Masters of Sex (2013–2016): Season 4, Episode 8 - Topeka - full transcript

Previously on Masters of Sex...

The grandparents made it clear.
Family only.

You and me get married. I
then will adopt the baby

so she is legally mine,

and then the two of
us will get divorced.

Nancy has struggled to find her
footing here from the start.

Getting the Clavermores
back would go a long way

to making her feel her
work here is valued.

It wouldn't hurt you either, would it?

Being able to bring your
wife a big case like that?

I wanted nothing more than
for you to be my mentor.



But instead, you just don't like me.

I like your husband.

Your lifestyle is hurtful

and unfulfilling to him,

and he doesn't dare say it

for fear that you would leave him.

We should be observing homosexuals

exactly the same way
we did heterosexuals.

Art, how do you feel about
laying the groundwork

to broaden this into a study?

I can start now.

Bill, it's Dody.

Maybe we should get together.

I can come to you.



William Masters?

I'm expecting someone.

My wife. She's not coming.

Has something happened to Dody?

Aside from you breaking her heart?

Therapists are stealing our work.

Put 'em out of business.

We go in as patients.

We go in there? Together?

We each pick a clinic.

I'll take Topeka.

You really need to work
on your penmanship, Guy.

I can't tell... after Terra-Haute,
do I go north or south?

And I forgot to tell
you you have to book

Bill's room in Topeka
and mine in Bloomington

under the same names that you
booked the clinic appointments.

I didn't get that far.

What do you mean? We both
leave in the morning.

I mean I wasn't able
to book those sessions

for you or Dr. Bill.

I'm... I'm so sorry.

It... I mean, it didn't occur to me

when I sent you the letter that, um...

but the last thing I want to
do is cause you any trouble.

Well, I-I'm...

just so happens I'm gonna
be in Topeka tomorrow.

It's a-a last-minute business trip,

and, uh, well, I was... I
was hoping we could meet.

And please bring your husband.

Uh, I want to put his mind
at ease about my intentions.

Great. See you then.

Do you have a minute?

So, it turns out that these clinics

only treat married couples.

Guy tried to book individual
sessions at the Toplin Center

and the Cleveland Sex Institute.

No go.

So, either we keep looking for
places that do treat singles,

or we send Art and Nancy,

which, obviously, is not my preference.

Well, we should go to Topeka together.

That makes the most sense.

Okay, then.

If the Clavermores do prove to be a case

of ejaculatory incompetence,

it won't be sensate that you recommend...

Manual manipulation by the wife.

Don't worry. I've got
the protocol memorized.

Good.

I'm trusting you with them.

Gold-star clients. Potential patrons.

I understand.

You need to make sure you
have the Kinsey sixes paired

with the other sixes,

the fives with the fives, and so on.

Yes. Don't worry.

That's built into the
experimental method.

And you have matched
the heterosexual study

in all other essential points?

I have.

I highlighted the route.

Also a few sight-seeing stops.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's
house is along the way.

Are we ready?

Yes... oh, one more thing, Guy...

Oh, I know. I am typing
up last week's intakes

and bringing a casserole to Betty,

and I will get the copier fixed.

Did you manage to make a
copy of the Clavermore file

before the machine broke?

Yes. It's in my office.

I'll go with you.

Women... keep you waiting.

Or so I'm told.

Nancy, the other day... what
I said about your marriage,

a-about Art's unhappiness
with the arrangement...

I should not have said that.

I crossed a line.

It's fine. There's no need to apologize.

I'm glad to know how Art really feels.

Put on some music.

Let's dance.

We don't have a hi-fi.

Nance...

Nance, what are you doing?

They've only been gone for a second.

They might come back.

A life lived in fear is no life at all.

Oh, this is a comfortable chair.

Let's see.

What would Virginia do?

Oh, I know.

Art, could you bring me

every single one of Nancy's case files?

Well, she doesn't have time for that.

She's too busy plotting
how to make Bill hers.

Oh, she tell you that?

She didn't have to. If I know Virginia,

she'll take full advantage of this trip.

They're posing as a couple, after all.

They're going through treatment.

I think she's hoping the
Masters and Johnson method

will work on Masters and Johnson.

It's unbelievable the
contortions some women will

go through to bend a man to their will.

She's a world-class gymnast.

I could
get used to this.

Mrs. Lavery just sat there

as he took the Irish Setter, both cars,

the house on Long Island... everything.

I was itching to just

dramatically bang on the
table or something.

Why didn't you?

Who wants to hear from
the peanut gallery?

You have good instincts.
If holding out is

in the best interest of the client,

you talk them into it, you fight.

There's no such thing
as an easy divorce.

Hell, I've been working through
split number three since '66.

You're still married?

Only on paper. That remains unsigned.

For three years?

Well, I have an exceptional lawyer,

but he's exceptional
enough to have a case load

that puts my divorce pretty far down

on his list of priorities.

Oh, I see. You are
representing yourself.

I figured I deserved the best.

Hmm. The best probably would've
settled two years ago.

