If You've Ever Wanted to See the Inside of a Vagina, Have I Got the 'Masters of Sex' Episode for You!

By Dustin Rowles | TV | November 18, 2013 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | November 18, 2013 |

Worst Proposal Ever — We’ll start with this week’s C-plot, because it was the most direct line into the episode’s theme: Marriage. Specifically, marriage as a harmful co-dependent relationship. Dr. Haas decided it was time to propose to Vivian. Was it because he feels passionate about her? Not really. It’s because marriage means status and stability, and a wife that can help to foster Ethan’s ambition, nevermind that poor Vivian gets sucked up in Ethan’s ego. She’s anxious to say yes, and in way, repeat the mistakes of her mother by marrying a man who may feel love for her, but little passion.

Worst Date Ever — Speaking of a lack of passion, things between Margaret and Austin came to an end this week, after Margaret’s emotional affection for Austin drove him way (expectedly). But that didn’t change the dynamics of her marriage to Barton; he still doesn’t view her in a lustful way (for obvious reasons), and Margaret easily detected as much when Barton didn’t even look at her body, despite her nudity (topless Allison Janney!). By episode’s end, Barton had asked Margaret on a date, and Margaret had asked Barton for a divorce, unable to continue in a marriage without passion.

Worst Idea Ever — Would Margaret feel differently if she knew that Barton was gay? Maybe. Or she may feel even more betrayed by the fact that she wasted 30 years on a husband who was never going to feel any passion for her. Barton, however, does love and depend on Margaret, and he’s willing to go to whatever lengths possible in order to keep her, even if that means aversion therapy to purge the gay away. Barton’s boy toy, however, wants no part of it. “There’s only person that gets to be sickened by me,” he says. “And that’s me. Everyone else can go f**k themselves.” Right on.

Worst Husband Ever — Meanwhile, Austin Langham continues to be the worst husband ever. He dumps poor Margaret, and tries to repress his guilt by ultimately having sex with the woman who works at the jewelry shop he went to in order to buy his wife earrings to make up for the fact that he’s a complete cad. Austin also rejoined the study, because he’s clearly a nymphomaniac and will stop at nothing to get his jollies. If this were a different kind of show, I’d be rooting for his poor put-upon wife to murder Austin.

Worst Feminist Ever — Ginny begins to conclude that she should not trust in Masters to carry her through her career for the rest of her life, and that she should find a way to ensure she can stand on her own in the absence of Masters. She takes an anatomy class with Dr. DuPaul, who remains chilly with Virginia, although by episode’s end, DuPaul reluctantly comes to respect her. The interplay between Ginny and DuPaul is absolutely brilliant, in that Ginny has the perfect rejoinder to every DuPaul insult, and it’s easy to sense a budding camaraderie built on their similar struggles as women. For now, however, Masters is trying to prevent Ginny from gaining her education, because he doesn’t want her to leave him, because he’s a controlling prick. DuPaul, sadly, is taking Masters’ side because she puts her own interests ahead of the sisterhood, so to speak, instead of asking Ginny to follow the trail she’s blazed.

Look, Ma! A Vagina! — As far as the study goes, Masters and Johnson made headway this week by using Lester Linden, their unwitting documentarian, to retrofit a camera inside of their glass dildo to film the inside of Beav St. Marie’s (Jane) vagina while she was experiencing an orgasm.

This is what that looks like.

You’re welcome.

Worst Tango Ever — Finally, Libby fosters a relationship with a widowed black handyman, who teaches Libby how to do the Tango. In public, however, Libby affords him only slightly more respect that the rest of white America in the ’50s. “Oh, he’s not my boy. He’s uh, he’s the handyman.” Jerk. Anyway, by episode’s end, we find out that Libby is pregnant again, which I was much happier about before Libby treated her black friend like garbage. Walter was charming, damnit.