Since The Sopranos, television drama has been in a violent-driven era. In terms of violence, television is flooded with adult content. And yes, there has been sexual adult content to a certain extent. Game of Thrones is the first show that comes to mind. But sex just happens to be in those shows. They do not revolve around it. With two monumental antiheroes, Dexter Morgan and Walter White, making their exit on the small screen, millions of television watchers are looking for the next big thing. And I promise you, Masters of Sex will be that thing. It's opening up so many doors in the television world: protagonists who are not heroes, are not antiheroes, but just naturally interesting and compelling. The television industry has gotten comfortable with using violence as a means for capturing viewers. And yes, it works. But we have to get out of this slump and continue progressing in television. Masters is going to do exactly that.
When I first heard that the show is about a sex study in which the two researchers actually observe sexual activity, I thought, "Okay, so Showtime picked up some extremely plot-elaborated porno...?" I had no plans on giving it a try. But after hearing such high remarks on the show, I decided to be brave and watch the pilot, which was released online two weeks before the premiere. I am very adamant about my three episode rule. When trying a new show, I have to watch three episodes before making any judgement, allowing sufficient time for them to show me what they've got. But halfway through the pilot, I was sold. It was nothing like I expected.
Masters successfully dove into the other half of adult content, and respectfully too, I might add. The show diverts from the real sexual graphicness that we assume we'll find. It takes place in the last 50s, a time so sexually clueless. William Masters is not a pervert, though risking the reputation, he's a scientist who believes we should be more aware of the way our body works. Secondly, the actual study is far less erotic than one would think. The study is conducted in a research hospital, so the lighting is not exactly sexy. Plus, the subjects in the study are hooked up to a bunch of wires, which actually is somewhat science fiction-esqe.
What I find so interesting is that we know where the show going. It isn't very hard to type the researchers names into Google and find out that they end up getting married. But it really doesn't seem to matter. It actual makes it all the more interesting to watch where they started and how their relationship, both professionally and romantically, grew over time. There's also no hiding how influential the study was. It was a major contributor to the openness of sexuality in the 60s and the feminist movement in the 70s. But quite frankly, those details make the story that much more appealing.
It's fascinating to see William Masters pioneer this study as he is very typical for a man of his time, even to an extreme when it comes to the way he interacts with women. He had no idea what he was about to discover and how that would completely change our society. His partner, Johnson, is also a fantastic character. She can almost be considered the first feminist. Johnson doesn't follow traditional ideas. For example, she doesn't understand why love and sex have to go together. Watching a woman without a degree be so vital to this study, where she finds herself becoming an equal partner and not an assistant, is really awesome. Not to mention, Sheen and Caplan are fantastic actors.
Masters of Sex is extremely refreshing to watch. It's a show about sex and birth and love, not war and death and rivalries. Hopefully it sets a new era of television drama, with stories that are naturally compelling without the need for darkness. I don't think the show will be for everyone, but it's definitely worth giving a chance. It officially premieres this Sunday at 10 pm on Showtime.
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