In FX’s Dying for Sex, Molly learns that her breast cancer has returned at Stage IV, with only a 30% chance of surviving for five more years. Confronted with this grim prognosis, she is forced to reflect on the disappointments in her life, particularly her sexless marriage. Molly’s greatest desire before she dies is to experience orgasm with someone else, something she had only achieved alone.
Molly’s relationship with her husband, Steve, becomes untenable. He enjoys the martyrdom of being the caregiver while his wife is sick, which leads Molly to leave him. She turns to her best friend Nikki for care, while also focusing on exploring her sexual desires. Molly embarks on a journey to experience various kinks, determined to cross off her bucket list, but it is her neighbor, “Neighbor Guy,” who helps her get closer to fulfilling her ultimate goal.
Molly Explores Sexual Desires, Forms Emotional Connection, And Begins Healing From Past Trauma.
As Molly explores her sexual desires, she meets many men, but it is with Neighbor Guy that she forms an emotional connection. Molly finds that she enjoys dominating men, yet it’s Neighbor Guy who willingly embraces a submissive role without pity, despite knowing her prognosis. Molly is drawn to him and believes he is the person she wants to have an orgasm with before her death, though her health is rapidly declining.
Dying for Sex (Photo: Hulu)Molly’s emotional struggles around intimacy stem from past trauma. She had been molested as a child, which left her with a complicated and painful relationship with romantic intimacy. Despite her physical ability to climax on her own, she struggled to remain present with others due to her trauma.
Over time, Molly begins to process her past, including a pivotal conversation with Nikki about the abuse, and an interpretive dance therapy recommended by her palliative care nurse. Through this, she gradually works toward emotional healing.
Molly Fulfills Her Final Bucket List Goal Before Entering Hospice Care As Death Approaches
Molly’s health continues to deteriorate, and she has a final, intimate night with Neighbor Guy in the hospital. Their BDSM routine is interrupted by the presence of Nurse Ernie, but the connection is strong enough that Neighbor Guy helps Molly reach orgasm. This marks the fulfillment of Molly’s bucket list goal, something she had worked on for over a year. However, Molly’s lung collapses, and she is taken for further medical tests to determine whether her cancer has spread.
After it is confirmed that Molly’s cancer has spread, she enters hospice care. With the end approaching, Molly is cared for by Nurse Amy, whose positive, poetic perspective on dying offers Molly comfort. Nurse Amy compares the body’s natural ability to die with its capacity to give birth or orgasm, which resonates with Molly. As her condition worsens, Molly experiences vivid hallucinations and altered perceptions of time, seeing her friends and experiences in a different, peaceful light.
After Molly’s passing, Nikki is seen struggling with the loss, but she begins to move forward with her life. Nikki resumes her career, and at the end of Dying for Sex, she is producing a play. She and her partner, Noah, have rekindled their relationship. While Nikki feels content with the care she provided Molly, a bittersweet moment reveals that she still mourns the future they would have had together. The final scene of the show encapsulates the complex emotions of grief, loss, and the bittersweetness of life’s realities.
