Masters of Sex

Dr. William Masters, a prominent OB/GYN at Washington University, leads a dual life by managing a thriving medical practice during the day and conducting a clandestine research project on human sexuality at night. Virginia Johnson, a former nightclub singer, begins working as a secretary at the hospital and becomes an invaluable contributor to Masters' research.

After losing her job when Masters' controversial sexual response study is expelled from the hospital, Johnson must navigate personal and professional challenges while caring for her children. Meanwhile, Masters relocates the study to a brothel, only to find the environment difficult to control without Johnson's expertise.

Masters and Johnson face challenges with unreliable data from their brothel study, prompting Masters to move the research to the hospital. A new female OB/GYN doctor, indifferent to feminist causes, draws Johnson's attention, while Libby's fertility struggles and Dr. Haas's rare case of quadruplets add new dynamics to the hospital setting.

Masters and Johnson begin recruiting new participants for their study on campus, but Johnson is unsettled when her ex-husband expresses interest in joining. Masters is also affected emotionally by his mother's visit, as her changed perspective triggers difficult childhood memories. Meanwhile, Libby's efforts to bring Virginia and Ethan together face unexpected challenges.

As Masters and Johnson broaden their research to include couples, they confront the complexities of human attraction that defy scientific explanation. Johnson struggles to bond with her son who favors her ex-husband, while Masters grapples with fears about fatherhood. Meanwhile, Dr. Ethan Haas faces potential professional consequences from his relationship with the provost's daughter.

Libby and Masters go to Miami to recover from a personal loss, but Masters becomes entangled with a provocative couple staying nearby. Meanwhile, Virginia works with Jane to challenge a Freudian theory about female orgasms, and Langham finds an unexpected solution to his sexual issues with Margaret Scully.

Masters and Johnson participate in their own sexual response study, raising concerns about its impact on Masters' personal life. Meanwhile, Libby seeks Dr. Haas's help to restart fertility treatments in secret, and Haas wrestles with lingering feelings for Virginia as his bond with Vivian grows. Margaret Scully confronts her husband about the challenges in their marriage amid her infidelity.

Masters and Johnson seek to film their research to better document their findings, requiring assistance from external sources. Johnson pursues a college education and must take Dr. DePaul's Basic Anatomy course as a prerequisite. Haas and Langham, each uncertain about their marriages, discuss the perceived benefits of being married men. After Margaret discovers Scully in an awkward situation, he takes extreme measures to manage his sexual behavior.

Masters and Johnson face ethical concerns when they attempt to film participants' external reactions for their study, needing to reassure subjects Lester and Jane that the footage will not be considered pornographic. Meanwhile, Haas's revelation that he is Jewish complicates his and Vivian's plans for a Presbyterian church wedding, and Libby hides her pregnancy from Masters while urging him to reconcile with his mother. At the same time, Estabrooks notices the close relationship between Masters and Johnson during his late-night hospital visits.

A nationwide civil defense drill disrupts hospital operations and heightens tensions among the staff. A former study participant announces her pregnancy and seeks the father's identity, reigniting conflict between Masters and Johnson over confidentiality and responsibility. Meanwhile, Haas faces a professional setback and misinterprets its cause, and Margaret Scully turns to an unexpected person for answers about her husband's sexuality.

Masters, after Johnson leaves his team, works with Libby to prepare a hospital-wide presentation, but grows frustrated when a colleague's dull talk fails to engage the audience, prompting him to pursue a more provocative, albeit unfinished, approach. Meanwhile, Dr. DePaul discusses the significance of her Pap smear research at a medical convention with Johnson, and Virginia's ex-husband George returns, finding Ethan Haas acting as a father figure to his children.

Masters presents his and Johnson's research on human sexuality to the hospital staff, but faces resistance when showing footage of female orgasms. Meanwhile, Haas considers a job offer at UCLA, weighing its impact on his relationship with Virginia, and Scully explores electroshock treatment for his homosexuality, with Margaret questioning the risks.