I'll get around...

Oh!

Oh, my God, are you okay?

Oh, open up. Let me see.

Oh, you broke a crown.

Mm-hmm.

You think it's possible my
ex-wife planted this...

walnut shell?

Was that in your food?
God, that is absurd.

Uh, excuse me. Uh, can you send

the manager over here, please?

I got to get to Doc
Sugarman to either fix this

or give me a fistful of Percodan.

You stay and gripe.

- Well, I... okay.
- Ah! Ah!

You're gonna run someone off the road.

I will drive you.

Easy, easy.

I'm gonna take this. For evidence.

Do you think this will still
pick up our conversation

if it's not right at the top of the bag?

Keller says we have to
get these people on tape

if we want to pursue a
patent infringement.

What if we tell them we're
both hard of hearing,

and they have to speak up?

Maybe that's how we met:

at a mixer for the hearing impaired.

We do need a cover story, so...
who do you want to be?

Ooh,

I've always wanted to be an Earl.

Yes, well, I've always
wanted to be a duchess,

but I don't think it's a good idea

to pose as English nobility.

No. I mean I've always
liked the name Earl.

Earls are good guys. Hmm.

Earls can tell your tires need air

just by listening to the engine.

Right.

Maybe something more neutral.

Didn't you just buy me

a moustache and a suede jacket?

I think that makes me an Earl.

And you're... uh, what color
is the wig you bought?

Blonde-ish.

Ingrid. Ingrid Sorenson.

Ingrid Sorenson MacAfee.

Fine. Fine. I will be Ingrid

if you don't talk like you
have a plug of chewin' tobacky

in your cheek.

- Hey.
- What's our issue?

I think you should be frigid.

Don't you think ejaculatory
incompetence would work better?

- Better for whom?
- Better for us.

After all, we have a very
specific methodology

to treat it, so that's one
way that we could see

if these clinicians are
cribbing our protocol.

So, what's our backstory?

Mm, Mr. Clavermore suffers
from ejaculatory incompetence.

I have his file. Why don't
we just use their history?

Filched identity to expose
a purloined therapy.

I guess
two wrongs make a right

in your book, huh, darlin'?

You're not really gonna
talk like that, are you?

- Like what?
- Like a hillbilly.

I'm very good at accents.

No! No, you're not.

You just think that you are.

It's like how everybody thinks
that they have good taste.

That can't be true.

How would that explain lava lamps?

Okay, Clavermores, what is
your inciting incident?

Oh, hi. Dr. Austin Langham
to see Bill or Virginia.

Langham? You're Betty's friend.

Uh, Betty's husband, actually.

So, you two did it. You tied the knot.

- Yep.
- How's Betty doing?

She will be better when we get the baby.

And how soon till that happens?

Uh, I filed for custody.
Hearing's in a few weeks.

Uh, between now and then, I
need to prove that I'm capable

of supporting the baby financially, so...

Oh, so, you came to pick
up Betty's paycheck?

Sure. Yeah, yeah. Every
little bit helps.

But, uh, you know, actually,
I'm-I'm-I'm, uh, here

to see the docs about, uh,
an exciting new product.

It is the, uh, finest men's...

Health appliance on the market.

The Virility Vacuum.

Patent pending.

It's a penis pump.

Hello, Lester.

Uh, and yes, in everyday
usage, that's correct, but...

- May I?
- Sure, sure.

I see you've gone back
to selling snake oil.

Hoping to repeat your
success at Fat-O-Metric?

Cal-O-Metric.

And this isn't snake oil.

This is a life-saving medical product.

It's a cure for impotence

that I have come to offer your patients.

That's not what we do
around here, Austin.

What we do here is rooted in science.

Well, this... this is science.

Yeah, this... this is hard science.

Guy, don't let him talk
you into buying anything.

He's never liked me.

So, uh, if I could speak
to Bill or Virginia...

Neither of them is in today.

Oh, well, uh, in that case, I'd
better leave some pamphlets,

maybe even put up a display.

I got a sandwich board in my car.

- Is that a good idea?
- Well, I wouldn't want

anyone in need to miss
the chance, you know?

And, um, every dollar I make
goes to helping me and Betty

get the baby back, so...

I'll be right back.

Well...

uh... well...

You're the manager here, correct?

Hair in the soup?

What? No.

I should probably stop
guessing in these situations.

I have a dental bill
to discuss with you.

A customer of yours was accosted
by a stray walnut shell.

Accosted?

He broke a crown. I'm sure you heard.

I haven't.

But I have heard that
the eggs are too runny,

the coffee is cold.

Listen. I run a diner.
If I handed out money

every time a customer wasn't satisfied...

He's not dissatisfied. He is disabled.

Oh, yeah, that's rich.

He had to miss half a day in court

in order to have his tooth fixed.

That is what we refer to as lost wages.

Who's "we"? I saw you come in
here twice yesterday 'cause

you didn't get your boss's
ham loaf on rye quite right.

You're a secretary. You're not a lawyer.

