Masters of Sex: Season 2, Episode 3 “Fight” (B-)
In concept, this episode is fascinating. Bill and Virginia get the chance to role play and invent exciting parts of their fake lives while discussing Bill’s childhood and his relationship with his father, a talk prompted by a very symbolic boxing match on television. The problem is that this show has lost the hypnotic allure it had in season one when this was all a mystery, and it wasn’t yet clear that Bill and Virginia would actually insert themselves into their study and manifest their lust-based relationship physically. Now, it doesn’t feel nearly as captivating, and though it’s still an intriguing and alluring hour, there’s something inauthentic about it. The focus on Bill and Virginia, designed to make sure that it’s hard to get out of the moment, neglected the rest of the show, forgetting about Scully, Libby, Austin, Betty, and everyone else. It’s clear that Bill has become so immersed in this fantasy part of his life that it’s consumed him entirely, and there is plenty to be analyzed about the conversation in which Virginia expressed her severe disappointment with the revelation of another woman in her seemingly perfect romance, a conversation she had while serving once again as the other woman, smiling pleasantly and chatting up Libby while chipping away at her marriage, ostensibly for the sake of science. Bill having to deal with a father concerned about his male child being too much of a girl was a far too literal connection, one that felt forced. This show has potential, but it’s not hitting home in the same way that it did during the first half of season one.
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