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- SHOWTIME
- Jul 12, 2015
- SHOWTIME
- Jul 12, 2015
Summary Masters of Sex is a Showtime series features Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles their unusual lives, romance and pop culture trajectory, which saw them go from a Midwestern teaching hospital to the cover of Time magazi...
- SHOWTIME
- Jul 12, 2015
- SHOWTIME
- Jul 12, 2015
Summary Masters of Sex is a Showtime series features Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles their unusual lives, romance and pop culture trajectory, which saw them go from a Midwestern teaching hospital to the cover of Time magazi...
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 15 Critic Reviews
72
67% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
33% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 15 Critic Reviews
72
67% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
33% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
In season three, it’s clear the complex web of relationships will deepen and tangle even further. The show’s writers continue to craft the story with expert care, giving each character moments to shine. Masters of Sex continues to be a Sunday TV must.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 51 User Ratings
6.2
63% Positive
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
14% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
24% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 51 User Ratings
6.2
63% Positive
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
14% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
24% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
I have to admit, I have not been what one could call a "fan" of MOS, but I´ve always liked it for its enthralling performances, good writing and confidence in bordering the thin line between fiction and the realism of a period drama. The first two seasons pulled all that off without many things to criticise and Sheen & Caplan succeeded in carrying the show. So what is different now? Well, the biggest problem for me was that MOS wants you to believe that such an enormous time-jump is possible without the characters changing their persona very much, what is simply not believable in a dialogue-heavy show that tries to draw exact portrayals of them in the most nuanced ways possible. After countless times bordering divorce and psychological showdowns between Caplan and Sheen, this just doesn´t feel realistic to me, a feature that MOS always boasted, even in its weaker moments. The second big problem , and it sadly coheres with the time-jump again, is that the period drama and thus the over-arching narrative seems to be pushed in the background for the sake of finally showing the audience the research. But that´s just not right, how shall I believe and witness the heavy impact of the research when most of the other peoples´ perspectives and thus the whole platform for the controversial narrative gets ignored and pushed out of focus. The one thing that made me like MOS in the first place was that Sheen & Caplan were misfits in their society for breaking new ground in a conservative time while still the perspectives of the conservative persons were explained and depicted as reasonable. It was not just black and white, not just S&C versus the world. And now that the third season is around, I should believe exactly that, that four years and presumably countless conversations with conservatives and cultural changes later, S&C are exactly the same as when Season 2 ended? Sorry, but this time-jump just seems too hastily executed for me to play it down as just an initial hump...
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SEASON 3
Masters of Sex is highly watchable, not fact. If you understand that, you’re going to enjoy it much more.
When Masters stops himself from punching Johnny, Sheen--who has the least showy role here--has his finest moment. The exquisite Caplan, on the other hand, is given many chances to shine, and doesn’t let any of these moments slip away.... Season 3 promises to be the show’s wildest year yet.
While the time jump may be troubling, the real issues tarnishing the luster of this once-sterling series are a loss of focus and an increasingly heavy hand when it comes to illustrating the complexities of Master's and Johnson's odd relationship.
The effect of the repetitive, lurchingly-paced first couple of episodes is to frequently reduce the previously excellent performances of Sheen and Caplan to a collection of tics.
Season 3 is pushing harder to pop--with both color and threesomes--the show still doesn’t quite cohere into a compulsively watchable story.
I have been a fan of "Masters of Sex" since it debuted. I love the nuanced performances from Lizzy Caplan and Michael Sheen. But the second season felt a bit uneven, and the first episode of this third season -- which makes a large time jump -- continued that disconnect. The acting is still great, and I still care about these characters, but it feels like the overall narrative has slipped a bit.
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SEASON 3
This marks the season that Masters of Sex completed its transition into a full-blown soap opera. It's all about who's in love with who, who's cheating on who, who's jealous of who. The plot turns became more melodramatic and contrived than ever. The production values and strong cast are still there, and there's still a great scene every once in a while, but this series desperately needs a stronger narrative direction.
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SEASON 3