So you're as able to take
this to court as I am.

Just leave the lawsuits
to those with a degree.

Come on. I need two navy bean.
Let's go. Step it up.

As you can see, all the
treatment rooms are upstairs.

- Mm-hm.
- I see you've travelled

quite a ways.

Albuquerque.

Have you ever sought out any
treatment closer to home?

Well, Ingrid and I are, uh...

we want to deal with our
situation, uh, aggressively.

- Ah... yeah.
- It's gone on long enough,

and, uh, so when we saw you
offer a-a one-week program...

Is that really enough time?

It is the first question Harvey
and I are usually asked.

Please, sit.

Sounds too good to be
true, doesn't it, Earl?

Go ahead. M-may I call you Earl?

- Yep.
- Ingrid?

We don't like to be too formal.

We've found a truly immersive approach

yields the best results.

By taking time out
from your daily lives,

you're... you're making your
sexual relationship a priority.

- Mm-hm.
- Yeah.

We'd like you to see this
as kind of a holiday...

Mm-hmm.
- an opportunity to relax

and explore and fall in
love all over again.

And-and you treat couples
together, a-as a couple?

Well, there are parts of the process

we find more productive to divide up

- along gender lines.
- Mm-hmm.

People are
often more comfortable

speaking to a therapist of the same sex.

Um, is that something that
y-you discovered yourselves,

or is that standard among therapists?

It's not standard at all.

Years of work with couples
have led us to develop

a very specific technique

that, uh, works more quickly
and effectively than others.

What's also unique
is our intake method.

Mm-hmm.

Questionnaire that covers
your sexual history

that functions as the foundation

- of our treatment.
- Yeah.

Couples learn a
lot about each other

- during our process.
- Hmm.

Often, they discover
things they never knew.

Are you ready to... begin?

Here you go.

Yeah.

We wrote it down
in our questionnaires.

Do we need to go through it again?

It's helpful to hear
things described out loud.

It's part of the therapy.

Why don't you begin with the incident

that occurred around the time you found

you could no longer orgasm
during intercourse?

It was two years ago.

We were in bed, making love.

I felt myself getting
closer, about to orgasm.

But then something happened.

I heard a noise, and the door opened.

And then I saw our daughter
Juliet's youngest...

- Our son...
- Benjamin.

Benjamin standing there
in the... in the doorway

in-in his pajamas.

I knew I should stop.
But I couldn't stop.

I... you know, I was already coming.

And he-he looked scared.

He thought I... that I was
trying to hurt his mother.

And that's how our problem started.

Is that something that can be treated?

It is. Do you masturbate
successfully on your own?

- I do.
- He does.

Good, then we can skip a few steps

and, uh, begin with teaching you how...

to manually
stimulate your husband.

Once Earl is comfortable including you

in his masturbation,

you can move towards the second step...

which involves stimulating
him until he reaches

what we call the first
phase of orgasmic return.

That's when it feels inevitable to you

that you're going to orgasm.

You then move over him into
the female-superior position

and capture his penis...

introducing it
into the vaginal canal.

As he ejaculates, you begin
a series of pelvic thrusts.

It's a process that moves the
two of you towards orgasm

without being stopped by any
memory of the triggering event.

Your story is consistent
with a pattern we find

in many cases of
ejaculatory incompetence.

The presence of a specific
traumatic episode

which blocks a man's ability
to ejaculate introvaginally.

He feels too much shame.

Shame's a powerful inhibitor

not just to sexual health,
but to true intimacy.

Previously in your marriage, Earl,

when have you experienced
that kind of shame?

Never.

Never? Really?

Well, you'll forgive me,

but never is the kind of
word intended to block

further exploration in its tracks.

So let's-let's stay
on this for a moment.

You've never felt shame

at failing to please her?

- You've never come too fast...
- Yeah.

Or on occasion not gotten hard?

Mm-hmm.

Perhaps you've had fantasies
that don't involve her,

or you wanted to engage her in behavior

that you worry she might
consider perverse?

Uh, actually, uh, Marcia,
from the beginning, uh,

my husband and I... we've had
a very satisfying sex life.

Uh, we've always been extremely
open with our desires.

Unafraid to express ourselves.

There's really nothing, uh,
that either of us have wanted

that we've hesitated to ask the other.

- Really?
- So, role playing, positions,

toys, language... none of
it has been off-limits?

- Wow.
- That is wonderful.

I mean, how lucky you are
to have found each other.

We're very lucky.

S-sometimes, sexual
dynamism of this sort

l-launches out of
non-traditional circumstances.

Such as?

- Affairs, for one.
- Yeah.

The clandestine nature
of a couple's beginnings

might serve as erotic tinder.

Yeah. Were either of
you involved with other people

when you met?

Well, that's a very loud silence.

I-I-I was...

married.

Do you want to say more about that?

No. No, Harvey, I don't.

Eh, it might help, Earl.

I don't see how.

Well, perhaps the shock
and disapproval you fear

from your son

is really what you fear
from your former wife

had she walked in on you
and Ingrid making love.

