BWW Recap: MASTERS OF SEX Looks Ahead to the Future in Their Season Finale

Here it is, folks. We've hit the end of the road for Season Two in another great season of MASTERS OF SEX. I can't believe it's over until next year! Let's savor these last few moments we have together and talk about all the twists and turns the season finale had for us.

Bill and Virginia are moving into the treatment phase of their research together, and I mean together. They engage in touching one another - just touching - and they manage to hit the various stages of arousal. It is the very first step on their way to actually helping people with sexual dysfunctions.

I loved the use of fantasy in this episode, with Bill imagining he and Virginia as John and Jackie Kennedy. He said in a previous episode that he wanted to be first, he wanted to be a pioneer, and it's clear that he wants to be first; to be responsible for America's sexual awakening, so to speak. And Bill goes to great lengths to make sure that it happens. Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of the one person he couldn't imagine hurting.

Virginia is in the middle of a custody battle with her ex-husband George. She faces plenty of repercussions if they actually go to court over it. Instead of bringing it that far, she gives in to George's request to have the children with him full-time. She thinks that when the documentary comes out on television, that's when she'll fight to get custody of her kids back from George. When she tells this to Bill, there's a look on his face that I recognized as, "Red flag, red flag, red flag. Something is WRONG."

And I was right. We get a surprise appearance from Barton! Barton at the bar. Barton is at the bar with Bill, and I couldn't be more excited to see him. I miss him and Margaret terribly. But he's at the bar to tell us that Bill's the one who pulled their documentary, allowing Dr. Kaufman to air his own documentary on a rival network. Their CBS documentary is canceled.

Not only does Dr. Kaufman have a rival documentary, but who is he working with? ETHAN! He is working with Dr. Ethan Haas. The look of pure shock on Virginia's face broke my heart. You can read her emotions all over her face. Not only is she feeling betrayal from Ethan and CBS, but with the documentary officially shelved she won't have the backing she needs to get her kids back.

And this is one of those moments in the show where you applaud Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan. Bill holds Virginia as she sobs, and you can feel their chemistry, even then. A relationship that started out as strongly sexual has developed into something else entirely, something intimate and loving. I cannot get enough of their dynamic.

So Bill contacted Barton to kill their own documentary and as a result, he's hurt Virginia's chances in the custody battle. Barton very succinctly observes that Bill goes after what he wants at the expense of others, despite saying that he never meant to hurt Virginia. He was supposed to tell her and didn't. Oh, Bill. They have their issues to work through, still, and I hope we'll be able to see more of these moments of openness and vulnerability with Bill next season.

Meanwhile, Libby is going through her own revolution. It's been six weeks, but she hasn't forgotten Robert, and seems to think about him often. Virginia and Libby have a great conversation on a park bench about their children, Libby making it very clear that she won't allow her social constraints to define who she is. I love this Libby. I love this Libby because she's the woman of today - going after what she wants, knocking on Robert's door at 2 in the morning, and being forthcoming about her feelings. She tells Robert that she knows Bill's having an affair! I'm curious if that's ever going to play out in a future episode, because I'd love to see it. Mostly, she's honest and open and... Hello, Libby! We love you. Stay forever. She and Robert are wonderful together, and I hope we see Jocko Sims again in Season Three.

One of the best lines from this episode goes to Flo and Austin in the following exchange:

Austin: "You know, intellectually, let me remind you, I went to medical school. I am also a doctor."
Flo: "One tends to lead to the other."

Flo's family have close ties to the Kennedy's and they even get to attend the inauguration. Austin tries to go and is immediately shut down. Even as he sits alone in the Cal-O-Metric office watching Kennedy's inauguration day, I still don't know where they stand. Does he want to use Flo now that he knows her political ties? Does he genuinely care and have feelings for her? Will they touch on this on season three so I'll get some answers?

America's coming into the golden age with Kennedy as President. America will be changing and those were the themes of tonight's finale. Barbara and Lester, despite having talked about having a non-sexual relationship, Bill finds their decision unrealistic, believing sex is as natural and essential to any relationship. I loved Bill's speech in the office to Lester but I really loved the last scene. Once again, Bill and Virginia are sitting together, in synch together as they explain there is a treatment for Lester and Barbara. It really speaks to what they're going to be exploring in the future and what direction their study is headed in. Most important, they're heading in that direction together as scientists and as partners. This entire speech is intercut with Kennedy's speech from his inauguration and he ends with the phrase, "The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." Bill and Virginia's study is the future, they will be pioneers in their field, and they'll be there together.

What'd you think of this year's season finale? Not as shocking and pleasantly surprising as last season's but it left me feeling incredibly optimistic for season three. I can't believe it's another year away! Why! Thankfully, Showtime On Demand exists. Until next time!

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