spoilers.
It makes a certain amount of sense that the poster for [easyazon_link identifier=”B00U3UKXSG” locale=”US” tag=”londonthoug-20″]Masters of Sex[/easyazon_link]season three hints at a happy polyamorous threesome. And as this season opens up, it does seem that Old Doc Master’s long suffering wife has come to accept his mistress as a member of the family. But as we zip throuh this first episode with shock after shock falling in rapid succession, we find that the happy trio doesn’t share a bed and that Bill continues to do his best to make everyone around him miserable.
The show is spilt between an annual vacation at a cabin and a press confrence where Bill and Virginia proudly defend their new book to a roomful of critics. Human Sexual Response is critized for being a little too much like a textbook, but still is viewed as an important work whose time has come. Virginia is overly emotional and flees the room a couple of times. We find out in the finial shocking moment why. She is pregnant.
We see that Bill and Libby now have two children. I was a bit shocked to see that the second one wasn’t black. When last we saw Libby, her only lover was a black man. He isn’t even mentioned in passsing. though we do see him for a moment in the Previously On Masters of Sex scenes. Virgina’s two kids are now adults and both are exploring their sexuality. Yes, this is still Masters of Sex and we do have a few shots of naked people and a few seconds of frantic sexual activity.
Episode one is jam packed with moments that needed more attention than they got. Such as when Viginia’s drunk daughter strips down and kisses Bill and he just leaves her in the bathtub. And how did the 4’8″ 70 lb coke bottle glasses wearing nerd manage to join the Army? And what happened after Libby planted that kiss on Virginia?
A few familar faces return as Bill and Virginia’s co-workers, but for the most part this feels like a whole new series. We hop forward in time a few years, new actors are playing the kids, and success finally appears to be around the corner.
In short, it appears that all the important stuff in this story has already been told and we have a season of family bickering to look forward to. I could have done without The Kids in the pervious seasons, I sure as hell don’t want them to the focus of the story.
Masters of Sex is still a great looking show and the acting is still very good. It does enter into more fictive waters.
“This program is about the important achievements of Masters and Johnson. The children Tessa, Henry, Johnny and Jenny are entirely fictitious.”
I’ll still watch to see what happens.
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