Most critics respond warmly to Dying for Sex, praising its frank treatment of female pleasure and its willingness to find comedy amid terminal illness. The performances draw consistent approval, particularly Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate’s chemistry, while Molly and Nikki’s friendship supplies much of the emotional weight. Praise also centres on the handling of sexual discovery and kink, with several reviews finding warmth and humour where a more conventional cancer drama might settle for solemnity.
The reservations concern how fully the series develops the life surrounding that sexual quest. The Telegraph finds the tone too flippant at times, though it values the tender friendship scenes. The Hollywood Reporter offers the strongest dissent, finding the characters underdeveloped and the treatment of Molly emotionally incurious. The spread is fairly wide rather than unanimous: most reviews credit the balance of comedy and grief, while the less persuaded find that emotional depth wanting.