Bill and Virginia are interviewed by Newsweek as they take on an exotic new patient. Dan Logan tries to read Virginia. Libby and Paul deal with the fallout from exposed truths.
It was difficult to tell if Bill going to the St. Louis zoo to give a consult on a sexually impotent ape at the end of last week's episode was suppose to be taken seriously or as a joke. Knowing how it was meant to be played wouldn't make the moment work any more than it actually did. But clarity would help understand what the show thinks it is doing at the moment. The idea that Bill and Virginia are going to spend a week treating a sexually flawed ape sounds like such a horrible story. It's played completely straight. A way for Bill and Virginia to understand the evolutionary pattern between apes and humans and how being locked in a cage and forced into a structure has effected Gil the ape sexually. Both characters have these big philosophic ideas about how grand this new opportunity can be for their research. But it's also a story that is building towards Virginia flashing Gil in order for him to go have sex with the female companion.There is interesting stuff going on with the supporting ensemble throughout this episode. But the story with Bill and Virginia is so overwhelming and just so off-putting. It's just not amusing to watch the two of the them consult various zoo trainers and discuss the matter with each other. And then, there is the elongated scene where Virginia tries to encourage Gil into performing that just drags in its build up to the reveal of what he truly wants. It's just such a weird moment. What is the show trying to do in that moment? It leads to interesting complications for the Bill-Virginia relationship later during their Newsweek article. But did all the stuff with the ape have to play out the way that it did in order to achieve that moment? No. It was all too complicated with no appeal whatsoever.
All of it occurred just so Bill could reverse his position on nearly every issue during the big interview in the end. That transition happened almost instantaneously. He was adamantly against talking about the celebrity couple from last week in order to get publicity. He wasn't willing to take the ape case all that seriously. The change happened when Dan Logan came into the room and offered to take the whole office to go get popcorn. It was a nice gesture by his part. But Bill read it as Dan showing his affection for Virginia once more. That's the only reason Bill shifts his position. He wants to be the man in Virginia's life. Little does he know, he no longer is her only sexual partner at the moment. But all he did was alienate her further. He encouraged her to flash her breasts for the ape and to then flaunt that success to the reporters. He saw it as real change which was very delusional of him. This whole experience only served to alienate him further - to both Virginia and the audience.
Now, Virginia is running to the loving embrace of Dan Logan. Sure, his plan of surprising her in an ape costume wasn't that smart or charming. But it was a genuine effort that didn't force her to compromise herself. She doesn't have to try hard with Dan. That is so appealing when things are only getting more complicated with Bill. Things are difficult with Dan too. He has a wife as well who has been out of the picture so far this season. He also knows that Bill and Virginia have been sleeping together even though she is adamant that they are not. He finds out because Tessa tells him. She just enjoys stirring the pot. But Virginia still ends up with Dan which is a very significant moment for her in a time where Bill isn't doing right by her.
Elsewhere, great things are happening with two other couples: Betty & Helen and Lester & Jane. Helen has gotten obsessed with the idea of having a baby which leads to big consequences in a time where people just didn't think a single woman or two women should be raising a child. Everyone on the show seems fine with Betty and Helen being lovers. That opinion is able to exist on a show that also features Barton Scully struggling with his sexual orientation. But it's nice to see the realistic side that this would be a struggle for both of them. Betty and Helen break into the lab in order to self inject the male specimen before they realize they want to know other things about their donor. That leads to the return of Teddy Sears as Austin who could be their donor. Betty says that he has the looks and the brains that they want for a child. But is she forgetting all the other qualities about him? He was a womanizer after all. Plus, he was a character who stopped being interesting early in the second season but who kept appearing for no reason. If he's back, the show better have a good reason.
With Lester and Jane, she wants to become a sex surrogate for her single friend, Keith, who is impotent. That's a new groundbreaking world for Bill and Virginia to explore with their research. But it initially comes across as Jane finding the passion in this work again. The story also explains what happened to Lester and Barbara during the time jump between seasons. He was impotent because Jane broke his heart. Her love was what made him happy again. That's why they are married and have kids together. Jane doing this for her friend could go horribly so quickly. Lester doesn't seem as okay with it as he promised Jane he was. The treatment will be an ongoing thing. But this seems like something that could potentially be devastating for both of them - in a time where all the couples are seemingly struggling.
Some more thoughts:
- "Monkey Business" was written by Michelle Ashford & David Flebotte and directed by Adam Arkin.
- Libby and Paul aren't sure how to act around each other following Libby's outburst about Joy's plans of leaving him. And yet, they are both drawn to Joy's apartment because they want to escape their lives for a bit - although for very different reasons. Hopefully, this isn't leading to some big romantic moment between the two.
- Tessa was more bearable in her brief office scenes this week. But what is she trying to do by telling Dan about her mother and Bill's affair? It doesn't seem like she has a good plan. Also, the aftermath of Virginia exposing Tessa as her daughter to Dan was a missing scene. He knows how she feels and should tell Virginia.
- For a second, it seemed like Johnny was going to start a fire in the kitchen when Bill almost caught him burning his baseball card. It's still not a story that is interesting in the slightest though.
- The interview with Newsweek was built up as this big thing that could be used to help publicize the work and the practice. But in the end, it was just a lousy dinner where the point was showing Bill not caring about Virginia's feelings - once again.
