Please note: English is not my first language.
This week, Masters of Sex is in continuation of "Fight" and maintains this greatness. The episode wasn't as brilliant as last week's, but it was still satisfying.
I chose "Invisible" as the title of this review because it is what comes out here to me. Virginia and Bill both want to make their voices heard, but nothing seems to happen. It is the same for Libby, she still believes in her marriage, but she is unhappy. This is why at the end of the episode, she cries and yells at Bill : "You have a wife and a child who depend on you, does that mean anything?". Besides, I think it is interesting to first talk about Libby because her character becomes more and more important.
The racial storyline is just getting started and let's hope it evolves well (I'm confident). Once again, the series develops a social subject with depth and realism. It is not melodramatic. The scenes shared between Libby and Coral are tough to watch. On the one hand, Libby tries to be nice with Coral, telling her that they are the ones who are going to raise her baby, but on the other hand, she is giving her orders. Libby wants to dominate Coral. In a certain way, we could say that it's her way to feel powerful because she knows that she has no power over Bill. But her behavior is unacceptable, intolerable and incomprehensible. The way she humiliates her ("She didn’t ask for your whole life story") ugh... She identifies herself differently from Coral. She blames Coral for all of her problems. The baby has lice... Coral's fault! It can only be her. I must admit that I wanted to get up from my couch and slap Libby. I think that's why I really appreciate this storyline, it is realistic.
Keke Palmer never ceases to impress me. Her career is blowing up. She will soon have her own talk show and she has just signed to play Cinderella on Broadway. I suggest you read an excerpt from an interview she gave to YahooTV :
"The show's writing is amazing. With this season, going into the racial issues back in the day, the writing is absolutely impeccable because it's a very honest side, to each side. To be a part of this… I was really excited. After the table reads, I'm like standing up, clapping — and they're all used to this amazing writing, but I'm like, 'You guys are unbelievable. This writing is ridiculous!' It's real. The person who wrote it wasn't African American, and I told her, 'I really appreciate the way you wrote this — it's so honest and you told the other side really well.' When you think about that time, that's how it was — the idea that you can't connect with someone because they look different than you. Even today. It's not so much racial anymore — I mean, we still have racial stuff but with my generation and the generation under me, that's diminishing — but there's still the idea that 'We're different, so we can't agree and we can't coexist.' But that's what life is all about. Coral has a silent strength. She's the type of character that will teach Libby a lot, without saying too much. There's another aspect of Coral's life that's coming up… you get to see another chapter of Coral's life that introduces a whole different dynamic into Dr. Masters and Libby's relationship. When it all goes down, just know — I tried to prep you! [Laughs.] The show really did give me an opportunity to be a part of something really magical. This season is going into the racial issues of that time, the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, and I loved being a part of that, acting that on such an elegant show. And there's more, hopefully, to come from this storyline — not necessarily in this season, but in more seasons."
Betty's secret is out. Pretzel King knows that she's infertile, but he also knows that she was not "a good christian", he had met her before ... in the brothel. He also discovered she never had fertility test, that she was lying the whole time. He explains to her that he married her for who she is and was. Is their relationship in jeopardy? We don't know yet, but the scene over dinner was great and shows how much the show grows and changes and develops over time. Masters of Sex is one of these shows with a storyline that is impossible to explain to a first time viewer. The characters have been through a lot in only 16 episodes.
On her side, Virginia continues to sell slimming pills. She doesn't follow the script anymore, and succeeds. She knows she has to. Bill has still not rehired her because his new hospital doesn't want her, considering she's just a secretary. Her relationship with Lillian is also changing and takes an unexpected way. Indeed, at the beginning of the episode, Austin, separated from his wife, caught Bill and Virginia leaving the hotel together. He tells her what he saw, but Virginia explains to him that it was just for the study, there's nothing else between Bill and her. Bill has doubts, he does not think Austin believed her. Then, Austin spends some time with Lillian and a bottle of alcohol. He said he knows that they are sleeping together and wonders how he could have been so blind all this time. This small bombshell destroyed Lillian / Virginia friendship. Lillian who shared her secrets to Virginia knows that she cannot trust her anymore. She realizes that Virginia will always care more about Bill than her. Her study is not Virginia's first priority. She commits the worst mistake of her life. She gave her study to another doctor. Like me, Virginia is in shock at the news. What's next for them?
This week, Michael Sheen gave us another striking performance. He was brilliant. The scene where he's facing Austin who's telling him he knows everything, the fight, and in the last scene with Libby were the best scenes in the episode. He played a lot of emotions in that episode, and they were all well-done and nicely portrayed. Give him an Emmy!
Without Virginia, Bill cannot continue the study. She is as necessary as he is to the study, they are a team. The working conditions are different in this hospital, his study stirs many curious minds, including his new boss. After realizing he could never advance if he remained here, he punched his new boss. The episode ends with a cliffhanger which could change the direction of the rest of the series, or at least a change of atmosphere and it already looks exciting.
Note : 6.5/10 - A very good episode based on trust, where the struggles of the characters are the same: can we trust people? The similarities between the characters are too numerous to ignore, but done subtly. The entire cast was fantastic, special mention to Michael Sheen.
Now, it's your turn! What did you think of the episode? Hit the comments!
