Masters of Sex

2013 • Showtime
4.2
2.1K reviews
TV-MA
Rating
Eligible
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Seasons 1-4 episodes (46)

1 Season 1, Episode 1, Pilot
9/29/13
Season-only
Noted obstetrician Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) teams up with divorced mother Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) to conduct pioneering research that unleashes the sexual revolution.
2 Season 1, Episode 2, Race to Space
9/29/13
Season-only
When he's forced to relocate his study to a St. Louis brothel, Masters (Michael Sheen) has no choice but to rehire Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) in order to make things work.
3 Season 1, Episode 3, Standard Deviation
10/13/13
Season-only
As Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) bristles at the hiring of a new female doctor, Masters (Michael Sheen) worries that conducting their study in a brothel is jeopardizing the results. Haas (Nichols D'Agosto) fights to be allowed to deliver quadruplets.
4 Season 1, Episode 4, Thank You for Coming
10/20/13
Season-only
Painful memories of his childhood cause Masters (Michael Sheen) to question his own his ability to be a good father. Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) is surprised by the arrival of her ex-husband.
5 Season 1, Episode 5, Catherine
10/27/13
Season-only
As Masters (Michael Sheen) is haunted by memories of his childhood traumas, Haas (Nichols D'Agosto) looks to advance his career by dating Scully's (Beau Bridges) teenage daughter.
6 Season 1, Episode 6, Brave New World
11/3/13
Season-only
As Masters (Michael Sheen) and Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) struggle with the fallout from her miscarriage, Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) proposes a study that challenges Freud&s theories of female sexual response. An unsatisfying sex life at home leads Margaret Scully (Allison Janney) to volunteer for the study.
7 Season 1, Episode 7, All Together Now
11/10/13
Season-only
When he and Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) study their own sexual relationship, Masters (Michael Sheen) must deal with the consequences in his marriage. As Margaret (Allison Janney) uses her husband's business trip to spend time with Langham (Teddy Sears), a mugging puts Scully's (Beau Bridges) secret life at risk of being exposed.
8 Season 1, Episode 8, Love and Marriage
11/17/13
Season-only
As Masters (Michael Sheen) and Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) set out to film their work, the end of her affair leads Margaret (Allison Janney) closer to the truth about Scully's (Beau Bridges) secret.
9 Season 1, Episode 9, Involuntary
11/24/13
Season-only
As Masters (Michel Sheen) and Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) push the filming of their subjects to a risqué and possibly illegal level, their intimate rapport causes his mother to question the relationship.
10 Season 1, Episode 10, Fallout
12/1/13
Season-only
As the hospital is preoccupied with a nuclear disaster drill, a study participant's pregnancy further divides Masters (Michael Sheen) and Johnson (Lizzy Caplan). Margaret (Allison Janney) learns the truth about her husband, and Haas (Nicholas D'Agosto) finds his days at the hospital may be numbered.
11 Season 1, Episode 11, Phallic Victories
12/8/13
Season-only
As Masters (Michel Sheen) struggles to carry on without her, Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) looks to help Dr. DePaul promote her work on women's health. When Haas (Nicholas D'Agosto) babysits while Johnson attends a conference, he squares off with her ex-husband.
12 Season 1, Episode 12, Manhigh
12/15/13
Season-only
Masters' (Michael Sheen) presentation of the sex study to his colleagues ignites a firestorm of protest and leaves Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) struggling with the fallout. Scully (Beau Bridges) tells Margaret (Allison Janney) the truth about his sexual history, while Haas (Nicholas D'Agosto) looks for a job in California.
13 Season 2, Episode 1, Parallax
1/25/15
Season-only
The ramifications of Masters’ disastrous presentation ripple beyond his firing from Maternity Hospital as Libby, worried about supporting their new baby, pushes him to get another job. Johnson, still working for Dr. DePaul, must fight off the advances and innuendos stemming from the belief that she was the woman in the film.
14 Season 2, Episode 2, Kyrie Eleison
1/25/15
Season-only
Masters begins his new job at Memorial Hospital under Betty’s extortive terms only to find his boss insisting he leave Johnson behind in favor of a handpicked secretary. Johnson, still alienated at Maternity, is torn between pressing Masters to rehire her and staying by DePaul’s side as her condition worsens.
