Californication

A while back a good freind of mine e-mailed me and absolutely raved to me about this new show called Californication and urged me to check it out. I did and I'm very glad I did. David Duchovny has never once failed to entertain me no matter what he's featured in and Californication is no exception. Witty, funny dry humor that never insults your intelligence is a trademark of Duchovny's style, entertainment for the sophisticated viewer's palate. Don't miss Californication what ever you do (but make sure the little ones are safely packed off to bed or at least out of the room, this is definately not for them!)

I have watched 3 seasons of this show now, and I have to admit it is one of the most well written shows. Along with the nudity and the explicit nature of the show, it most importantly has a beautiful storyline. Its not just one of those shows with sex, drugs and booze. Its also about love, father-daughter relationship, loneliness, infidelity and regret.



David Duchovny is the soul of the show (no wonder he got a Golden Globe for it). He plays 'Hank Moody', the f**ked up, vulnerable, dysfunctional writer. He tries to grapple with his feelings for his ex, played by Natascha McElhone (who is absolutely stunning), and also tries to raise their daughter by trying to be a 'cool dad'. At the same time, he deals with his desire for beautiful women by charming his way through to them and mostly ends up f**king them. His agent Charlie Runkle (Evan Handler) helps him with his writing career which just didn't take off after his first book. Runkle and his wife Marcy (Pamela Adlon) are involved in some hilarious sub-plots together.



It is difficult to classify this show in a particular genre as it has everything from dark comedy, sex to family drama. Californication and Dexter have taken cable TV to an all new level making Showtime as good as HBO. I strongly recommend this show for its lovely plot and amazing cast especially David. Season 2 may get a bit boring but please keep going as season 3 is outstanding. The soundtrack is really soothing.



Finally, the show is a must watch and very well scripted. I would like to give it 9 stars most of which are for Duchovny.

californication is writer hank moody (david duchovny) californicating...or going around california, banging everything that moves. it just occurred to me that the reason he hasn't gone back to NY (his hometown) is because the show is called CALIfornication...& not newyorknica......OK i won't...I WON'T. it's like that time when they said prison break was gonna end after they broke out of prison, but then 1 of the forum's mrsScofields said they were gonna call it prison break: manhunt... not sure if they ever did, but that's another show... sooo..



as californication progresses, the past unravels mostly by way of convos/arguments between hank & his lovely assist..er...ex-gf, karen (natascha mcelhone) & a flashback or 2 here & there of the couple in ill-fitting wigs (just kidding...but they were grunge) so we get a clear picture of why hank & the love of his life are not together. they have a daughter. i rhymed. in 1 scene, the girl (in her goth phase) tells hank she wishes he & karen would stop behaving like children because she's had to be the parent in the situation, & she's just an effin' kid.



i was hooked on the 1st season of this show. i know it's no novel concept, but all the sex, drugs & rock 'n roll was slightly shocking & simply engaging. another thing: i have this sort of age progression software with an accuracy rate of 55% embedded in my brain. whenever i see an actor 10 or more years after seeing him/her (usually as a kid), i almost immediately know who that actor is, what shows s/he was in as a kid, what colors s/he looked really cute in, etc. the moment i saw mia, i thought, "madeline zima. youngest kid in the nanny." same thing happened when i saw camilla belle years after poison ivy 2 with alyssa milano (i watched that?) in "when a stranger calls". i just couldn't help doing the math & thinking, "wasn't david duchovny a GROWN MAN in the ex-files around the same time madeleine zima was a kid in the nanny, which would make their age difference.................." shocking stuff. omg, somebody save me from myself.



but seriously--has this show lost its zing? it seems shows tend to go through their own awkward phase (usually season 2) where we can expect everything to be all ugly & shapeless like a pupa so you poke it with a stick to find out if it's dead or if it's about to transform into this beautiful, glorious butterfly. hank moody can only bang so many hot chicks before that whole shebang gets old. i really dunno where they're taking the show. honestly, i wasn't too crazy about season 2 & come season 3, the show had almost become a backgrounder as i found myself doing like, 4 other things while "watching" the show.



still, there's some level of curiosity as to what could happen in season 4. i can almost hear anthony kiedis singing, "sicker than the rest, there is no test, but this is what you're craving... dream of californication..."

There has been something bugging me, I was wondering if someone could help me. i have and auntie who dated David Duchovny at one point and I have been told that he even purposed to her (could be false), i have been lead to believe that they dated in the 80's. The character karen looks remarkable like her and has some of her personality traits. So could any major fans please tell me, who is the character Karen was based on? x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x??????

Although I enjoy each and every episode of Californication, I find myself wondering how long this show can go on. Can Hank still be alone yet with Karen in season five? Can Mia still be deliciously evil jailbait? Will Becca still be beautiful muse for her father, guiding him with her naivete and optimism?



All in all, this show is most interesting because it delves into Hank's mind. He is flawed, and yet loved in spite of all of his mistakes. As viewers, we are astonished by his hijinks and relieved when he is accepted.



The only issue being: How long can Karen and Becca take his crap before they lose it? How believable is it that they continue to love him in spite of all of the terrible and misguided things he's done? When will these characters cease to be believable?

