When "Masters of Sex" returned for Season 3 fans of the critically acclaimed Showtime drama were excited to see what was in store for the main characters, however, the show premiered with a family-oriented episode that left confused about the shows focus.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, several have criticized the show's latest season for its focus of the two main character's kids and family life, instead of keeping them in the background like it it has in the past.

"That [featuring the kids] does become problematic in that people are tuning in for Masters and Johnson and not really for their kids," said television critic Tim Goodman. "Having kids in the mix is necessary to show how that new 'family' will feel the strain of its own unorthodox construction, but it also shines a light on their stories in a way that's not every interesting."

When asked about this change of storyline, Michelle Ashford, a producer on the show, insisted that the children will not continue to be the show's main focus, but did explain the reasons behind the writing move.

"I do sense that people are a little worried that somehow we've turned into some kind of weird family show," she said. "That was all intended to show more how these characters interact now, and they are this bizarre, blended family. And it's true -- the Masters and the Johnsons would go on these family vacations together. But no, we're still going to be concentrating on Bill, Virginia, Libby and what's happening with them and their work."

Another huge change for the show was the time leap. Season 2 ended with Bill Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) preparing to publish their "Human Sexual Response" book. When Season 3 began it was a few years later and the premiere episode focused on their lives at home.

The creators chose to skip events like Kennedy's assassination, a concern Indiewire discussed with Ashford, and instead focused on their family struggles.

"I know we threw a lot of people in the first episode and it's taking them a moment to get used to it," explained Ashford. "We're really sensitive to the fact that we're asking a lot of people, and we don't want to whiplash them too much. We're aware that viewers want continuity, so next year is not going to be 10 years down the road. We want to keep it together here for a bit."