Thursday, July 24, 2014

What I’m Watching: Masters of Sex


Masters of Sex: Season 2, Episode 2 “Kyrie Eleison” (B)

This episode was interesting, to be sure, but this show seems to have lost some of its signature flair and in particular the manner in which it felt like it was really a product of its time period. Part of that is due to the fact that Bill has only negative things to say or do and no longer has the opportunity to get excited about the work he is doing. Along the same lines, Virginia was understandably upset that she couldn’t be a part of Bill’s new study because she doesn’t technically have the qualifications, and meeting his new secretary didn’t help matters at all. Bill’s banter with Betty, while harsh, was actually the most enticing part of the episode, and she’s a pretty wonderful character. Her unconventional pep talk to Rose was just what was needed, and her less serious interactions with Bill and with his flummoxed secretary were truly entertaining. Austin’s attempt to woo Vivian was met with miserable failure, and he only had success with Virginia since she’d never fall for him and she can’t really become much more of a social pariah at this point. Motherhood seems to have turned Libby, who was the show’s strongest character in season one, into a harsher person, getting fed up by the incessant crying and then rudely correcting her new nanny’s pronunciation of the word “ask.” Virginia continues to be a good friend to Lilian, whose condition seems to be deteriorating but won’t stop her from indulging a peculiar craving for pizza.

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