‘Masters of Sex’ episode 7 review: Bill and Virginia take the next step in the ‘study’

“Masters of Sex” is the sort of show that you watch, hoping for whatever reason that it is fiction even when it is not. We try to imagine that these people are not actually real people, and their stories have something interesting about them that we can guess about. Take, for example, the relationship between Bill and Virginia. We want to act like we are surprised that the two have started having intercourse together as a part of the study, just like we will want to act surprise when Virginia’s own feelings start to manifest themselves more and more.

But, none of it is a surprise. This is the way the history of these two is going to go. This is great news for those of you who like these two together, and terrible news for Libby. We feel worse for her than almost any other character on TV these days, at least in that she is a tortured woman who wants to be nothing more than a good wife and mother. Instead, Bill only is sleeping with her so that Virginia will continue to sleep with him.

There is a part of us that hates how this show by and large continues to perpetuate the terrible TV stereotype that all men are either cheaters or cads who are just out to sleep with anything and everything, but at the same time, these are simply the men that they are deciding to show we. We like to think that the faithful ones are simply perceived as “boring” and not getting the same sort of treatment in terms of airtime.

But the reason why we get so upset when it comes to the cheaters on this show is because we care. We care about Libby and don’t want to see her hurt, just like we care about what is going on with the Provost, even though he is a morally ambiguous man who hides his sexuality and therefore has no problem with his wife cheating. These are characters that are rich and incredibly-portrayed, and the era of the show, while well-done, becomes an afterthought. The show is not relying on its setting to prove its point.

In the end, “Masters of Sex” is proving itself as the best drama of the fall by a wide margin. Even though a few stories like Virginia’s hunt for a new secretary can at times feel a little too “trying for comic relief,” everything is so well-done and well-executed. While the subject matter may be graphic, there are few in television right now who are producing better work. Grade: A.

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Photo: Showtime