15 Season 2, Episode 3, Fight
1/25/15
Season-only
Masters delivers a baby with ambiguous genitalia and urges the parents not to surgically assign the child a sex out of fear or convenience. Upon meeting Johnson at a hotel for a secret rendezvous, the two divide their attention between sexual roleplay and a championship boxing match, prompting Johnson to unearth Masters’ troubled childhood.
16 Season 2, Episode 4, Dirty Jobs
1/25/15
Season-only
Langham sees Masters and Johnson exiting a hotel room after an evening tryst. He brings his suspicions to DePaul, causing problems between the two women and putting Johnson’s job in jeopardy. Masters is thwarted by the head of the hospital – a man with a prurient interest in the study – when he tries to bring Johnson on as his assistant. Betty attempts to conceal her infertility from Gene.
17 Season 2, Episode 5, Giants
1/25/15
Season-only
Masters continues to break new ground by continuing his study as the only white physician in a Negro hospital but at the cost of his gynecology practice. Libby is confronted by Coral’s brother, Robert, over her poor treatment of Coral, Betty reunites with her former lover, and Johnson struggles to right her relationship with DePaul, who is newly aware of Johnson’s ongoing affair with Masters.
18 Season 2, Episode 6, Blackbird
1/25/15
Season-only
After Hendricks bans Masters from using black participants in his study, Masters contacts a journalist to promote his efforts, using the debunking of black sexual stereotypes as the lure. Johnson is forced to accept DePaul’s choice to end her chemotherapy treatments. Gene uncovers the truth about Betty and Helen’s relationship. Libby fires Coral after discovering she lied about Robert being her lover.
19 Season 2, Episode 7, Asterion
1/25/15
Season-only
In the wake of Masters’ (Michael Sheen) discovery that Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) has continued to have romantic relationships with other men, he becomes impotent without her knowledge and cuts off their sexual work together. He tries to keep his new clinic solvent over the course of three years by borrowing against his house, offering medical services to the hotel and finally accepting money from his mother.
20 Season 2, Episode 8, Mirror, Mirror
1/25/15
Season-only
Masters (Michael Sheen) privately treats a couple for infertility, without revealing his relationship to them. Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) realizes her work with Masters can be used to help people suffering from sexual dysfunction but quickly gets in over her head when she attempts to treat Barbara Sanderson (Betsy Brandt) on her own. Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) is unnerved after witnessing a hate crime that is then whitewashed by the police.
21 Season 2, Episode 9, Story Of My Life
1/25/15
Season-only
While mining their shared history over a family dinner, Masters (Michael Sheen) bristles at Frank’s insinuations about his and Estabrooks’ demons. Virginia (Lizzy Caplan) continues to impersonate a patient’s case history in order to glean advice from a psychiatrist. Betty (Annaleigh Ashford) and Masters attempt to help Lester (Kevin Christy) remedy his impotence by hiring a prostitute, rattling him even further. The legal counsel at CORE gives Libby the third degree when she offers her eyewitness testimony regarding the beaten man. Barbara Sanderson (Betsy Brandt) wrestles with an unsettling diagnosis that exposes a chain of secrets and causes Masters and Johnson to clash over their treatment strategy.
22 Season 2, Episode 10, Below The Belt
1/25/15
Season-only
As a therapist gets Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) to reveal the details of her relationship with Masters (Michael Sheen), Betty’s (Annaleigh Ashford) efforts to shore up the clinic’s shaky finances threaten to attract some undesirable tenants. With Masters hires a publicist to put him and the study in the headlines, his increasingly contentious relationship with his brother produces some unexpected results in his battle with impotence.
23 Season 2, Episode 11, One For The Money, Two For The Show
1/25/15
Season-only
A television camera crew arrives at the clinic to document Masters (Michael Sheen) and Johnson’s (Lizzy Caplan) work treating sexual dysfunction. Masters considers this publicity premature and himself unsuitable as a television presence – especially in the wake of lessons learned about the power of television from the Nixon-Kennedy debates. Johnson deals with the consequences of having prioritized her work over her parenting when her ex-husband, George (Mather Zickel), argues to take their children on an extended trip with him and his new wife. Libby (Caitlin FitzGerald) feels replaced as Bill’s partner by Virginia and finds in Robert an appreciation for what she has to offer. Langham (Teddy Sears) realizes there’s no way out of his sexual contract with Flo (Artemis Pebdani).
