Masters of Sex (Season 1)

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I'd been really wary of how this would turn out, but that first episode hit all the right notes. I like that it immediately introduced pretty high stakes to the research. Caplan and Sheen are compelling, and that bombshell at the end is a great way to confront the obvious while making it a nice quasi-cliffhanger. The vibe is a lot like Mad Men but with more talks about nipples and blowjobs instead of money and sales.

I'm going to be honest, though, I'm mainly super excited to see a show treating human sexuality as an equally important scientific/medical subject as the diagnostics and psychiatry.

Also, finally: an acclaimed cable drama that's not going to revolve around violence. Think about how incredibly rare that is.

Kind of a waste of Margo Martindale, though. I hope her character turns into something in the rest of the season.

A show called "Masters of Sex" starring Lizzy Caplan... how did I not know this existed?

Oh, apparently Showtime put up the pilot on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxoEZBjRacU

I dig the pilot. I hope they will build a larger ensemble, but it seems really promising. Certainly the best new thing I've seen this fall.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lizzy Caplan

Plenty of times on set, co-stars don't get along. And I cannot imagine that. Because when Masters and Johnson start taking on the research together, they do the wired-up version of having sex, meaning we have taped electrodes all over our bodies, and if you cover up in between takes, they all fall off, and it's an extra 20 minutes. And so we got used to just sort of sitting around in our birthday suits and having conversations about sports.

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Awesome.

I have had a crush on Michael Sheen since I saw him in Stephen Fry's Bright Young Things, so I have been anticipating this series with baited breath. First episode was okay, but I've learned not to put too much stock in pilots.

Seems like the perfect part for Lizzy Caplan.

I really liked episode 2.

A show about academic research that's heavy on gender relations? I'm sold.

I'm two eps in and will likely keep up with this one on a week to week basis. It was fun and I really like the two leads.

This is becoming tedious and obvious.

This week's episode was fantastic.

Best episode so far, probably, although the Pilot was great. I just hope they develop it. I really want to see Caplan's character independent of Masters for a good while before they inevitably reunite.

Yay, the Lady from The Leftovers! Jury's still out, but 2 episodes in and I'm loving it. The Dr. who is a Haircut is annoying, but I find the deadbeat dad pleasantly enjoyable. Decent acting all around, but Sheen and Caplan are certainly the standouts here.

With only a couple of episodes left in the season (we're on episode 10), I have to say that this is probably going to steal the New Favorite Show clean away from The Americans. In fact, given how complexly these characters have been drawn, I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes every bit as thoughtful and rich as Mad Men. Although many episodes are often so emotionally wrenching that it's a slough to get through, they haven't tackled a topic yet that wasn't compelling.

One thing that may separate Masters from other great TV shows on right now is the direction. Michelle Ashford deserves all the praise she's received for her guidance on the show. Exploring thorny sexual subject matter (dominate/subversive, ethics/social mores, etc.) isn't the easiest thing in the world and this could easily become a parody if the material wasn't handled with care.

Fortunately for us, every aspect of the show is operated with a deftness and grace that the story deserves. The cinematography is rich and supple, most likely informed by Edward Lachman's work on Far From Heaven. The acting is outstanding all around and has only become better with time. Beau Bridges and Allison Janney have been perfectly matched, every scene with either of them is heartbreaking. [

Show Spoiler

The scene in the bar where Margaret understands what's going on with Barton is utterly devastating.

] She is in top form and the control she has over this character is masterly (pun not intended, but happy coincidence).

The two leads, meanwhile, are wonderfully fucked up together. I could write pages about Sheen and Caplan, but that would get boring. Just go watch the show, if you haven't already.

Gonna' wait until I finish it to give it an official rating, but it'll probably end up getting ****/****(M).