Orgasms are crucial. In a contemporary world where its inhabitants are easily disengaged from their lives with the screens they stare at daily that create missed connection, the release of tension that comes with an orgasm is necessary to continue a healthy life. Sex isn’t only anatomical, however, and provides a mental relaxant that’s smoother than lube. FX’s latest limited series, Dying for Sex, follows a terminally ill woman that finds itself being funnier than its concept should allow while being more endearing than most series’ ever achieve, thanks in part to a miraculous lead performance from Michelle Williams.
Molly (Williams) has cancer again, but with novelty (and certainty) this time: she will die. She has cancer in her bones, according to Dr. Pankowitz (David Rasche, Veep), her too-forward doctor whose days in the oncology unit have grated his empathy in delivering bad news to his patients. She’s unsure of how to break the news to the people in her life, mostly Nikki (Jenny Slate, Parks and Recreation), her closest friend who’s rightfully devastated upon hearing the news of the cancer’s aggressive return. Molly’s husband, Steve (Jay Duplass, Transparent), has drifted from his duties as a husband, both emotionally and physically. He can’t bear the thought of Molly’s cancer and can’t make himself think of her sexually after her first ordeal with cancer ending with a double mastectomy. Molly desperately seeks physical validation, admitting she’s never had an orgasm with another person, and attention that she’s lost from her husband. There’s no longer a connection between the two, so she leaves him to pursue the final days of her life as a single woman yearning for sexual autonomy and unbound physical intimacy.
“What kind of man wants to fuck a woman with cancer that also wears overalls?” Molly ponders, realizing she’s lost any sense of identity that would tie her to a style of her own, any semblance of a full existence outside of sickness. It’s a question that also fully emphasizes how hilarious the series is, all eight episodes hilarious and heartfelt, somber without being overly melancholic. Michelle Williams is at her best, endearing and committed, a fearless leader in a limited series that never takes the easy route in its relentless and emboldened search for life amongst death. Palliative care is there to make the trail slightly more walkable, but meeting Sonya (Esco Jouléy) paves a new road for life that Molly hadn’t quite considered.
Molly’s first meeting with Sonya immediately creates a comfort for her that wasn’t present prior, appearing as a result of an open dialogue around sex that she’d never been around. She quickly realizes that there’s a world of physicality she wants, specifically a more dominant role in the bedroom. Whether it’s getting off on using men as dogs in actual costumes – Conrad Ricamora (How to Get Away with Murder), all eyes are on you here – or speaking to her neighbor, who the series never names but is played by Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), in degrading and humiliating ways, Molly finds herself liberated by the newness of her ability to speak confidently to her sexual partners. Dying for Sex follows its lead move through the most difficult time of her life with grace, even with graphic sex scenes and crass jokes that offset the more serious moments. Molly’s dive into open sexuality allows her a deeper understanding of dom/sub culture — which she learns the most from Neighbor Guy. Dying for Sex drops Molly into sexual situations out of her comfort zone, including a sex party and finding the biggest dildo she’s ever seen, that pushes her deeper into being herself. The series tonally balancing its humor and the solemnity of death allows the show to go into more existential areas without suffocating the viewer.
The series only being eight episodes is one of its biggest strengths, each episode shorter than usual limited series fare — most under 30 minutes — that creates an intimate portal into the life of someone finding themselves at the very end. Michelle Willams is incredible, a devilish comedic sense on full display as Molly dives headfirst into finding herself sexually that results in a towering performance She begins to move through life more confidently, even while actively dying. Being told five years would be her maximum prognosis causes Nikki to lose sight of everything going on in her own life while being consumed by the despair of losing her closest friend. Her relationship with longtime boyfriend, Noah (Kelvin Yu, The Afterparty), disintegrates in front of her without her caring enough to save it. How could she give anything attention when her best friend is dying in front of her? She doesn’t have the energy to save that relationship when one she cherishes so much will come to an end soon without having any say in when or how. The specificity of each character actualizes Dying for Sex into an adept investigation into the ongoing search for oneself and how it transforms the way we view the world as we push deeper into it. The most difficult relationship for Molly is with her mother, Gail (Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek), who she’s always felt neglected by but wants a connection with. Some of the best moments of the show are thanks to Spacek, who plays the role with a ferocious tenderness.
The eight episodes get better as the season progresses, a good start blossoming into a great season that finds its successful roots in the series’ ability to present death with levity. There’s an innate darkness connected to any project that finds itself seeking answers in the final stages of life, but creators Elizabeth Meriwether (The Dropout) and Kim Rosenstock have created a series that finds some of its funniest scenes embracing the darkness: Molly saying “it’s just oxygen” when having a tube removed to more easily kiss is one of the most earnestly hilarious and incredibly romantic moments of the season. Everything builds upon the last moments spent with each character, nothing feeling out of place or pushed aside. The season moves quickly enough to move through months with ease, allowing characters other than Nikki to come in and out of Molly’s day as necessary. Steve has moved on with someone younger, and Molly doesn’t care. Her apathy towards his newfound relationship isn’t cruel, just earned, as his disengagement from their own relationship allowed Molly to finally leave him. Neighbor Guy comes by her place for casual degradation and she loves it. Molly still sees Sonya for palliative care, but barreling towards death creates a sturdy bond with someone, and Esco Jouléy is a marvel. Their work on the show is must-watch, a grace unmatched on the small screen this year while bringing light to the darkness surrounding the central theme.
Dying for Sex is among the best television of the year. With characters easily understood by anyone who has ever had a friend or known someone terminally ill, the series finds its strengths in every corner, no weak links appearing throughout the eight episode season. It’s staggeringly impressive and heartfelt in equal measure, a glimpse into creativity at its highest with Michelle Williams leading a cast that taps into greatness. It’s a series that deserves every bit of attention it will garner upon release. Cum all ye who seek great television.
Grade: A
All eight episodes of Dying for Sex will premiere April 4 in the U.S. on Hulu. Internationally, the series will also premiere the same day with all episodes available exclusively on Disney+.
On episode 281 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch… Read More
The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) announced today that it will hold its annual… Read More
You know when someone smells the rotten milk and says "Oh god, this is horrible,… Read More
A huge week of trailer releases including the latest in the Final Destination and John… Read More
As the new gay comedy series Mid-Century Modern hits Hulu today (see my review here),… Read More
Today, the Palm Springs International Film Society announced dates for its 2026 Palm Springs International Film Awards… Read More
This website uses cookies.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="250px" width="250px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)