24 Season 2, Episode 12, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
1/25/15
Season-only
After watching an early cut of the documentary, Masters (Michael Sheen) is disturbed by the whitewashing of his work. Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) moves to solidify her custody arrangement with George (Mather Zickel) only to see it backfire. Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) continues her relationship with Robert (Jocko Sims), finding justification in Masters’ distraction. Langham (Teddy Sears) discovers Flo’s (Artemis Pebdani) family’s wealth and connections, causing him to re-evaluate his relationship with her. And Masters and Johnson, after repeated testing of their protocol to cure impotence, are finally ready to pass their findings on to the world.
25 Season 3, Episode 1, Parliament of Owls
7/12/15
Season-only
At the forefront of the Sexual Revolution, Masters and Johnson are about to publish their study, finally removing the shroud from the work that’s consumed them for the past decade. As they face the press for the first time, they flashback to a summer vacation of the year prior, where Virginia is faced with parenting struggles, Bill is finishing work on their book, and Libby is pulling herself out from beneath a deep depression.
26 Season 3, Episode 2, Three's a Crowd
7/19/15
Season-only
The shockwaves surrounding the events of Masters and Johnson’s first press conference begin to reverberate around their universe as the book nears its release date. Bill takes on a powerful, high profile fertility patient with the help of a new doctor in the practice, while Virginia and Libby come to terms with Bill’s role in Gini’s life.
27 Season 3, Episode 3, The Excitement of Release
7/26/15
Season-only
As Masters (Michael Sheen) looks to have their book accepted into the medical school curriculum, Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) courts potential investors to popularize their work.
28 Season 3, Episode 4, Undue Influence
8/2/15
Season-only
As Masters (Michael Sheen) looks for ways to improve sales of their book, Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) focuses on her son’s health problems in Vietnam. Margaret Scully (Allison Janney) and her new boyfriend seek help at the institute.
29 Season 3, Episode 5, Matters of Gravity
8/9/15
Season-only
A visit by her parents threatens to expose Johnson’s (Lizzy Caplan) secret. As Margaret’s (Allison Janney) unconventional living arrangement is revealed, Masters (Michael Sheen) returns to face his former colleagues.
30 Season 3, Episode 6, Two Scents
8/16/15
Season-only
As Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) pushes back against her mother’s matchmaking scheme, Masters’ (Michael Sheen) plan to spend time with his son backfires. Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) reveals the truth about her comatose neighbor’s plan to leave her husband.
31 Season 3, Episode 7, Monkey Business
8/23/15
Season-only
As her relationship with Logan blossoms, Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) agrees to help a zoo get its reluctant gorilla to mate. As Betty (Annaleigh Ashford) looks to the clinic sperm bank to get her girlfriend pregnant, Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) and Paul find solace at the apartment.
32 Season 3, Episode 8, Surrogates
8/30/15
Season-only
As Johnson lies about her relationship with Logan, Masters proceeds with a controversial sexual surrogacy project. Betty and Helen enlist Langham to help them get pregnant.
33 Season 3, Episode 9, High Anxiety
9/6/15
Season-only
As Johnson looks to continue her scent research in the face of poor results, Masters seeks to shut it down and send Logan back to New York. Libby tries to find a girlfriend for Paul.
34 Season 3, Episode 10, Through a Glass, Darkly
9/13/15
Season-only
Masters offers to discontinue the surrogacy program in order to resume an intimate relationship with Johnson. Paul proposes a new life to Libby while Scully is forced to confront the truth about his sexuality.
35 Season 3, Episode 11, Party of Four
9/20/15
Season-only
Masters (Michael Sheen) uses a trip to New York to disrupt Johnson’s (Lizzy Caplan) relationship with Logan (Josh Charles), while Paul (Benjamin Koldyke) asks Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) to choose between him and her husband.
36 Season 3, Episode 12, Full Ten Count
9/27/15
Season-only
Season 3 ends with Masters and Johnson discovering that all of their hard work is now in jeopardy.
