Tuesday, November 8, 2016

What I’m Watching: Masters of Sex


Masters of Sex: Season 4, Episode 8 “Topeka” (B+)

There was a lot going on in this episode, and it’s hard to know what’s going to change as a result. The main development that threatened to shake things up was Nancy’s behavior immediately after Bill and Virginia walked out the door. While she and Art do have their own qualifications earned well before starting their short stints at Masters and Johnson, the fact that they would be going out on their own to open up a separate shop while the partners are away specifically going after competitors who have poached their work and their approach to sex feels like a real betrayal. Nancy’s conversation with Art about their swinging also had an air of inauthenticity to it despite their intimacy, and she’s evidently trying to blame him for not being satisfied with the arrangement she has created. She’s determined to get ahead, and with an investor who loves pulling the trigger on business investments, she’s likely to go far while Art remains behind in what is, for him, far more fulfilling work. Guy is no Betty, and therefore with the bosses away, Austin tried to set up shop with his penis pump, which prompted a spiteful Lester to lash out at him and then tell Guy about how this work has affected him. Seeing Bill and Virginia in costume talking the researchers played by real-life couple Stephen Root and Romy Rosemont was really something, and what an ending to the episode that was. The look on Virginia’s face when she found out that Dody was in the motel room with Bill was intense, and that scene was framed in such a dramatic way to emphasize the strength of her feelings. Good for Libby for asserting herself and making waves, and I’m eager to see her legal skills at work.

No comments: