The 1950's sexuality pioneers, Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) are back for 'Masters Of Sex' season 2. The line between 'experiment' and 'affair' becomes more blurred with their every meeting, from the lab to a hotel room.
In season one, the married Dr. Masters has a hard time conceiving with his wife, Libby. The twice-divorced Virginia, on the other hand, does her best to take care of two children. Masters suggests a sexual relationship as a part of their study on human sexuality. To somewhat ease their guilt, they refuse to label their arrangement as an affair.
They are adamant to view the complicated situation as purely experimental, with Virginia verbally reiterating to Masters that "This is not an affair." They continue to insist this even after moving their experiment to hotel rooms in season two.
In an event that Showtime hosted for the Television Critics Association, Michael Sheen was able to talk about his role as Dr. Masters and what's next for 'Masters Of Sex' season 2 and maybe, 3.
"I'd be very surprised if it didn't," Sheen told the press when asked if the show will get a season three, after revealing that he'll be doing "all kinds of different things" once the second season wraps up.
Sheen also revealed to AssignmentX that he had been involved with the series even before filming for the first season started.
"It was exciting, knowing that the first season had been received well and obviously hoping that the second season [would] exist," the actor said when asked about the first episode's acclaim. "I was involved in it before we'd actually come to the filming. I'd gone in and seen where the writers are at, talked about storylines and possible areas that we could go into."
Although finishing and enjoying the first season's success was "exciting," Sheen was "quite sad" to let go of the hospital setting (for a more intimate and personal hotel set). It is, however, "exciting to go into different areas and to be active in different places with new people."
He was so involved with the story-making process that Sheen and series creator Michelle Ashford would sit down and have a discussion to create a scene.
Sheen explained, "What tends to happen is, Michelle will say, 'Look, we're thinking of something like this happening. What would Bill do in that situation?' And then I'll talk about, 'Well, I think he would react like this, and do this and that.' And then they go away and they'll write a version, and we'll talk that through."
By the time filming starts, Sheen and Lizzy Caplan would already know what the characters are thinking and why they are acting like that. They "know the characters pretty well."
When asked about his favourite scene or episode in the series, Sheen said that he didn't have any but he did like the story arc when Libby lost their baby. He had fun figuring out how to expose and express Master's vulnerable state.
