Masters of Sex

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.

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.

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 title "Masters of Sex" works on many levels and the creators of the show are well aware of the attention that this title will draw. This show is about the first scientific research in the area of sex based on the Masters and Johnson studies, who are the protagonists of the story set to the backdrop of the late 1950's at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The set design is just about right and it very accurately represents the theme and ideology of the time. The characters are sketched out perfectly and there is no dearth of good acting performances with Michael Sheen stealing the show for his portrayal of the incredibly complex William Masters. The main part of the show is of course the study of human sexual response which implies a lot of mature content. These scenes, however tastefully done, may be a little too strong for the average viewer but if one can get over the explicit content, one can see their relevance to the plot. The story still seems a little empty at certain times but can be expected to fill up as it progresses with the introduction of new characters. All in all, a very well presented and unique show.

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.