Bill, Virginia, Dan and his wife gather in New York City for a painful dinner in which agendas collide, truths are exposed and no relationship emerges in the state it entered. At home, Libby is faced with a startling accusation that threatens her family's foundation.
Masters of Sex made some pretty weird narrative decisions this season. Overall, this year has been pretty meandering. Risks were taken that mostly feel flat while others were downright awful. It's hard to describe what exactly this season has been about. "Party of Four" hopes to bring some clarity to the narrative. It makes everything that comes before it okay because the characters are finally addressing all of their emotion concerns and issues with each other. That dynamic is solid in this episode as everyone truly realizes what everyone else wants. And yet, it took the entire season to get to this point. Virginia and Bill have grown so distant from each other. That has been the narrative of the season. They are now in a part of their lives were they are pulling apart instead of coming together. That was a change that probably had to come about slowly. Virginia was given this new love interest in Dan Logan who represented a different and perhaps more happy life. However, so much of the storytelling this season was told in the most pointed and broad way while also getting distracted from visits by parents, teenage kids acting out and a trip to the zoo.Virginia and Libby are both faced with big decisions by the end of "Party of Four." Their parallel stories are compelling to watch unfold. But it also makes it predictable that one will choice happiness and the other will not. That's basically a foregone conclusion for next week's finale - even though this episode wants to treat it as a big mystery. Virginia and Libby are much happier with Dan and Paul than they are with Bill. That's a simple fact. This season has seen Bill grow even more manipulative and unlikable. It would serve him some good to lose both of these women so that he would be forced to re-examine what his life has become. And yet, I have doubts that that's what will ultimately occur because the show is so enamored by Bill and his various pursuits of Virginia.
Virginia has chosen to be with Bill and the work so many times over the past decade. It was Bill who gave her a satisfying direction for her life. She found a career and a life that was so much more than being a wife and a mother. She doesn't want to be just like her own mother who believes that happiness comes from being with a man. And yet, she has fallen in love with Dan. It's a love so much different than Bill's. He is charming and sincere in a way that feels more direct and genuine. She obviously still has a great affection for Bill. But his recent actions have pushed her away. The fact that he ambushes her with this dinner in order to destroy her relationship and come back to him is deplorable. He knows she'll be upset and angry with him but hopes that he'll be the only one left for her afterwards. Bill thinks he knows Virginia so well that he can do all of this and still win her back with the argument that their work is the most meaningful thing she can do with her life.
And yet, Virginia no longer sees herself in an equal partnership with Bill. She sees him taking over the programs and the book proposals. He has forced her into situations that she isn't comfortable with. This is not the man she fell in life with and was inspired by all those years. She was willing to listen to his argument about needing the work when she was in the hospital giving birth to a baby who has never been seen again. But now, she's realizing that that is just a tactic of his in order to keep her in his life. Everything that Bill does is for himself. Virginia is figuring out that her wants and needs are different than Bill's. That's a terrifying prospect for both of them. And yet, it's something they needed to address. Things are so much easier with Dan. A life with him is filled with just as much tragic circumstances. He has a wife as well but is still comfortable sleeping with her. However, Dan does something that Bill would never do. He actually professes his love for Virginia as well as his plans to leave his wife for her.
It would be very easy for the show to completely disregard the perspective of Dan's wife, Alice (Judy Greer), in all of this. She is a character briefly mentioned but never seen until the big dinner in this episode. She instantly feels like an important character in this universe and conversation though. That's largely thanks to Greer who does a lot for just a brief role. She helps paint a picture of what Dan's life has been up to this point. He has always been a flirt. He meets a new woman in every city he goes to. Alice was fine with those affairs because she knew she had her own problems which he was very understanding of. All she had to do was start drinking again in order to reign him back into their marriage. It's definitely a pattern both of them are used to. She is a project that he needs to fix. That's how all of his relationships are. Virginia certainly is a handful but she's also capable of thriving as herself without a man. That's what makes their relationship different than their previous ones. Virginia and Dan force each other to experience different feelings and emotions than they are used to. That's a scary prospect - especially when it means other people will get hurt. But Alice seems very understanding of what Dan has to say about the state of their marriage and his relationship with Virginia. He's also the one standing in the doorway of Virginia's hotel room in the end. Bill has gone home to deal with his family's situation. Things would never change between Bill and Virginia. Dan represents something new, exciting and perhaps happier for Virginia. Now the question becomes whether or not she'll take that risk.
Meanwhile, Libby has no doubt in her mind that she'd rather be with Paul and has already started thinking about how best to tell Bill that she's leaving him. She's a very thoughtful woman. She knows how Bill will likely react but she also wants to tell him in the best way possible. Paul has become much more a family man to Bill's kids than Bill has ever been. That's important in showing Libby that a life away from Bill can still be a happy one for her family. She is solely motivated by what is best for everyone else in her life. She wants to leave Bill but she wants to do it in a way that he can still have a relationship with his kids. She is so worried about Johnny growing up to be just like Bill - distant to his son because of a horrible relationship with his father. Bill has been so afraid to parent because he worries his father's action are within him as well. They were even proven to be true in the season premiere. Bill pushed Johnny away which created a whole new level of pain. It has also created a situation that could have dire consequences for Bill.
While Bill is away in New York, the police show up at the house to question Johnny about what he meant when he spoke about Bill and Dennis' relationship. The show's insistence on showing Bill grow closer to Dennis instead of his own son was a horrible and annoying story this season. Frankly, it would be great if Bill had to face some legal repercussions because of it. That would mean Bill got some comeuppance for his overall actions this season. Bill needs to learn that he can't control other people. Facing charges for showing Dennis sexual pictures in a medical textbook could do that for him. But it's also something that cripples Libby with doubt. Her family is once again in a very vulnerable state. Everyone is worried about how Bill will react to all of this. Johnny is afraid Bill will be angry at him for telling the police what happened. Libby is afraid leaving Bill now will destroy any chance of Johnny turning out any differently. Paul is there ready to fight for the future he and Libby may have together. But she is so afraid of destroying this family for her own personal happiness. She needs to figure out what she wants to do - whether or not she can ever happily leave Bill. That is a compelling decision she is faced with and one the season finale should have a fun time exploring. If anything, it made some of the early narrative decisions seem worth it - although just slightly.
Some more thoughts:
- "Party of Four" was written by Amy Lippman and directed by Susanna White.
- The staff at the restaurant were all fantastic as they tried doing their jobs while things exploded amongst Virginia, Bill, Dan and Alice. They still delivered great service even as they were taken aback by what the four of them were doing.
- So who exactly messed up the reservation? It seems like Betty was thrown under the bus a lot by the group even though it seems unlikely that she did anything wrong - considering she's Betty.
- It's a tad surprising that the Masters kids haven't caught on to the fact that they see more of Paul than they do Bill. Will they rejoice if Libby decides to leave and take them with?
- Is there anything Bill can do that would reasonably bring Virginia back to him? His actions have been so hurtful and narcissistic as of late. Or will Dan mess up and that's what will send Virginia back to her work as well as Bill?
