Dont read on if you havent watched the Oct. 16 episode ofMasters of Sex.
Now, sadly, it appears her time is up in the most tragic way.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Poor Helen.
Credit: Warren Feldman/SHOWTIME
Why did you do this to poor Betty?
MICHELLE ASHFORD:Well, we had been thinking about this for a long time.
Again: poor Betty!
Legislation for gay custody rights wouldnt happen for decades, and you say its a long story for Betty.
Is there any ounce of happiness for her in the immediate future?
Yeah, there is because, exactly, this didnt happen for decades that you had any legal recourse.
It opened up this really interesting avenue.
Its not a woman on a mission.
Its a woman trying to survive.
How has Betty surprised you in the way shes evolved over the years?
And it was literally supposed to be a one-off.
Four years later, I think what that says about her is that she is such a unique voice.
Whats been surprising is just the force of the character.
Helen was always only supposed to be in a few episodes, right?
When did you realize she had to stick around longer?
What works about her, first of all, we love her.
We loved having those two women together, and we wanted Betty to have a proper love interest.
We wanted to have her really venture to make a family.
They were trying to do something in an age when there was hardly any roadmap for this.
It means a lot to them and matters, and theyre committed.
We liked that much better than Betty just sort of hooking up with different partners and then leaving them.
We wanted to show the seriousness with which they were approaching all these issues.
Did Sarah know this exit was bound to happen eventually?
How did she react to this script in particular?
It came about in an odd way, actually.
And we realized, we really hadnt seen Helens parents.
What do you think?
And she loved it.
So we both really loved that idea.
Was it a particularly difficult day on set?
It was very sad!
It was very emotional, it really was.
But the fact that she cared so much about this… she never went, Oh, thats fine.
She was incredibly committed to this and I love her for that.
I imagine youll still see her around on set, though, right?
She came to set the other day and saw Bill and Virginia film a scene!
Its been really lovely.
Plus, which characters fans love.
We go with the love.
I love Nancy, for the most part.
Yet Im still weirdly enamored with them?
And then by the end, oh my God, youre just slayed.
They end up being incredibly riveting.
Lets talk about Bill.
Hes doing…so good!
Hes rehabilitating and getting everything back in order.
Tell me about where we are with him, halfway through the season.
I need to start thinking straight and making smart decisions.
I need to find the essential me in there somewhere.
Youre like poison, or are you poison!?
So thats exactly where he is right now.
To me it felt very real and very human.
To your point, almost a role reversal between them.
Bills won me over with the work hes been doing for himself and for Libby.
Virginia is, on the other hand, making self-destructive decisions and getting colder.
Thats exactly whats going on.
When you read Toms book, its bizarre.
These two actually completely flip-flopped their dynamic from when they first met and it really exactly happened like this.
And she actually took up this mantle that he sort of had discarded and wore it as her own.
So, weve just entered the back half of the season now.
Give me a tease.
Masters of Sexairs Sundays at 10 p.m.
