Masters of Sex - Recap: You Are Not Your Worst Part

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But "Kyrie Eleison" (which more or less translates to "Lord, have mercy") is much more interesting than I'm probably making it sound, thanks to a fairly captivating one-off story centering on a young girl named Rose (Ana Walczak) who is afflicted with nymphomania. She's brought to the hospital after passing out at home, only for Bill to discover that the girl has a punctured uterus as the result of a botched abortion. Her stunned mother is left to wonder how her daughter could have been pregnant without her knowledge, especially since she and Rose's father have gone out of their way to keep the girl locked in her room and away from boys. Before long, it becomes apparent that this has been a longstanding issue in the family, as Rose has a history of sneaking out with boys ever since reaching puberty, and she's apparently already had one abortion that her mother knows about. And yet, it's not entirely implied to be Rose's fault. As she explains to Bill, she feels as though she has a darkness inside her that thrives for release, and that the only way she can obtain relief is through intercourse. In her opinion, it's not that she's necessarily attracted to any of these guys, but rather that she has a dark impulse governing her actions. This is why she doesn't object when her mother demands that Bill perform a hysterectomy to sterilize the girl, since she thinks it will allow her to live a "normal" life. Even Bill's new boss at Gateway Memorial Hospital thinks he should comply (although it's implied that this is because Rose comes from a very wealthy family who might possibly make a donation at some point in the future).

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In short, the Rose story broke my heart, even as I could understand (to my own kind of horror) where her mother was coming from. I mean, I would absolutely be concerned if my daughter had two abortions, one of which I didn't even know about which nearly led to her bleeding to death. Of course, I wouldn't have "practically tied her to the bed" to keep her chaste, as her mother implies. But even if I wouldn't have gone as far as to order a hysterectomy, I would have been seriously, deeply concerned about my daughter's promiscuity. I guess the difference is in the sexual attitudes, i.e., "Have sex safely" vs. "Don't have sex at all because a lady who's not a whore doesn't do that." And the Rose story straddled the line between the two, in that her promiscuous impulses are explained as being of psychological origin, but she's still made to feel bad about having them. That's part of why it was so heartbreaking, in that there's an implied powerlessness there that isn't the same as Betty (Annaleigh Ashford) being raked over the coals by her mother for her life choices. For Rose, it probably doesn't feel like she has much of a choice at all. That's why the pep talk from Betty (who continually visits Bill everyday to keep up the charade of undergoing fertility treatments for her child-obsessed husband) is so poignant. Betty knows what it's like not to be able to have a child, and she also knows what it's like to be shamed for not being someone else's perception of a proper lady. Ashford is generally terrific as Betty, and is a subtle highlight of the episode, by not deflecting the creep advances of a former client, refusing to be defined by her past in the process, but also by going out of her way to make certain Rose knows that you have to stand up for yourself to be understood in the way you wish to be understood.

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Yet it's Bill's talk with Rose that brings the episode together, as he offers her an IUD to allow her to safely have sex without fear of getting pregnant, while also explaining to her that progress is being made in medicine every day. Bill cites that polio is expected to be eradicated in their lifetime, meaning it won't be much longer until the field of sexual psychology advances to the point where Rose's problem can be identified and treated. This moment serves two functions: it illustrates why the sex study is important in the world of the show, beyond just the curiosity in knowing what the body's physiological and psychological responses to sex will be. There are genuine scientific and medical reasons for why the study has merit, and why the outcomes it generates could have value. But these are being ignored by professionals who are afraid of the ramifications of endorsing a study seen as prurient by the medical community. However, this story serves another (admittedly less-important) function besides simply reiterating why it's important that Bill gets his study back off the ground. His off-screen advice that changes Rose's world view and sets her on the path to recovery -- "You're not your worst part." -- serves as a thesis under which the rest of the episode is organized.

For instance, much of Virginia's story revolves around her attempts to help Lillian (Julianne Nicholson), a person who is struggling not to be defined by the cancer that's slowly killing her. However, it becomes increasingly difficult, as Virginia insists on having Lillian do things she'd rather not do: for one, she talks Lillian into making a film explaining the practical application of pap smears, as opposed to simply drawing up informative pamphlets; when the time comes to make the film, Lillian has a break down as she's afflicted with a bad case of "word salad," failing to make any sense whatsoever. She cries in her office, and this is where Virginia decides Lillian is going to see her oncologist -- no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But once there, the doctor confirms what Lillian already knows. The cancer has metastasized, and she doesn't have all that long to live. "What good did this do?" Lillian asks Virginia of their visit to the doctor, but Gini is all about giving this cancer a fight.

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This marks the contrast between the two women: Lillian wants to leave a legacy before she dies, and doesn't feel she'll be able to if her colleagues allow her cancer to define her. However, Virginia's argument is that her cancer isn't what defines her, but how she responds to it. She can fight and maybe buy herself some more time to build her legacy, or she can ignore the cancer altogether as her professional life and existence slip away. It's a powerful subplot, and really, it makes sense for Virginia to be the one to make this sort of argument, since she's fighting for recognition in her own professional life: colleagues won't hold the door for her, Vivian (Rose McIver) thinks she's a stone-hearted tramp for breaking up her engagement to Ethan just to dump him, and Bill informs her that Greathouse doesn't want her working with Bill, under the belief that she lacks the credentials. Instead, he suggests a new secretary named Barbara (Betsy Brandt), who seems like a perfectly wonderful woman, but lacking in Virginia's passionate connection to the work. It's no surprise, then, that Virginia finds herself back with Bill by episode's end, retreating to the hotel to commiserate with the only other person who understands the tumultuous nature of what they do professionally, and the crushing loneliness of their personal lives.

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We also get other subplots, such as Libby becoming close with the new nanny, Coral (Keke Palmer), only to grow cold when Bill remarks on how nice it is to have someone "competent" around (implying that Libby herself somehow lacks the skills to care for their child and household). Of course, Bill is dealing with more than just the Rose situation this week, as he learns of Barton's suicide attempt from Vivian, who still doesn't know about her father's homosexuality. Bill breaks down after hearing the news, and I believe that knowing about Barton's struggles is why he suggests Rose fight her ailment as opposed to giving up and getting a hysterectomy, since a person doesn't have to be defined by the thing that ails them. If nothing else, Dr. Langham (Teddy Sears) already seems far ahead of the curve on that front. After getting called out in front of the entire hospital last week by his wife, who revealed over the intercom that he slept with his own sister-in-law, Langham has a "devil may care" attitude about it now, arguing to Virginia that it doesn't really matter what their colleagues think of them, since that's not really what their job is. It's kind of strange to think of Langham as the most enlightened person on the show, but this was the first week where I kind of enjoyed having the cad around.

Ultimately, by not only illustrating the worth of the sex study, but also by delving into the damaged personalities at its center, "Kyrie Eleison" carries the momentum of last week's premiere into this latest episode. But it does much more, in that it builds confidence in just how formidable this season of Masters of Sex stands to be. Here's hoping next week keeps up the pace.