Molly (Michelle Williams) is extremely horny. She’s also dying.
That’s the concept of FX’s Dying for Sex, which is simple in premise and profound in execution. Molly’s life is in flux after discovering her cancer has come back and is now stage four.
As she grapples with death, there’s one part of her life that’s deeply unfulfilled—her sex life. She’s never even had an orgasm with another person! With time working against her, Molly leaves her husband and is determined to have every imaginable sexual experience in the ultimate pursuit of pleasure. And things get wild.
In Episode 5, “My Pet,” Molly has a good thing going. She’s discovered that dominance is what makes her tick, and she’s been pursuing that feeling to great effect. While she’s still trawling the apps for new partners, she’s got a couple of steady lovers to satisfy her—and one of them is affectionately known as her “Pet” (Conrad Ricarmora). That’s because he dresses up as, and acts like, a dog. (He’s saved on Molly’s phone as “Puppy”).
Molly can’t stop the fact that her cancer is extremely aggressive. She doesn’t have long to live, which naturally causes a feeling of a complete lack of control. But her fling with Pet gives her a glorious sense of dominance. She commands him, and he responds giddily. The vulnerability lies entirely with him. Having complete ownership of another human being gives Molly immense satisfaction and the sense of power she sorely lacks.
After their session, Molly asks if there’s anything else he wants. “I wasted so much time worrying if I was normal,” Molly tells Pet, sensing he’s nervous, “Or if I was turned on by normal things…there’s nothing wrong with you.” Assuring him, he opens up about his innermost desire: “I want to be peed on.” Molly lights up with surprise: “Let me think about it,” she says.
It’s refreshing to see kink dealt with such sensitivity. Molly doesn’t think any part of what Pet desires is strange. This is a show that understands life’s too short, both literally and figuratively. Molly knows that too—why interrogate what someone desires when you could simply enjoy it? Molly doesn’t judge, and neither does the show itself—there’s a welcome frankness and openness throughout Dying for Sex.
Later in the episode, one of Molly’s chemo sessions is interrupted by her visiting mother Gail (Sissy Spacek), who has brought along family members that Molly purposefully hid her diagnosis from. She texts Pet to come to the appointment. The family is horrified, as he arrives in full doggy gear, getting on all fours at Molly’s command and sniffing her legs. But Molly doesn’t care—this is a woman with nothing to lose, and plenty of sexual exploration to gain. When everyone else leaves, she tells Pet she’s ready to fulfill his wish. The episode then cuts to Molly’s bathroom.
“You all set?” Molly asks, standing over him in the bathtub, pantsless.
“Yes please,” Pet answers giddily.
Molly then starts to pee on him, her voice wavering, shaky at first—it’s new territory for her—before turning into a triumphant moan of joy. Pet is thrilled to be peed on. They’re both aware what they’re doing is outlandish, but it’s something that fulfills a locked-up desire for them both. Dying for Sex knows it’s outrageous, cutting away from Molly to the face of an actual dog (her mother’s foster dog), who turns his head in surprise in a great comic beat.
Pet howls like a dog in delight, while Molly is notably empowered, taking in this new experience with the thrill of someone uncovering buried treasure. Despite her initial hesitancy, it’s going far better than she could have hoped, and she’s loving it. Watching these two people do something that scares them and do it with such uninhibited joy and excitement feels special.
Dying for Sex is a fearless, exhilarating show all about exploring the parts of yourself that society would rather you keep hidden. Though the reality of death looms over the show, it’s heartwarming, elegant, and incredibly sexy. Michelle Willams’ singular brilliance lends so much complexity to Molly that watching her order a man dressed as a dog to lie back and be peed on transforms into a powerful, liberating moment.
It’s a thrilling, horny, and jaw-dropping moment that’s everything either of them could ever want—until her mom walks in mid-stream.
