Masters of Sex

There's not much to review to this series, the background story its not new but very interesting, kind of unknown and accurate about the research of sexology by the gynecologist William Howell Masters, i have the chance to read 1 of his books long time ago in the school "Human Sexual Response" its good to learn about his work in this very different and entertaining way.

It is not a series for everyone as you already know the whole plot is about sex, and there's is a good quantity of nudity on the show.

In the start you can see that is really well made in all the technical and artistic aspect, and performed in the best way by all the actors, starting with the 2 best: Michael Sheen & Lizzy Caplan.

And thats it, is just the beginning of this promising series, as usual (here on IMDb) its not easy for me just put a number at the quality and effort of the peoples work specially with this one, cause perhaps it is too early to make a review, but i will rate it with 8 over 10.

If you have the time and age, you definitely should watch it.

In 1956, Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) meets Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan). He's a fertility specialist at Washington University in St. Louis. Barton Scully (Beau Bridges) is his mentor and Libby (Caitlin FitzGerald) is his wife. He's doing late-night sex research with the help of prostitute Betty DiMello (Annaleigh Ashford). Virginia is an ambitious twice-divorced mom former nightclub singer trying to get ahead. At first, she joins Masters as his secretary. Eventually, she joins him as his partner in groundbreaking sex research.

The subject matter is titillating and intriguing. It's also a history that many think they know but few know every detail. It's perfect for a little bit of fictionalization. Sheen and Caplan are magnificent. The supporting cast is terrific. There is compelling drama for a couple of seasons. I do like the kids in the third season although the new doctors in the fourth are troublesome. It would have been interesting to see how the show switches with conversion therapy. The characters got darker and darker with each season. It's a show with a ticking time clock built into it.

Masters of Sex is unique in the way it begins to grow on you even though you never thought it would. And, it is typified by none other than the lead character, Masters.

Michael Sheen plays the doctor obsessed with physiological interpretations of sex, who would go to almost any length to pursue his longtime dream. He is complemented by the beautiful Lizzy Caplan in the role of Virginia, Masters' street-smart secretary, who is not afraid to stand up to him, or to take matters in her own hand. The two are joined by the rest of the cast, which does an alright job, though it is hard to look past the performances of these two.

Back to Masters, Sheen shows his versatility as an actor again here. William Masters is condescending, arrogant and a cold character. Yet, Sheen plays him with such finesse, with so many layers, that you cannot help but get intrigued by Masters' haughty mannerisms. Sheen is brilliant here, and plays a diametrically opposite character to his Brian Clough from the Damned United, proving his incredible range as an actor. Take a bow, Mr. Sheen.

So, while you are caught up in the conflict whether to like William Masters or to hate him, Lizzy Caplan as Virginia is a welcome distraction. And, she too plays her character with great finesse. I haven't seen Caplan's past performances, but here, she is doing a terrific job.

The story is not too intriguing to begin with, but I believe the premise will grow on the public, especially because of the purely intellectual way Masters treats it. Not too sure how long they can rivet a story around the concept, but for the moment, the actors, well Sheen essentially, is what the show is worth watching for.

While Masters of Sex might not be a great show as yet, viewed strictly in terms of giving consumers something worth paying it's the equivalent of a master class in pay-TV development :) There's a lot of humor here, but it's more innocent than leering. And there's also a great deal of understandable awkwardness that seems as pertinent to 2013 to the '50s. It's an absorbing, beautifully acted story about science, emerging feminism and American culture. But it's also a gamble on the idea that great TV drama can involve stakes that are not sharpened to pointy tips. It was comforting to see that Masters of Sex has depth of vision and plenty of dramatic material to delve into without taking the easy way out with a nipple and a romp every 10 minutes :)

The show started out really good, but by the second season it lost its allure. If the show would have continued to focus on the research of sex it would have been good, but instead the focus of the show shifted to the personal lives of the main characters making the show exhausting to watch.