Perhaps, uh, your ejaculatory issues

are a form of penance for
having betrayed her.

No. I-I-I don't think it's that at all.

Maybe the judgment and
condemnation you fear

- is your own, Earl.
- Mm-hmm.

Maybe on some subconscious
level, you've decided

that you're undeserving of pleasure,

of a satisfactory resolution,

- of a happily ever after...
- Mm-hmm.

Literally undeserving of
finishing what you started.

Maybe the boy standing
at that door, watching,

is you.

So, tomorrow when you come in,

you'll have the option of doing
the exercise at your hotel

or here in one of our
treatment bedrooms,

where we can personally instruct you.

We will prefer to do
them alone in our hotel.

Uh, Nina's right.
Privacy is best for us.

But I'd... I would like to see
the rest of the clinic.

Do you have time to give us a tour?

- Charles...
- Well, there's no harm

in having a look.

I would be happy to show you. This way.

How many square feet is this place?

Four thousand? Five?

God, somewhere in between, I think.

Uh, but there's another hallway

with a bedroom studio and exam room.

Yeah, and it's zoned for
the medical arts, huh?

That is a, uh, a
not-for-profit business,

which means a tax deduction
against the market price.

Is that right?

Shall we take a look?

Oh, we'll be doing the
exercises at home.

Your husband seems to be interested.

Uh, Charles is not
interested in the treatment.

He's falling in love.

Oh, don't worry. Not with your wife.

My husband doesn't fall for other women.

He falls for other businesses.

I thought he was in asbestos.

It's his father's business.

For Charles, it's merely a
fund for other businesses.

A couple of weekends ago,

we took our grandson to Coney Island.

By the end of the afternoon,

we owned an ice cream parlor.

Nina, they're seeing
eight couples a day,

and there's still a
three-month waiting list.

Here in-in St. Louis, of all places.

Can you imagine the business you'd do

if this were in New
York or Philadelphia?

I've said the same thing
to Art a dozen times,

haven't I, Art?

Uh, she has.

Do you know that right now, Dr.
Masters and Mrs. Johnson are

on the road investigating a
pair of charlatan therapists

who claim to be using our method?

There are clinics popping up everywhere.

I just... I keep saying to Art,

"Shouldn't it be us opening one?"

After all, we've been
properly trained and endorsed

by Masters and Johnson themselves.

It's a terrific scheme:

you two take the Masters
and Johnson method

to the masses.

Yeah. Why make them come to a town

where there's only one decent hotel?

Well, we weren't even
sure where to make a reservation

for dinner tonight.

I am so sorry. We
should've thought of that

and-and given you some suggestions.

Marmaduke, Le Dauphine
if you want French.

Uh, Alberto's for Italian.

Well, why don't we do one better?

Why don't you two pick a place,

and we'll all have
dinner together tonight?

Lovely.

Did you like how they took
credit for the questionnaire,

75% of which is ours?

Yeah, the protocol
is nearly identical too.

Even the language in the handout:

"Once the man's interest
in sensate focus

has been aroused, the
woman is encouraged

to manipulate the penis with authority,

specifically asking for direction

in stimulative techniques."

"With authority" isn't ours.

Well, no. We say "demandingly,"
but that hardly matters.

Keller says this is
precisely what we need

to pursue a claim against them.

"With authority" is good. It's
better than "demandingly."

I hardly think that anything of theirs

is worth appropriating, Bill.

Well, they may be thieves,
but they're not quacks.

You have to admit

they demonstrated a
certain level of insight.

What, exactly?

To fabricated circumstances?

Do you really think that the
ejaculatory incompetence

that you don't suffer from was caused

by shame from your fictional childhood?

But it's interesting, though...

the suggestion that feeling
undeserving of pleasure

can affect the way a
man perceives himself,

um, choices he makes.

No. There's nothing to
be learned from people

whose entire practice is
founded in dishonesty.

You know, anyway, we should...
we should go over the specifics

of what we're going to tell them
tomorrow, so how many times

shall we say I manipulated
you to orgasm?

What makes the most sense?
What sounds reasonable?

Twice? We should say twice.

I think.

I'm sorry.

I'm starving.

I can't even think straight.

I saw a fried chicken
place across the street.

Should we get some?

I was thinking of calling
it an early night.

Oh. Are you sure?

Well, it's been a long day.

Let's go over our story in
the morning, Virginia, okay?

Okay.

We're gonna take
this to court, right?

And we'll win?

We'll win big. Huge.

Will a judge preside over a $50 suit?

Suit?

I thought we were

in some kind of role play,

which, by the way, is the only reality

where you could actually sue the diner.

But it was gross negligence
for them to be so cavalier

about their food.

It's not their negligence.

It's product liability.

The negligence is
contributory, meaning...

Well, I know what contributory means.

And you can't prove
that what happened was

entirely the cook's fault,
so you've got nothing.

You only pursue legal
action when you know

the tort in question is egregious.

But those cases don't exist.

That is not true.

