--- title: "Masters of Sex: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/masters-of-sex/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/masters-of-sex" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Masters of Sex (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics take to it, and the praise gathers in the same two places: Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, and the way the series treats sex as a subject rather than a selling point. Reviewers who braced for a parade of nudity report instead an intelligent, assured period drama that stays restrained, even coy, and is better for it. More than one ranks it the strongest new drama of its season, and the office and medical strands are singled out for giving the research a life beyond the bedroom. The reservations are narrower. The Guardian finds Sheen’s Masters too detached and one-dimensional, a portrait that leaves dramatic depth on the table, and The Independent, writing at the end of the first run, thinks the finale settles for cliché after a stronger penultimate episode. The lone dissenter is The Times, which finds the pilot solemn and uneven, with no real bond between its leads. Otherwise the spread is tight, sitting between good and very good. ## The AV Club — Emily St. James Rating A-. 25 September 2013. The series starts as a somewhat conventional biopic but quickly becomes the best new show of the fall season by mixing a forthright look at sexuality with engaging office stories and medical drama elements. It stands out for making subjects like life, birth, love, and sex feel vitally important. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/masters-of-sex-1798178059) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2013. The review praises the depth and substance of the series beyond its initial explicit content, highlighting the strong performances by Sheen and Caplan and the promising dramatic material. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/masters-sex-tv-review-634814/) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 September 2013. The critic sees it as a triumph of concept and casting for a Showtime series about sex researchers, praising the performances of Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan and the handling of the period drama elements without relying solely on explicit content. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/tv/reviews/tv-review-masters-of-sex-1200654967/) ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2013. The critic describes the series as intelligent and assured, noting that it stays sexy by playing coy rather than being overly explicit. They single out the playful, role-playing approach to sexually charged material and the strong central performances for praise, while offering minor criticism of some anachronistic character elements. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/09/tv-review-masters-of-sex.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2013. The critic finds the series merely very good rather than first-rate, with strong dialogue but a portrayal of William Masters that is too detached and one-dimensional, missing opportunities for dramatic depth. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/oct/09/masters-of-sex-tv-review) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2013. The series has developed into a quality drama with strong performances, particularly from supporting actors like Allison Janney and Beau Bridges, though it ends the first season on a clichéd note rather than a stronger penultimate episode. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/masters-of-sex-channel-4-tv-review-9011384.html) ## The Times — Andrew Billen Rating ★★☆☆☆. 9 October 2013. The critic found the pilot uneven and overly solemn despite its explicit content, struggling to establish emotional bonds between the leads or a consistent tone beyond clinical detachment. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/last-nights-tv-masters-of-sex-8q7dm57z6qd) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 29 September 2013. The critic calls the pilot the best new series of the fall season and highly recommends it as an alluring cable drama. They single out the slick production, seductive tone, and strong performances by Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan for praise while noting the show's restrained handling of its provocative subject matter. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/masters-of-sex-pilot-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/masters-of-sex.md