Series synopsis
Masters of Sex is an American drama television series that premiered on Showtime on September 29, 2013. It ended on November 13, 2016. It was created by Michelle Ashford. It stars Michael Sheen, Lizzy Caplan, Caitlin FitzGerald and Annaleigh Ashford.
William Masters and Virginia Johnson are real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital to the cover of Time magazine and multiple appearances on Johnny Carson's couch. He is a brilliant scientist out of touch with his own feelings, and she is a single working mother ahead of her time. The series chronicles their unusual lives, romance, and unlikely pop culture trajectory.
Premise
William Masters and Virginia Johnson are real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital to the cover of Time magazine and multiple appearances on Johnny Carson's couch. He is a brilliant scientist out of touch with his own feelings, and she is a single working mother ahead of her time. The series chronicles their unusual lives, romance, and unlikely pop culture trajectory.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Michael Sheen as William Masters
- Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson
- Caitlin FitzGerald as Libby Masters
- Annaleigh Ashford as Betty DiMello
- Mariel Neto as Leslie
- Nicholas D'Agosto as Ethan Haas
- Isabelle Fuhrman as Tessa Johnson
- Teddy Sears as Austin Langham
Supporting cast
- Kevin Christy as Lester Linden
Guest cast
- Roslyn Ruff as Josephine May
- Margo Martindale as Miss Horchow
- Steve Rosen as Ernie Turk
- Johanna Day as Advisor
- Mary Jo McConnell as Desk Nurse
- Jeffrey C. Hawkins as OR Doctor #1
- Linda Marie Larson as Lois Tupps
- Danae Nason as Assisting Nurse #1
- Mark Rosing as Anesthesiologist
- Phil McGlaston as Worker
- Duncan Bindbeutel as Doctor at Party (uncredited)
- Roy Pollack as Upscale Party Goer (uncredited)
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 46 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 12 | September 29, 2013 | December 15, 2013 |
| Season 2 | 12 | July 13, 2014 | September 28, 2014 |
| Season 3 | 12 | July 12, 2015 | September 27, 2015 |
| Season 4 | 10 | September 11, 2016 | November 13, 2016 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pilot Dr. William Masters, Washington University’s foremost OB/GYN, runs a successful medical practice by day and conducts a secret study of human sexuality by night. Former nightclub singer Virginia Johnson joins the hospital secretarial staff and proves herself to be an asset to Masters’ work. |
September 29, 2013 |
| 2 |
Race to Space On the heels of Masters’ proposal that they participate in the sexual response study, Johnson considers the best course of action to keep her job – only to find she no longer has one. The study has been forced out of the hospital and Masters believes Johnson is to blame. As Johnson fights to save her job and struggles to care for her kids, Masters moves his study to a brothel. But Masters soon discovers that the chaos of the cathouse is unmanageable without Johnson’s help. |
October 6, 2013 |
| 3 |
Standard Deviation Masters and Johnson continue their research in the brothel but skewed data confirms that Masters must get the study back into the hospital. At the hospital, Johnson is surprised to learn that a distinguished new doctor on the OB/GYN floor is a woman who has no interest in female solidarity. Meanwhile, Libby struggles to conceive and Dr. Ethan Haas gets the case of a lifetime – a woman pregnant with quadruplets. |
October 13, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Parallax Masters deals with the ramifications of his disastrous presentation and being fired from the hospital. Meanwhile, Libby urges Masters to get another job; and Virginia fights off advances and innuendos stemming from the belief that she was the woman in Master's explicit film. |
July 13, 2014 |
| 2 |
Kyrie Eleison Masters begins a new job at Memorial Hospital under Betty's extortion terms only to discover that his boss insists he leave Virginia behind in favor of a handpicked secretary. Meanwhile, Johnson is torn between pressing Masters to rehire her and staying by DePaul's side as her condition worsens. |
July 20, 2014 |
| 3 |
Fight Masters delivers a baby with ambiguous genitalia and urges the parents not to surgically assign the child a sex out of fear or convenience. Meeting Virginia at a hotel for a secret rendezvous, the two of them divide their attention between sexual role-play and a championship boxing match, prompting Virginia to unearth the truth of Masters'' troubled childhood. |
July 27, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Parliament of Owls Masters and Johnson face the press for the first time. |
July 12, 2015 |
| 2 |
Three's a Crowd Masters takes on a high profile patient. Virginia and Libby come to terms. |
July 19, 2015 |
| 3 |
The Excitement of Release Masters and Johnson look to capitalize on their burgeoning fame. |
July 26, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Freefall In the wake of their fallout, Masters and Johnson search for purpose in a world without one another and look to work as their personal lives crash down around them. Libby finds herself alone for the first time since her marriage and discovers some unexpected allies. Season premiere. |
September 11, 2016 |
| 2 |
Inventory Masters and Johnson turn to new partners in an effort to put the past behind them and focus on their expanding clinic. Given their fractured triangle, Libby reevaluates her relationship with Bill and Virginia. |
September 18, 2016 |
| 3 |
The Pleasure Protocol Masters and Johnson adjust to new partners, but their respective cases have them second-guessing the instinct to remain separated. A romantic prospect pushes Libby to embrace life as a newly single woman of the sexual revolution. |
September 25, 2016 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Showtime |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 29, 2013 |
| Last aired | November 13, 2016 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | Canceled |
| Schedule | Sunday at 22:00:00 |