TV

‘Masters of Sex’ stars dish on strange love triangle

The love triangle at the center of Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” has gotten even more complicated this season with the addition of a fourth member — a new baby.

Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) has always been a somewhat unlikeable character, but the beginning of Season 2 finds him continuing his affair with his research assistant, Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), while largely ignoring his wife, Libby (Caitlin FitzGerald), and newborn son — best evidenced when he puts on a record instead of comforting the crying tot.

So disgruntled viewers will be happy to hear that Libby eventually reaches her limit with her emotionally absent husband — even if it takes several more episodes.

“The breaking point happens and she definitely speaks her mind more this season and she gets her revenge, I would say,” FitzGerald tells The Post on the show’s LA set.

And Masters may in turn become more sympathetic as viewers are let in on his back story, including his own complicated upbringing.

“This season feels like the onion is being peeled away and these layers are emerging and we see a lot more of the ‘why’ of William Masters, which helps humanize him,” FitzGerald says. “I think we see a lot more of his suffering.”

Michael Sheen as Dr. William Masters and Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson share a stolen moment.Showtime

Sheen says he doesn’t worry about coming off as unsympathetic, rather relishing the opportunity to explore such an unhappy character and put him in situations where it’s impossible to remain like that.

“There’s nothing easy for the audience to feel comfortable about with him,” Sheen says. “He’s difficult. But he’s human, he’s not a monster. I think partly why people have a hard time liking him is he’s all the things we don’t like about ourselves.

“As the seasons go on, hopefully, and events conspire to make him face all the things he least wants to face, then he will inevitably change.”

Caitlin Fitzgerald as Libby MastersShowtime

Libby will change too, as she discovers that having children isn’t as satisfying as she hoped and begins to let go of the perfect housewife ideal — reflected in her looser costumes (more pants) and hair this season.

“I wanted her to feel like an authentic new mother,” Fitzgerald says. “So I had them not put a lot of makeup on me, which was scary but real. And the clothes I think reflect that. As the season progresses, it seems like Libby gets younger in a weird way as she’s coming into her own.”

Despite her newfound independence, the “complicated and strange” triangle relationship — including Libby’s close friendship with Virginia — will continue in Season 2, as it did for nearly 15 years in real life.

“Hopefully it won’t come to a head anytime soon, but Libby is no dummy and I think we’ve done a really good job in never portraying her as such,” Caplan says.

“So how do we make this friendship make sense and how can we make these women capable of being there for each other even in the face of this monster elephant in the room? That’s a very interesting and occasionally difficult situation that will continue being mined for very odd stories onward.”