Entertainment

'Masters of Sex' explains how not to get pregnant

by Jenny An

In this week's thoroughly depressing episode of Masters of Sex, Libby has a miscarriage. Oops, spoiler alert? Perhaps the show about pioneering sex researchers (who notably disproved that there was a difference between an immature/clitoral and mature/vaginal orgasm, among other things) is just taking us along for the ride of sexual and human discovery. (Don't worry, they have plenty of time to figure it out. A second season has just been picked up!)

Here are some of the week's most puzzling questions:

  • Virginia's son Henry asks: "How come you let dad sleep here and sometimes not?" Ah, the complications of having sex with the ex. He'll figure it out by age 25, or just turn into Nathaniel P.
  • Why is Lizzy Caplan/Virginia Johnson in full makeup while enjoying a bubble bath? Is she such a sparkly creature that she has perfectly applied eyeliner, naturally?
  • How does one get pregnant? Apparently, "We lie together every night" (without intercourse) is not the doctor-approved method.
  • How does attraction make a difference in the sex? It's still up for debate. Langham apparently just can't get it up for a (very pretty girl) he's not attracted to, nor Jane, who he has the crazy hots for.
  • Is it rare for couples to climax together? "An event as rare as Halley's Comet," says Masters, but, then again, this guy doesn't really seem to believe in foreplay either. "That's not weird at all if the couple is well-matched," says Johnson, which elicits a dirty-man smirk from Masters because he wants her. Guess they haven't found out that many women can't orgasm through vaginal sex alone yet.
  • Why would a girl like Vivian say she's not interested in anything serious but then talks about her "love and devotion" after she has sex with a guy like Ethan? Even when the sex was bad? And he's a jerk? Honey…
  • And what do you do when you're the guy who slept with the boss's daughter? Send her flowers and privately say, "You break it. You buy it." Especially when you're a jerk.
  • Were the nightgowns in the 1950s really all as fabulous as Libby's? Because I think there's enough pastel chiffon in that closet to fill orders for spring 2014.
  • Can a woman have it all? Including cherry pie with her kids? And kids who don't try and run away? And a husband who isn't a deadbeat? And a boss who doesn't live in a different area code from his feelings?
  • WHY IS THAT STILLBORN BABY THE MOST TERRIFYING THING SINCE ALIEN?
  • Can two men like Provost Scully and Dr. Masters have a hug and not have it "misconstrued"? What if Masters knows Scully saw a male prostitute?
  • And finally: If you see William Masters show emotion, will you be turned into stone? Thank goodness Virginia obeyed when he told her to close her eyes.