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Episode 1 “Good Value Diet Soda” Recap

It has been 2 years since Molly went into remission for breast cancer and she has just found out that cancer has been found in her hip, in her bones, and she is stage four now. You’d think this would be devastating, getting what most would see as a death sentence, but what Molly is thinking about is that she hasn’t orgasmed, or come close, since her twenties.

Mind you, she is married to a man named Steve, who is good at providing, but since she had breast cancer, he doesn’t pursue her sexually. She even tries to initiate, and he cries when feeling her mastectomy scars. Not only that, he tries to play reverse psychology and push the idea her need for sex is a trauma thing from when her mom’s ex when she was 7 was inappropriate with her.

This is why Molly is on the verge of leaving her husband and just spending as much time with Nikki as possible. Now, is this the best time for Nikki? Not necessarily. She is in a Shakespearean play, just moved in with her boyfriend Noah, who has a teenager named Winter, and she is the type who feels strongly, and causes her own rise in passion usually via being unhibited and a little bit selfish.

But, this is what Molly loves about her. Nikki wholeheartedly feels everything, to the point of rarely, if ever, having bad sex, and just in Nikki being herself, defending herself, and being willing to be confrontational, she inspires Molly to do the same.

New Cast and Characters

Molly (Michelle Williams)

A bit of a voyeur of life, Molly longs for much but doesn’t exactly not what for – beyond an orgasm. Which she hasn’t gotten close to in decades but with staring down her potential final years or months, she seems dedicated to learning what it is like to feel not only the peak of pleasure from sex, but also life.

Steve (Jay Duplass)

Steve is Molly’s husband, a journalist, who focuses on the topics most don’t find sexy, like climate change, who isn’t a terrible husband but seemingly is just committed to Molly. He is ready to be a provider, take care of her, but not necessarily make her feel sexy and loved the way she desires.

Nikki (Jenny Slate)

Nikki is Molly’s best friend who is an actress from New Jersey, though she rarely admits to that, and she is a very passionate person off and on stage.

Noah (Kelvin Yu)

Noah is Nikki’s boyfriend who is a musician and, the way Nikki and Molly present it, potentially one of the best boyfriends Nikki has ever had.

Winter (Emiko Dunn)

Winter is Noah’s daughter who doesn’t have the best relationship with her dad.

Other Noteworthy Information

• Aired (Hulu): April 4, 2025
• Director(s): Shannon Murphy
• Writer(s): Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether
• Created By: Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether
• Based On “Dying For Sex” by Wondery and Nikki Boyer
• Inspired By: Molly Kochan

Review

Highlights

• Molly Follows In The Footsteps Of Great Cancer Portrayals [85/100]
• The People Around Molly Don’t Make Things About Them, And You Naturally Feel Invested In Them [83/100]

Overall

Our Rating (84/100)

When it comes to Michelle Williams’ depiction of Molly, I would put it up there with Emma Thompson in “Wit” and Laura Linney in “The Big C” in terms of giving us a character who both has comedic moments that make them endearing, while holding onto a bit of darkness within them which makes you realize their decisions and reactions to others often isn’t a joke.

Sometimes it is a cry for help, the struggle to push against your own walls that have existed for so long you aren’t sure why you erected them, or the growing worry that you are missing out since so much is happening and you aren’t a participant. For when it comes to how Molly is enamored with Nikki, even turned on when Steve is angry at her and taking control of a situation, you can see a multi-layered sense of longing. The desire to be protected and have a champion, yet also be a fighter who is formidable and gets others to stand down without the need for compromise.

And that’s another beautiful thing about “Dying For Sex,” the co-stars add instead of take away or try to bring attention to themselves. Mind you, this is even with Jenny Slate’s performance, including multiple notable arguments, and her playing a character who seems to need a certain level of drama to feel like things are normal. Her big moments don’t swallow up the episode or Williams. They are two people who share a world, and there is a love there that helps you see they balance each other out, like any extrovert matched with an introvert would.

Add in Nikki doesn’t need it to be all about her and will callout Molly when she pushes Nikki to take advantage of her ability to talk about herself, and it all just makes for a warm and fuzzy feeling, despite the possibility this could end with you in tears.

“Dying For Sex” Guide

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