Masters of Sex

Season 3, which again will have 12 episodes, shows strong signs of fully regaining its bite, passion and fury.

In season three, it’s clear the complex web of relationships will deepen and tangle even further. The show’s writers continue to craft the story with expert care, giving each character moments to shine. Masters of Sex continues to be a Sunday TV must.

Its deviations from the record have to be compelling or illuminating enough to be worth it. Last year, they rarely were; so far this year, they are.

The season's most exciting new development is Bill and Virginia's realization they are a viable romantic couple.

Masters of Sex is highly watchable, not fact. If you understand that, you’re going to enjoy it much more.

Despite creative speed bumps, Masters of Sex remains a slick vehicle, one that thoughtfully examines the relationship between sex and romance that Masters and Johnson sought to uncoil.

When Masters stops himself from punching Johnny, Sheen--who has the least showy role here--has his finest moment. The exquisite Caplan, on the other hand, is given many chances to shine, and doesn’t let any of these moments slip away.... Season 3 promises to be the show’s wildest year yet.

The steamy morality drama has become a thoughtful rumination on the sacrifices that parents (especially mothers) make for their families. It’s too bad, then, that so many plot twists are played for cheap thrills.

While the time jump may be troubling, the real issues tarnishing the luster of this once-sterling series are a loss of focus and an increasingly heavy hand when it comes to illustrating the complexities of Master's and Johnson's odd relationship.

The series feels reinvigorated [with the time jump to 1966]. What remains problematic--and there’s no real fix for it--is that viewers have had 24 episodes of Masters and Johnson’s evolving relationship and the latter part of that was a lot of bickering and problems that only highlighted the fact that Masters has never been very likable.

Entire scenes from the premiere look like an ABC Family series.... From the first two episodes of the new season, it seems as if finding a balance between career and family, especially for the women in this show, might emerge as a thread. That would put this season in some oft-mined territory. And, of course, just by moving into the ’60s it’s already eligible for a fatigue warning.

The effect of the repetitive, lurchingly-paced first couple of episodes is to frequently reduce the previously excellent performances of Sheen and Caplan to a collection of tics.

Season 3 is pushing harder to pop--with both color and threesomes--the show still doesn’t quite cohere into a compulsively watchable story.