The Best Episodes of Masters of Sex

Ranker TV
Updated July 12, 2019

There are so many good episodes of Masters of Sex, but which ones really stand out? Do you like "Coats or Keys" the best, or is "Fight" your favorite episode of Masters of Sex? To determine once and for all what the best episodes of Masters of Sex are, let's rank every Masters of Sex episode from best to worst.

Set in the 1950s and 1960s, Masters of Sex is a period drama about pioneering researchers William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) and their work in human sexuality at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Developed by Michelle Ashford, Masters of Sex was first greenlit in the summer of 2012 and premiered the following fall on Sept. 29, 2013. Masters of Sex has received acclaim since season 1 and has been nominated at the Emmys, Critics' Choice Awards, and Writers Guild of America Awards.

Vote up your favorite episodes of Masters of Sex, and downvote any bad episodes that you really didn't enjoy, despite how much you love the series as a whole. It can be painful to put one Masters of Sex episode over the other when there are so many good ones, which is why you can vote on however many episodes you like.

list ordered by
  • Fight
    1

    Fight

    Season 2 Episode 3: Virginia unearths Masters' troubled childhood during a secret rendezvous.
  • Blackbird
    2

    Blackbird

    Season 2 Episode 6: Hendricks bans Masters from using blacks. Johnson accepts DePaul's choice.
  • The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
    3

    The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

    Season 2 Episode 12: Masters and Johnson feel ready to cure sexual dysfunction. Season finale.
  • Parallax
    4

    Parallax

    Season 2 Episode 1: The ramifications of Masters' presentation ripple. Season premiere.
  • One for the Money, Two for the Show
    5

    One for the Money, Two for the Show

    Season 2 Episode 11: A television crew arrives to document Masters and Johnson's work.
  • Asterion
    6

    Asterion

    Season 2 Episode 7: Masters becomes impotent - and cuts off his sexual work with Johnson.
  • Masters of Sex: Parliament of Owls
    7

    Masters of Sex: Parliament of Owls

    Season 3 Episode 1: Masters and Johnson face the press for the first time. Season premiere.
  • Masters of Sex: Three's a Crowd
    8

    Masters of Sex: Three's a Crowd

    Season 3 Episode 2: Masters takes on a high profile patient. Virginia and Libby come to terms.
  • Masters of Sex: The Excitement of Release
    9

    Masters of Sex: The Excitement of Release

    Season 3 Episode 3: Masters and Johnson look to capitalize on their burgeoning fame.
  • Standard Deviation
    10

    Standard Deviation

    Season 1 Episode 3: As Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) bristles at the hiring of a new female doctor, Masters (Michael Sheen) worries that conducting their study in a brothel is jeopardizing the results. Haas (Nichols D’Agosto) fights to be allowed to deliver quadruplets.
  • Phallic Victories
    11

    Phallic Victories

    Season 1 Episode 11: As Masters (Michel Sheen) struggles to carry on without her, Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) looks to help Dr. DePaul promote her work on women's health. When Haas (Nicholas D'Agosto) babysits while Johnson attends a conference, he squares off with her ex-husband.
  • Kyrie Eleison
    12

    Kyrie Eleison

    Season 2 Episode 2: As Masters begins a new job, Virginia is torn between him and DePaul.
  • Masters of Sex: Through A Glass, Darkly
    13

    Masters of Sex: Through A Glass, Darkly

    Season 3 Episode 10: Johnson objects to Masters' program following missteps in the protocol.
  • Masters of Sex: Freefall
    14

    Masters of Sex: Freefall

    Season 4 Episode 1: Masters and Johnson search for purpose without each other. Season premiere.
  • Masters of Sex: Inventory
    15

    Masters of Sex: Inventory

    Season 4 Episode 2: Masters and Johnson turn to new partners and focus on the expanding clinic.
  • Fallout
    16

    Fallout

    Season 1 Episode 10: As the hospital is preoccupied with a nuclear disaster drill, a study participant's pregnancy further divides Masters (Michael Sheen) and Johnson (Lizzy Caplan). Margaret (Allison Janney) learns the truth about her husband, and Haas (Nicholas D'Agosto) finds his days at the hospital may be numbered.
  • Masters of Sex: Coats or Keys
    17

    Masters of Sex: Coats or Keys

    Season 4 Episode 4: Johnson, Masters, Libby and Keller pair up together at a party.
  • Manhigh
    18

    Manhigh

    Season 1 Episode 12: Masters' (Michael Sheen) presentation of the sex study to his colleagues ignites a firestorm of protest and leaves Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) struggling with the fallout. Scully (Beau Bridges) tells Margaret (Allison Janney) the truth about his sexual history, while Haas (Nicholas D'Agosto) looks for a job in California.
  • Masters of Sex: Night and Day
    19

    Masters of Sex: Night and Day

    Season 4 Episode 9: Masters and Johnson must grapple with the ramifications of their trip.
  • Giants
    20

    Giants

    Season 2 Episode 5: The study costs Masters his ob/gyn practice. Johnson struggles with DePaul.
  • Masters of Sex: Family Only
    21

    Masters of Sex: Family Only

    Season 4 Episode 6: Johnson looks to get her connection back on track with a hesitant Masters.
  • Dirty Jobs
    22

    Dirty Jobs

    Season 2 Episode 4: Langham shares his suspicions about Masters and Johnson with DePaul.
  • Mirror, Mirror
    23

    Mirror, Mirror

    Season 2 Episode 8: Johnson attempts to treat a woman on her own. Libby witnesses a hate crime.
  • Story of My Life
    24

    Story of My Life

    Season 2 Episode 9: Barbara Sanders' unsettling diagnosis exposes a chain of secrets.
  • Masters of Sex: Undue Influence
    25

    Masters of Sex: Undue Influence

    Season 3 Episode 4: Masters seeks unexpected advice. Virginia is distracted by news of Henry.