And I'll give you a perfect example.

A woman who carries on an
affair with husband's intern...

- Mm.
- The fault in the divorce

is clearly hers,

and yet, the ex-wife has
the gall to demand...

Well, she is not your ex.

Not yet.

So, when you said you hadn't
gotten around to the divorce,

what you meant is you're
refusing to negotiate.

She doesn't want to negotiate.

- Uh-huh.
- She knows what she wants.

- The canoe I built, hmm?
- Hmm.

The suit of armor I
bought on our honeymoon,

the jade earrings passed
down by my grandmother.

What are you gonna do
with jade earrings?

Hmm?

What does it matter? You
want a black-and-white case,

this is it.

This is when you take a stand.

Over trinkets?

And you want to bring a
diner to financial ruin

over a $50 dental bill.

It's the principle.

The difference is I have
the law on my side.

I can't say the same about you.

Hello, Billy.

It's you.

Uh, what... just... just you?

Your husband?

Oh, no, N-Nathan's not coming.

He thought it would be
awkward, the three of us.

What, so, he's all right?
Because last week, uh...

I think you asking him to join us

made him feel comfortable declining.

Shall we? I made a reservation

at a very nice Italian restaurant.

At least I think it's nice.
I've never been.

All I know is that it's dark.
I-I wanted someplace dark,

because, well, 30 years is a long time.

Oh, stop it. Come on.

You look... lovely.

Oh, you're gonna need a tie.
It's that kind of place.

Um, hmm, I'm not sure I brought a tie.

Maybe there's one stuffed
away in my suitcase.

Come in, please, won't you?

Oh, okay.

Uh... oh, tie.

Oh, we can go someplace else.

Or we could just stay in.

Oh, there's a-a fried chicken
place across the street.

It doesn't matter to me.

W-well, um, why don't... why don't
we have a-a conversation here?

- Oh.
- Just get some things

- out of the way?
- Okay.

Your husband said

that I-I broke your heart...

all those years ago.

I... honestly, I-I don't...

I don't know what I did.

Unless maybe you saw my note
as-as some kind of joke?

- Your note?
- Yeah, the-the note

I sent you at the
hospital with the roses...

the two dozen long-stemmed roses.

There was no note, no roses.

No, the-the roses I
left at the hospital.

It was after visiting hours,
so I gave them to the nurse,

and told her to prop the note up

where you'd be sure to see it.

Well, she didn't.

I didn't get it.

And I didn't understand what I had done.

Why you pulled away.

Well, I-I was waiting for you to say...

uh, something.

And when you... when you didn't...

Oh.

You should've said something.
Why didn't you?

Well, I thought you were telling
me something with your silence.

But I loved you.

Couldn't you see that?

I guess I'm... I must
have had a hard time

believing that...

believing that a-a girl like you

would ever see something
worthwhile in-in me.

What did the note say?

Well, what does it matter now?

Because I want to know

if I might have had an
entirely different life

with a different man.

Did you ask me a question
in that letter, Billy?

I did.

I would've said yes.

Need a hand?

Oh, uh, do you mind?

Not at all.

Glad for the distraction.

Just waiting for my wife.

Oh. Have a nice stay?

No, we didn't, uh...

yeah, she-she doesn't know I'm here.

I taught her how to drive,
but, uh, she never really got

the hang of the rearview mirror.

You followed her?

Uh, she told me she was going
to Darla Barroli's house

to help organize the book drive.

I mean, before she left
the house tonight,

I saw her try on two dresses
and three shades of lipstick.

Wonder if she did that for Darla,

or if the, uh, book drive
is now headquartered

in the Jojim Arms, room 211.

Two eleven? Are you sure?

It's an old boyfriend of hers.

No, he's more than that.

If she were here, she'd
probably tell you

he's the love of her life.

Hell, I thought we were happy, you know?

I mean, should I have
brought her flowers

more than just on her birthday?

Sure. Do I watch the TV out
of the corner of my eye

while she's going on about
her piano students?

Sometimes. Okay, fine.

But not all the time. I try. I do.

He's, like, this big-shot doctor.

Like a... like a sex doctor.
Can you believe?

Jesus Christ, the guy's
probably doing stuff...

And you're just sitting
here letting it happen?

Why? What would you do?

Kick the door in.

Pull her out of there.
I'd-I'd teach that guy

to keep his hands off my wife.

Maybe I will.

You should.

I would, if I were you.

I wish you would say something.

It would be better
than all this silence.

Just tell me what you're thinking.

Ooh.

All right, you want to
know what I'm thinking?

- Yeah.
- Here's what I'm thinking:

I think by agreeing to
dinner with patients,

you overstepped every boundary

of your professional
relationship with them.

As if that weren't bad enough,
you spent half the meal

talking about the ways that the clinic,

where you are a trusted employee,

could be managed better.

It's... I-I don't know
what the word for it is.

Uh, indecent, maybe? Shameful?

Wh...

First of all, we-we had to
say yes to dinner, Art.