37 Season 4, Episode 1, Freefall
9/11/16
Season-only
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.
38 Season 4, Episode 2, Inventory
9/18/16
Season-only
Masters and Johnson turn to new partners in an effort to put the past behind them and focus on their expanding clinic. Libby evaluates her relationship with Bill and Virginia given their fractured triangle.
39 Season 4, Episode 3, The Pleasure Protocol
9/24/16
Season-only
Masters and Johnson adjust to life with new partners, but their respective cases cause them to second guess their instinct to remain separated. Libby encounters a new romantic prospect and does her best to embrace life as a single woman of the sexual revolution.
40 Season 4, Episode 4, Coats or Keys
10/2/16
Season-only
Johnson, Masters, Libby and Keller wind up together at a party thrown by Art and Nancy. Pairings and perspectives shift as the night wears on, until the light of day exposes the consequences of the evening prior.
41 Season 4, Episode 5, Outliers
10/9/16
Season-only
Johnson and Masters' legal troubles come to a head as the trial begins with Keller leading the charge. Johnson, assuming they’re to be exonerated, does her best to revive their careers, as Masters faces the reality of what these charges could mean for him, Johnson and the practice.
42 Season 4, Episode 6, Family Only
10/16/16
Season-only
Johnson looks to get her relationship with Masters back on track in the form of a new book deal while Masters does his best to find satisfaction elsewhere in his life. Betty and Helen ready themselves for the newest addition to their family while Art and Nancy discuss the consequences of their party.
43 Season 4, Episode 7, In to Me You See
10/23/16
Season-only
Masters looks to groom Art as his protege in a new area of research at the clinic and Johnson does her best to keep Nancy at arm’s length as their work takes them out of the office for an evening. Betty seeks an unlikely source for assistance in her fight for equal rights to Helen’s baby.
44 Season 4, Episode 8, Topeka
10/30/16
Season-only
Masters and Johnson go on the road and pose as a couple to investigate practices at a competing clinic. While Bill and Virginia are away, Art, Nancy and Langham take advantage of their absence to further their own agendas.
45 Season 4, Episode 9, Night and Day
11/6/16
Season-only
Masters and Johnson return from Topeka, each grappling with the trip’s ramifications. Art and Nancy look to tie up loose ends in order to have a fresh start, and Libby and Bram embark on a road trip that changes Libby’s perspective.
46 Season 4, Episode 10, A Private Affair
11/12/16
Season-only
With the wedding plans being threatened as things unravel at home and work, a visitor from Masters’ (Michael Sheen) past reemerges.

About this show

Chronicles the unusual lives, romance and pop culture trajectory of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, who were real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality.

Ratings and reviews

4.2
2.1K reviews
Brandon Bender
August 22, 2014
OK, what can be great about the movement that started people looking at other people as objects, that's not love, is about selfish pleasure at anyone's expense. We should not use Gods gift for selfish reasons. Look what it had done to families and kids. Unwed pregnancy is thorough the roof, divorce is all time high, sexual abuse is out of control, cheating, teen suicide, std's, and lack of religion in general. You are lost and confused if you think this is good entertainment. Just think about what I've said
210 people found this review helpful
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Christy Abbott
May 19, 2016
The actors are all wonderful. I chose to give the show a chance since I can remember my textbooks, teachers, and Cosmopolitan magazine always quoting Masters and Johnson. lol I must admit the second season was moving so quickly that I often was disappointed in the show. The first season was very interesting but the third season was superb. If you aren't open-minded you will want to skip it (brief nudity, sexual toys, sex, the topic of sex, a small amount of cursing, smoking, etc.). The show is interesting, sometimes funny, written quite well, and the person/team in charge of wardrobe, makeup, and setting is EXCELLENT. The characters of Libby and Betty definitely go through quite a few wardrobe changes to express the current time period and they look amazing.
31 people found this review helpful
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Dana Cali
March 22, 2015
Sex is sex period, it happened before the creation of religion. If you are private about your sex life, it doesn't matter what you are doing as long as it's not illegal and there is consent. That being said this show is nothing more than a deluded Mad Men.
54 people found this review helpful
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