You know FX’s upcoming dramedy is taking its steamy title seriously, because Saturday Night Live It Boy Marcello Hernandez is featured in the Dying For Sex trailer. But don’t be distracted by the hunky love (or, more accurately, sex) interests like Rob Delaney. The true love story here is between Molly (Michelle Williams) and her best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate), a love that transcends marriage, illness, and Molly’s “sex quest.” “I didn’t know I was capable of loving someone this much,” Nikki admits in the trailer.
Inspired by the true story of Molly Kochan, “originally shared on a Wondery podcast created with her best friend, Nikki Boyer,” Dying For Sex follows Molly after she receives a diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She then “decides to leave her husband, Steve (Jay Duplass) and begins to explore the full breadth and complexity of her sexual desires for the first time in her life. She gets the courage and support to go on this adventure from her best friend Nikki, who stays by her side until the very end,” per the FX synopsis.
In the Dying For Sex trailer, Molly admits she’s never had an orgasm with another person, prompting what her mom (Sissy Spacek) derisively calls a “sex quest.” Her ex isn’t that into the idea either, pointing out that she’s immunocompromised and sleeping with a bunch of strangers could be dangerous. Luckily, she has Nikki’s unconditional support (and her help with taking dating app photos that have “a hint of butthole”). But while Molly is on a journey of sexual liberation, Nikki’s journey is about learning to show up as a true partner. “The difference between being the fun friend and taking care of somebody means you have to be there when she’s in pain,” Steve lectures Nikki in the trailer.