Tuesday, December 10, 2013

What I’m Watching: Masters of Sex


Masters of Sex: Season 1, Episode 11 “Phallic Victories” (C+)

I didn’t particularly like this episode, and I think it’s because some of this show’s plotlines are turning sour while others are going in unanticipated directions. Bill has become so immensely detestable that he has no redeeming qualities, especially because he’s surrounded by genuinely nice people who he treats horribly. Hallucinating Virginia a lot is an unfortunate device, since this show has been fairly straightforward in its depiction of forward-thinking researchers to this point, and now there’s an entire episode based around someone seeing a person who isn’t there and being endlessly distracted by her. However unrealistic it might be that Bill would actually allow it to happen, Libby volunteering in his office and learning about the study and its twenty-three-time participants was probably the episode’s most interesting plotline, and Libby continues to be the show’s best character. Virginia really is meshing well with Dr. DePaul, and it’s good to see her save their delay-plagued trip by going straight to the doctor’s wives rather than trying to meet them on the golf course. It’s sad to find out that Dr. DePaul has cervical cancer, though it does help to explain a lot about who she is and how she acts. Watching stay-at-home wannabe-dad Ethan engage in a verbal and emotional battle with George was rather silly, but not quite as ridiculous as the conclusion of their interactions, which found the eternally immature George actually extending an olive branch of sorts to Ethan with a few insults thrown in to boot. Let’s hope for a more fulfilling season finale.

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