It was clear they were
nervous about the treatment

and seeking a deeper therapeutic bond.

- Oh, come on.
- It would've been

unprofessional and unkind not to go.

You were angling, trying to
impress on a very rich man

that he should invest in
our version of a clinic.

I... that's not what...

Do you remember that
ski vacation we took

at Tremblant?

Second year of med school?

You were about to be evicted

from your apartment... do you remember?

You got on the lift with
that couple from Westmount?

You didn't even know them.

Yeah. They needed a house sitter
and-and I needed a house.

Well, most people do not come away

from a five-minute chairlift ride

with a two-year lease on
a Mount Royal penthouse.

So I'm not most people. So what?

Come on. That was... that
was mutually beneficial,

which this could be too.

So, you admit you were angling?

Yeah. He took the lead, and I followed.

Would've been a fool not to.

Come on. You have to
admit that we have been

treated terribly at this clinic.

Our talents have... have been
overlooked and undermined

by a-a lounge singer
with a degree in typing.

That woman trusted us
with these clients.

And we've been asked to take the
lead on the homosexual study.

That's an exciting piece of research,

which will yield a
paper or two or three.

A year from now, our names will
be beside Masters and Johnson

in respected medical journals.

Why shouldn't our names
stand on their own?

Especially if we are
doing most of the work?

Come on, Art. You-you studied at Kinsey.

You know more about homosexuality

than either of them do.

Why not do the study at our own clinic?

Because we aren't liars or thieves.

I'm not, anyway.

And I'm not ready to leave the clinic

when we've barely begun our tenure.

And I'm not willing to put
up with as much as you are.

Oh, I'm sorry.

How I must look.

Raccoon eyes, huh?

And here I... I wanted to
take your breath away.

As if I still could.

Oh, I'm sure you take your
husband's breath away.

Oh, he-he doesn't look at me.

Or he does. He just...

he doesn't see me, you know?

He goes somewhere, drifts
away when I'm talking to him.

So I've just... stopped.

All that silver in your hair.

What troubles brought that on?

Have you had a happy life?

I'm...

I'm not sure I know how to be happy.

I'm trying.

Trying to learn.

I need
to stop falling in love

with women who don't love me.

But that isn't our story.
You know that now.

Ah.

Is that the story of your marriage?

No.

No. There was someone else.

Another woman.

Well, I thought she didn't love me.

Maybe the problem was I was thinking,

"How could she possibly love me?"

Oh, God.

Did that uncertainty come from me?

Maybe I could...

Would you let me make it up to you?

I'd like to try.

Oh, Dody, no... uh, no.

No, I-I didn't... I didn't
come here for that.

I see.

Oh, God, I'm sorry.

You're sorry?

You're sorry.

Well, I'm embarrassed.

No, don't be.

Rejected again. No
misunderstanding this time.

Don't talk like that.

- I should go.
- No. Dody, please.

It's okay. It's okay.

I'm just a silly woman

who's read too many romance novels.

Good luck to you, Bill.

Maybe the next woman who
wants to love you...

you'll be brave enough to let her.

It's open.

So, I-I made some notes.

Uh, we'll say we had three encounters.

Uh, the first one when we
got back from the session.

Unsuccessful, um,

protracted plateau phase...

although we can't say
"plateau," of course.

You stayed in all night?

Uh, yes.

Uh, then I thought I'd say there
was a sensation of inevitability

that subsided after about two minutes...

I know this all sounds very technical,

but we can, you know,
work on the language.

You weren't alone, though, were you?

You had a visitor.

Uh, yeah, an old friend
dropped by last night.

Dody.

She lives nearby.

Oh, I've never heard you
speak of her before.

Well, we've only just, um,

recently renewed our acquaintance.

So, should we say that we
had another go around...

I don't know, what do you think...

about three hours later?

Uh, using the lotion this time...

Were you lovers?

Uh, we were.

- A long time ago.
- Last night?

No.

I don't believe you.

Well, it's the truth,

whether you choose to believe it or not.

Why would I?

The fact that you hid her
very existence from me...

if it took me asking you
for you to even reveal

that she stopped by...

I'm not an idiot.

But is she the reason why we came here?

To Topeka? Because you
wanted to see her?

Do you have feelings for her, Bill?

Because if you do, I
think that I deserve...

Oh, God.

Look at me. I'm...

Is this what it's like?

Is this how it feels?

How what feels?

I'm j... I'm not...

I've never been this
person before, Bill.

I don't...

I can't sleep, and I
stay up all night...

wondering...

imagining what's going on
on the other side of the wall.

It's...

fucking awful.

How many times did I
make you feel this way?

Once or twice.

Or a thousand times.

I'm so sorry.

Ah, Ms. Masters, attorney at law.

Now, I never called myself that.

She may have made assumptions.

Going to my wife?
Pretending to be my lawyer?

- What made you think...
- That wasn't my intention.

I simply called to see if
her bottom line had changed

after a year of being stonewalled.

I built that stone wall
very intentionally.

It was hard work. You
think it wasn't part

of a long-term strategy?

