closed hospital doors. Studying an individual is one thing, but actual sex between a pair was another. Masters, perhaps incorrectly, pegged his former protégé, Ethan Haas (Nicholas D’Agosto) for squealing secrets to the higher ups, punishing Virginia for her indiscretions as a result. Virginia seemed to have found herself out of a job just as quickly as she’d lucked into her position, and much of Episode 2 centered on both her coming to terms with the fact that she might not be able to support her beloved children and her struggle to win back William’s approval.

Haas, for what it’s worth, denied any and all claims that he was to blame for the project's failure, profusely apologizing to Virginia for his absolutely heinous drunken behavior that transpired during the pilot. If you remember, he’d become so enamored with his “friend” that he hauled off and slapped her for not reciprocating his feelings outside of an industry event. This week, Haas would spend his time on our screens attempting to match his affection for Virginia with new "love" interests. He’d first strike out with another nurse who was nowhere near as open to experimenting in the bedroom as Virginia. Later, he’d end up getting lucky (?) with a promiscuous girl from the office who’d earned her dirty reputation, according to what we’d witness. The scene in which the two fooled around in Haas’ car, to me, was important because it showcased the difference between Virginia, in all of her confidence in her sexuality as a woman, and the kind of a woman who’s probably lacking in true self-respect. He’s infatuated with Virginia because of the world she’s opened his eyes to, yet he barely understands any of it.

Most of the focus surrounds Virginia’s relationship with Masters, but the supporting cast of Masters of Sex most definitely deserves some applause. Masters’ wife, Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald), continued to be just as endearing and heartbreaking this week. She maintains a positive attitude towards her infertility, left completely in the dark regarding her husband’s own sexual issues, yet she blames herself for her William's cold demeanor towards her. Masters, who is quite obviously intrigued and interested in sexual studies, has a very different attitude towards sex within his own marriage. You would think that he’d enjoy exploring and taking advantage of the fact that he has a wife who is ready, willing, and able to be with him intimately; however, that gap has not yet been bridged. He doesn’t see sex as romantic, at least, not sex within his marriage. If anything, he sees it as a reminder that, as Haas has put it, he’s most likely “shooting blanks.” His sperm count is low, it seems, but it is his wife who is unnecessarily probed and prodded in a hospital, forced to undergo fertility treatments to perpetuate his silence. Funny enough, manhood is still tied to sex, even if sex isn’t tied to pleasure quite yet. By the end of this week’s episode, Libby was requesting Haas as her doctor, refusing to mix her home life with her medical regime.

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

Jane (Helene Yorke) and Austin (Teddy Sears) are also an interesting duo to watch on screen. If you recall, they were the primary test subjects in the couples research Virginia and William performed last week. Genuine chemistry developed, but the closing of the program seemed to nip things in the bud, at least for Jane. Married man Austin, on the other hand, continued to pursue Jane from outside of the study. I appreciate that Masters of Sex gave us another example of a woman who’s modern and progressive but respects herself. Jane refused to continue sexual relations with a married man, quoting The Second Sex to remind us all that power in sex comes from respecting yourself and your body. The women bring the strength and heart to this series, educating the men regarding what sex can truly mean.

Perhaps my favorite arc during Episode 2 surrounded Betty the prostitute (Annaleigh Ashford) and her quest for love. After having his project removed from the hospital by Scully, William decided to take his study straight to his initial source. At Betty’s quaint cathouse, William would attempt to keep his experiments going in secret, yet the lack of a female partner following Virginia's firing proved to, once again, hinder his work. Betty is a fantastic character. She brings humor and light to the screen, and I love that this show makes sure to clue us in to her street smarts. Pairing a clever and cunning hooker with a mostly clueless doctor makes for priceless television moments. Over the course of Episode 2, Betty would blackmail William into helping her build a more legitimate life for herself, yet we wouldn’t know why until the closing moments of the week.

During a time when sex was barely spoken about, a cathouse full of prostitutes was, as Virginia came to discover, a veritable encyclopedia of information. The women didn’t necessarily trust Dr. Masters, yet Virginia’s womanly charms eventually convinced the ladies to participate in the study, even after a police raid previously saw the entire house, Masters included, locked away for a bit. The prostitutes bring heart to the show. Watching Dr. Masters offer them free physical exams in addition to payment was a nice touch, especially after watching him cure one girl’s “brain tumor” with a pair of eyeglasses. If you’re going to make a show about sex and science, heart is required, and heart is brought forth by humanity.

Betty, in truth, was looking to reverse the procedure she’d had done that prevented her from having children. Dr. Masters initially refused, yet a conversation between Betty and Virginia might have changed his mind. Betty had met a man in church, of all places, a man that could promise her a cushy life with lots of children. Betty is, of course, a lesbian, and she’s in love with a woman, yet the idea of having children seems consuming. Virginia understood this struggle, recognizing the kind of invaluable love a child can gift a parent. Now, this is a very interesting concept brought up by the show. Today, it seems that a healthy sex life within a relationship is key in building love brick by brick. During the time period in which this show takes place, sex seems to be merely a procedure. The series is about the brink of breakthroughs on sex. Within the realm of Masters of Sex, it almost seems as though true love couldn’t exist until Masters’ future studies informed the world of the importance and normalcy of sex. Virginia, who’s been married twice, has never known love save for the love of her children. It seems strange, as a viewer, to watch a woman like Betty as she considers sacrificing true romantic love for the mere hypothetical concept of children. We don’t know this Helen, but thus far, Betty’s relationship is the only one grounded in love that we’ve witnessed.

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

For now, Virginia has her job. She proved herself to be an invaluable partner to Masters. Episode 2 closed with Virginia reading the final issue of Race to Space, the story she simply didn’t have time to share with her son amidst her grownup struggles.

What did you think of Masters of Sex Episode 2, “Race to Space”? Do you like the questions the show is raising regarding sex, science, and love?

Thanks for reading my Recap and Review of Masters of Sex Episode 2, “Race to Space”!