Masters of Sex - Premiere Review: Popping the Cherry

Episode 1 of Masters of Sex showcases the great acting talents of an awesome cast. Lizzy Caplan steals the show as Virginia “Ginny” Johnson, a secretary at a university hospital whose uncanny knowledge of the progressive world of sex in the late 50s catches the eye of Michael Sheen’s Dr. William Masters. Masters of Sex chronicles fictionally the true story of Masters and Johnson, whose pioneering work in the world of sexual science marked a new era of human understanding. The show begins in a time where babies are made, but no one has dared to do the research as to exactly how or why. Sexuality, even as a science, is considered perverted “smut” and is basically an unspoken taboo. Sex, as an act, remains locked behind closed bedroom doors, and the mere concept of no strings attached encounters is barely a thought. Here is the recap and review (but mostly review) of Episode 1 (the pilot) of Masters of Sex!

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

Virginia has been married twice, never for love but rather, for sexual necessity. One marriage “intervened” with her college plans, while another gifted her with two children. Masters is fascinated by her candid manor of discussing, say, why a woman would ever think to fake an orgasm, and inevitably hires her as his associate in an under wraps study of the human body’s response to sexual stimulation through the processes of intercourse and arousal. The show is, on the surface, about sex, yet much of the plot centers on the relationship between the physical act and love. Masters, on the surface, often appears rigid or detached to his work, but finds himself inevitably fascinated by the progressive world of sexual relations. He first learns of his unknowing need for a female partner in his research, the spot that is inevitably filled by Johnson, through the only accomplice seemingly willing to participate in his secret scheme, a brassy lesbian prostitute named Betty. William spends his nights clocking Betty’s sexual routines with men on a stopwatch. Masters’ research is firstly put to a halt by the head of the department, Barton Skully (Beau Bridges), whose initial decision to not approve the doctor’s proposal for board review stems from his adamant refusal to see his colleague’s brilliant legacy tarnished by perversion. Sex would not a Nobel Peace Prize win.

The cast is also strengthened with strong supporting performances from Caitlin Fitzgerald, Master’s wife, and Nicholas D’Agosto, Ethan Haas. Libby Masters is under the impression that she’s possibly barren, and struggles with the terrible burden of shaming her husband, a highly acclaimed doctor in the field of childbirth. Libby is as optimistic as she can be from the start, even praying before the actual act of sex, which ends up being as cold and lacking in passion as a common medical procedure. In fact, Dr. Masters even refuses to perform an actual fertility procedure on his own wife in favor of hospital protocol, leaving Libby to weep as his assistant, Haas, goes through the motions. Libby eventually finds some comfort in Virginia, oddly enough, who has already begun to bridge the gap between the couple by helping Dr. Masters to reshape his vision, transforming the concept of sex from nothing more than words on paper and a labor of marriage to something someone should actually want to do.

Maybe it’s even possible to enjoy sex, we come to learn through Virginia, who begins a casual "friendship" with Haas almost immediately after arriving in the office. One of the most interesting dynamics to watch over the course of the pilot was the rapid deterioration between Virginia and Ethan. Ethan is originally absolutely fascinated and enraptured by the idea of this beautiful and confident woman who teaches him the ins and outs of foreplay for the first time. A blow job blows his mind, but the mere concept of a “friends with benefits” type of a situation begins to wear on him, inevitably, and quite shockingly, driving him to his breaking point. By the end of Episode 1, he’s so “in love” with Virginia, who remains casually unattached, that he hauls off an hits her across the face in a moment of drunken stupor before referring to her as a “whore.” Herein lies the central battle of Masters of Sex. The boundaries are being pushed by movers and shakers in the world of science and sex, yet those willing to see advances in research and change the standards find themselves in a constant tug of war between being fearless pioneers and being labeled as perverted. Even Virginia’s confidence as a modern woman seems to buckle now and then, but the sight of, say, a woman who thought she’d never be with child announcing her pregnancy after a risky surgery by Masters is enough to convince her to keep on fighting.

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

Of course, the dynamic between William Masters and Virginia Johnson is at the center of the show, and the two compliment each other very well. Quiet nuanced moments behind her back alert us as viewers as to how intrigued William is by Virginia's potential, and her fascination with his groundbreaking work in the operating room and in his studies impresses her immensely. The two end up recruiting Jane (Heléne York) and Austin (Teddy Sears) from the office pool of secretly sexually “deviant” participants. Jane is a fellow secretary who loves to gossip about, well, boys, and Austin is another married doctor with an eye for attractive nurses. The two have their own chemistry while working through William’s procedures and tests, and even beyond the wires and contraptions recording their bodies’ reactions in a lab setting, they still manage to generate more heat than, say, the intercourse between Masters and his wife in an actual bedroom.

Showtime "Masters of Sex"

The pilot closes with Scully having a change of heart regarding Masters’ study. After witnessing for himself the nature of the work— by literally gazing inside the orgasm of a woman by using a specially crafted dildo camera — Masters and Johnson get the go ahead to continue their research publicly. Unfortunately for Virginia, Masters ended the premiere episode by callously suggesting that the two conduct their own “research” during the project’s run, leaving Johnson, yet again, feeling like a piece of meat rather than a valuable partner. Still, Masters has his own troubles that we’ve been clued in on. His total passion for his work has sapped the fire from his love life, and yet, the progressive women surrounding him have opened a whole new world. He’s excited and focused, but loses sight of emotion and feelings.

To close the review, Masters of Sex will be one of the best new shows of the 2013 fall season. It’s slickly shot and very well acted. Beyond that, this series is based on a true story, so we already know that the rest of it should be interesting enough. There’s something to be said about not having to fear a sudden crashing and burning of what has already begun as a stellar new show. The material is already there, and if the people writing and producing Masters of Sex play their cards right, they should most certainly "get lucky" for many Sunday nights to come.

Thanks for reading my recap and review of Masters of Sex, Episode 1, the pilot! Tune in tonight on Showtime, and let me know what you think of the series premiere!