No, Bram,

I think your strategy is to punish her.

Trust me. I understand.

I spent ten years with a husband
who smelled of another woman.

I have had the moral high ground,

and the truth is knowing
you are right is

the worst weapon that you can have

in an argument.

It makes it impossible to let go.

This is why we hire attorneys...

so that cooler heads will prevail.

Mm? And what assets has your
cooler head secured for me?

Give up the Cadillac...

you never drive it...

and the jade earrings.

You got her to give
up the suit of armor?

Hm, I subtly suggested you
couldn't possibly part

with the car, so, naturally,

it became the only thing
that she cared about.

Screw the cooler head.

You've got actual negotiating skill.

It's a wonder you couldn't
settle something amicably

with the diner.

I don't want to be amicable.

I-I realize that bringing a
$50 dentist bill to court

is ridiculous.

But I couldn't help but fantasize

seeing myself standing in a courtroom.

I mean, I sit at that
desk all day, and...

and I sit in the back of rooms

as wives get taken in their divorces,

and the idea of standing
up in front of a judge,

even in small claims court, is...

Intoxicating.

Completely.

Have you...

have you ever heard of
a woman my age, um,

taking classes or going back to school?

It's not common.

But there's not much about you that is.

Anytime between noon and four.

Yes, the homosexual study
is completely anonymous.

Okay. Happy to help.

Boy, you've been doing a brisk business.

Not a single pamphlet left.

I haven't seen anyone take one.

Well, they must've done it
when you weren't watching.

Yeah, sadly, there's still a stigma

attached to impotence.

Not that I personally
have suffered from it.

Don't even bother
putting those out.

I threw the last batch out.
I'll throw those out too.

Why would you do that?

Were you listening yesterday?

A penis pump is precisely the
kind of nonsense gadget...

the kind of Band-Aid solution

that the foundation does not condone.

Well, that makes no sense.

You got a broken arm,
you don't walk around

with it hanging from your shoulder.

A broken pecker? Why not fix it?

I'm sure Bill and Virginia would agree.

No. They wouldn't.

And if you had any idea about
what we're doing here,

you would know that.

I know exactly what you're doing here.

I was a part of the work before you.

I was patient M0001. Remember...

- I know what that is.
- You were a volunteer?

I was the first volunteer.

And "volunteer" isn't
even the right word.

"Pioneer." That's the word.

Neil Armstrong? Guy's got nothing on me.

You don't think you're being
a little self-aggrandizing?

One small step for man.

I've been thinking about volunteering.

You won't regret it.

It's not just a contribution to science.

It's meeting someone anonymously

and connecting with them physically

to see how your parts fit together,

no strings attached.

Well, okay, there are wires,

but, man, that just heightens
the whole experience.

Honestly, it was the
best sex of my life.

And the first blonde
they paired me with?

Oh, what a bombshell.

She was... she was gorgeous

and she was built, and, like,

oh, God damn it, was she
ready to go, you know?

Oh!

You asshole! That blonde is my wife!

Going over the data?

Well, it's... it's very
preliminary, of course,

but the homosexual couples
take a longer time

in the prelude to sexual
connection, and...

You going somewhere?

I'm leaving early.

I'm, uh, I'm going to meet
Mr. Clavermore.

I turned it off.

Was that a good idea?

If they figure it out, they can fire me.

Or I'll quit.

Mr. Clavermore has found
a building for us.

Since yesterday?

He's had his eye on it for some time,

and now he's brought his lawyer to town

so we can begin to talk about
terms for a partnership.

Before you say anything, let me say

I know that you don't
want to leave this place,

that you feel valued and fulfilled here,

and I'm glad about that,

because, Art, I want you to be happy.

I have always wanted you to be happy.

That sounds ominous.

I'm gonna take this opportunity, Art,

and I know you don't want to,

but maybe that's okay.

Maybe it's time that
we let each other go.

You're... you're talking
about splitting up?

I'm not happy.

I haven't been for a long time.

I'm sorry if this hurts,

but I need to be honest with you.

I'm tired of pretending.

Pretending what?

That I can continue to
stomach our arrangement.

That I still want to be with other men

and that I don't mind you
being with other women.

You don't want me to
be with other women?

I know that before we got married,

I was the one who
insisted on this setup,

but I didn't know that when you wake up

with someone every morning,

pour each other coffee,

split the-the newspaper,

that you want to go to bed with
that person every night too.

You want to be monogamous.

But I know that that would
be constricting for you.

I know how much you love
the openness and variety

that swinging brings.

I love you more, Nancy.

You mean you'd be willing to give up

being with other women?

Yes.

Then this offer from Mr. Clavermore
is like Kismet.

It could not be more perfectly timed.

Don't you see that?

We have the chance to go someplace

where nobody knows us,

where we don't have friends
or colleagues who think of us

as-as swingers.

We can make a fresh start,
the two of us together

at our own clinic.

In New York.

I think the first
time we tried was my fault.

Oh, we don't say "fault," Ingrid.

