Question: Has Michelle Williams ever made a false move as an actress? "Never" is the correct answer, and Williams proves it again in "Dying for Sex," the limited FX on Hulu series where eight tragicomic episodes begin streaming on Friday in another stunning affirmation of her talent.
At 44, Williams has already received an Emmy ("Fosse/Verdon"), two Golden Globes, a Tony nod and five Oscar nominations -- most recently for playing Steven Spielberg's mother in "The Fabelmans." Not bad for a Montana girl who scored her career breakthrough on the teen TV soap, "Dawson's Creek." For the record, she was distinctively dazzling in that as well.
Which brings us to "Dying for Sex." Despite the title, the series is not designed for titillation. Williams plays the real-life Molly Kochan, a married woman who only worked up the courage to explore her sexual identity after being hit with a diagnosis of Stage 4 breast cancer, which has metastasized to her bones, giving her five years at best to finally live, live, live!
Review: Jenna Ortega gives 'Death of a Unicorn' a beating heart amid horror cliches
After leaving her husband (Jay Duplass) for treating her more like an invalid than a lover, Kochan embarked on an erotic odyssey that she developed into an acclaimed podcast she called "Dying for Sex." She recorded the show with her best friend Nikki Boyer (played in the show by a fabulous Jenny Slate) — a theater actress with a side-splitting flair for big emotions. Their podcast becomes a hit -- naturally.
Boyer is also a force of nature.
"I want to die with you," Kochan tells Boyer in the show, after which Boyer invites her terminal bestie to move in with her and percussionist boyfriend Noah (Kelvin Yu), as well as his tween daughter. It's quite the arrangement, with a newly formed patchwork family dedicated to Kochan's care and sexual awakening.
Look for lightning to strike twice with the TV version from Kim Rosenstock ("Only Murders in the Building") and Elizabeth Meriwether ("The Dropout"), who collaborated on "New Girl." This team is blissfully allergic to the cringe-worthy tear-jerking of, say, "Love Story" and "We Live in Time." Even when Kochan dies in hospice in 2019, "Dying for Sex" stays bluntly and bracingly alive.
That's not to say that your eyes won't water when she reconciles with her mother, Gail (a wonderful Sissy Spacek), whose ex-boyfriend abused her at age 7. But Kochan and Boyer fight back against sentimentality even when the ravages of illness make resilience an uphill battle.
Humor is the weapon of choice for Kochan, who learns to enhance her dominant side when encountering bizarre turn-ons, such as dressing up as a dog. I won't spoil the fun, except to say that Rob Delaney excels as a dude across the hall, known as Neighbor Guy, whose kink to be kicked where it hurts can't disguise his tender romantic sensibilities.
Review: Naomi Watts brings sensitivity to a story of companionship in 'The Friend'
While Dr. Pankowitz (David Rasche) lays down absurd rules for proper dying, Kochan finds a more freeing response from Sonya (Esco Jouléy), a palliative-care social worker who works outside the box. Taking her patient to an orgy is just one example.
Though the series falters by not going far and deep enough, it's great at putting sex right out there and laughing in its face.
In the end, "Dying for Sex" is a love story between two women who don't need sex at all to show what true intimacy is. Fueled by Williams and Slate in hilarious and heartbreaking performances, this series has what it takes to take a piece out of you -- and it will.