I was too tentative.

Did you give feedback, Earl?

Tell her what felt good to you?

Sometimes, if you put
your hand over hers,

it allows you to direct the pace
and intensity of her stroking.

Yes. I did that the second time.
And the third.

So, three times?

And you were able to ejaculate...

Twice.

Well, good job, you two.

Outstanding. How do you feel?

We're very encouraged.

And looking forward to what's next.

So, orgasmic inevitability
followed by intromission?

Oh...

Earl's been reading up.

- Yeah.
- Yeah. Yeah.

Just anxious to get
this show on the road,

so to speak.

Well, first things first.
It's not a show.

That's the wrong way to think about it.

You won't be performing for us.

In fact, most couples say
after a few minutes,

they completely forget we're even there.

- Even where?
- In the room with us?

No, no.

- Of course not.
- No, no, no.

- 'Cause it sounded...
- No.

Marcia and I
observe you and Ingrid

from behind a two-way mirror

so that you can derive the benefit

of our step-by-step instruction

without our being too intrusive.

I don't understand. I
thought that you were

going to send us back to
the motel with exercises.

You've made great strides
by your own account.

Let's use that momentum
to take the next step.

Uh, I don't think we're...
well, I'm not ready for that.

I think you are, Earl.

I know you are.

How about you just tell us what to do,

and we'll report back?

But this is how
we've been able to yield

the results we have in so short a time.

- But other therapists...
- Frankly,

they take twice as long
and charge twice as much.

The process doesn't have
to be so drawn-out.

In fact, we've found if
you hold up intercourse

as this big event that
requires weeks of training,

the psychological pressure that
causes can be very destructive.

I'm sorry, but no.

Fine. If it's not for
you, it's not for you.

We certainly won't force you, but...

If you aren't willing to
trust us or our approach,

I think you have to ask yourselves,

"Why did you come here
in the first place?"

Honey, maybe we should discuss this.

Uh, could we have a moment alone?

- Certainly.
- Oh, of course. Absolutely.

Take all the time you need.

- It's out of the question.
- Bill.

I am not going to. They...

they should not be having couples...
coupling

this soon, anyway.

Two days into the treatment?

We are not here to critique
their methodology.

We're here to see what of
ours they have stolen.

- And we've done that.
- So you just want

- to walk away now?
- Yeah.

I guarantee you we will
not be the first patients

to balk at being observed...
we've seen it ourselves.

We don't know if they've
co-opted our entire protocol.

Uh, our questionnaire, yes.
A few exercises.

But we have a very specific
technique for intromission.

If they employ it, we...

I... Virginia, I-I can't.

We've done this countless
times before, Bill,

and for a higher purpose
than our pleasure.

There's nothing different now. Why...

why did we come here if
not to amass enough evidence

to protect our legacy?

What are you afraid is going to happen?

It's just sex, Bill.

All by your lonesome?

Art's staying late at work.

What about, uh, Cissy?

She's in Cincinnati for
a realtor's conference.

I could open up a bottle of wine,

maybe order in some Chinese.

How's your hand?

How's his face?

I got him good, didn't I?

Really felt like I connected.

You did. You-you definitely did.

I'm-I'm sure there's
gonna be some bruising.

Or worse.

I shouldn't have let him off so easy

after what he said about my wife.

Of course, coming from someone
with Langham's intellect,

that was practically poetry.

I hope you're not gonna listen to him

about volunteering for the study.

I just thought I'd fill in the
form, see if they take me.

Oh, they'll take you.

I've watched 877 couples have sex

on the other side of the glass.

Most of them I never saw again,

so I can't say that I know
what happened to them,

but some, like Langham,

I know exactly what came next.

It screwed him up.

His marriage crashed and burned.
He lost his kids.

Langham has other kids
besides the baby with Helen?

Three. Four, actually.

He knocked up one of the
girls in the study.

That's what I'm saying.

But I'm not married.

And I'm definitely not
gonna get anyone pregnant.

No, that... it's not just that.

Ever since Jane was in the study,

she treats sex like it's a performance.

The curtain goes up, and she's
on stage in a starring role.

Why else would she marry the man
on the other side of the glass?

Because she loves you.

No.

Because I'm her audience.

I have front row seats,

a lifetime booking to her drama:

crushes, affairs, breakups.

I'm sorry.

But you've been doing
this work for years.

Y-you're telling me you
don't believe in the work?

I do. I believe in the science.

Just like I'm glad
there's a polio vaccine.

But I wouldn't want to be the
rat that tried it first.

Listen to me. Throw that away.

You don't know what's real
and what's a performance

when there's someone watching.

Doing it behind the
glass... it changes you.

Now, Ingrid, take hold of Earl

and begin to manually stimulate him.

No. Look-look at each other.

Ingrid, connect with him.

Earl, show her
what feels good to you.

Good. Tell her
when you're close.

Now, Ingrid, move over him
into female-superior.

Now keep hold of him,

continuing to stimulate him

while you put him inside you.

I love you.