Usually a clever and delightful show, this episode was the all-time worst. I've actually never seen a show that I didn't like - until now. The dialog was so poorly written it made me cringe. The overuse and abuse of "street" lingo made these otherwise witty characters seem like nerds. The Marcie character was the worst victim of this, but Hank and Charlie weren't much better. And Evan Handler's performance was very awkward, like he know how bad it was. I'm assuming a different writer or director was used for this episode - they should be banned. Please don't ruin this usually deliciously smart and engaging show with idiot dialog.

This description at the beginning of the Pilot summary says it all..



"We meet 30ish year old Hank Moody in a church asking Jesus to help him get his life back on track. He is then distracted by a hot nun, which turns out to be a dream that is representative of his lifestyle. " (it only gets worse after that involving him having sex with a 16 year old whom he thinks is in college and the sex life his 12 year old daughter - Ick!!). Ok, Showtime often has shows/movies like this but its disappointing to see Duchovny take a role like this. Whats next? Soft core adult films? Since he left the X-Files he really hasnt done much thats noteworthy. He must be pretty desperate to take a role of a sex crazed pervert. Hopefully some day he will return from the abyss to a quality drama on network TV; perhaps after the next X-Files movie? I hope so. I can understand why some people will like this series, but its not for me.

Wrong!! I haven't seen anything this unfunny in ages and really with all the hype we deserve better! Maybe that is the point if there is too much hype you know it will be bad!



It really makes me cross that you have rubbish like this being given air time and absolutely fantastically clever, witty and extraordinarily well acted programmes like Studio 60 on the Strip are cancelled!! What is wrong with you people in the networks?? You obviously can't recognised a decent show if you were whacked in the face with a wet fish!!! Is it that you think that by putting a big name actor in the lead role it automatically means you will have a hit? Well you struck out with this one!



Maybe I am just too old to get the joke but I don't see what is funny about a child walking in on a naked woman waiting to jump her father, nor do I see the humour in using a church for profanity and worst of all I certainly do not think it was funny that he made out with a girl that turned out to be 16; the same girl who introduced his own 12 year old daughter to drugs. Have we lost all out sense of decency in this world? How far do we have to stoop in the name of humour?



If ever a show deserved to be cancelled ... this is it!

I'm a late catching up with this series always wanted to catch it and now I'm catching up with season one. First thoughts were is a dirty dog of a show, not one for the old folks, but hey I'm in the prime of my life so this should be right up my street, and it is!. Duchovny is absolutely fantastic in this, smart, funny & very likeable. Along the lines of weeds and breaking bad in the way it makes you cringe with what's going on. The scene at his ex's house in the bed and the painting is one of the best gut bursting funny scenes I've seen in years. The whole cast are very good and make this show believable and funny. I still have a few episodes to go to complete the first season and I have already ordered season two, that's enough praise in itself.

this is my 2nd favorite tv show right behind dexter. i can't take my eyes off the screen for either of them. I can't wait for season 4 and i hope hank keeps ******* everyone even though he's planning on moving to New York. His daughter is a little weird though. I think that i've seen her smile maybe twice and when she talks she has no facial expression at all. but i guess the show wouldn't be the same without her. Please keep the episodes coming. i don't have anything else to say so this is for the 100 word min...

A great show that i like and recommend to all my friends. It's got comedy,drama and never the less keeps the action in the limits of reality! Through the script played that overwhelms and David Duchovny's true acting skills makes this show one of my favorites and one that is very watchable by everyone even people who won't like it won't have nothing to say to mock it!

I for one started seeing this show very skeptical but from the first episode my thoughts changed and i soon became a fan for this masterpiece that i recommend to everyone!! Bye!!

i just watch the pilot and i can't wait to see the next episode. i hope they wont cancel it because we need tv shows to last more than one season to really evaluate them.latetly i am very disapointed when i think of all the shows i started watching just to see them get canceled after a short period of time.

For starters Duchovny brings to the table all that he was before this series and from his previous long running series there's alot. His comedic, dramatic, underrated and over the top skills. This series is a natural sideliner for him. He's easy to watch and isnt afraid to be himself so much so that 'He' is the character in the show. "Jacks outta the box" so to speak. Having gifted writers and the willingness of all these wonderful supporting actors, its no wonder the show is allowed to shine.. The theme is not new but is put afresh because of the people involved... its simply brilliant .. shocking ... awesome and perfectly flawed.. I see at least 5 seasons of this show before anyone feels tired....

I really wasn't expecting much from this show when I heard David Duchovny is going to star in a comedy with LOTS of sex... Then we saw Madeline Zima and she really put a smile on my face, because I remember her from The Nanny - how did she grow up so fast?!



Nevermind - 5 minutes into the show, I was sucked in - it really had some funny parts, but it also had some cliches, but I just didn't care. I'm not a big fan of David Duchovny, but this role really suits him, because I find him a really boring person so he's perfect to be the star of Californication xD And what an awesome title! :D



This show definitely makes a great pair with one of my favorite comedies, Weeds, so I'll keep my eye on this show for sure! :)

Admittedly, I tuned into Californication initially to catch my favorite celebrity, Rick Springfield, but I stayed for more than just Rick. I like the overall pace and energy of the show. No, some of the scenarios aren't original, in fact, a number of the ideas are lifted straight from the 1970s, including the title, but that's ok. It's a story retold and re-tooled so it makes it as if original. Half the fun of watching Californication is figuring out which pop cultural references or stereotypes are being employed…and exactly what kind of statement is being made. This shows makes you think without become overly intellectual or pedantic about it. What I like best about Californication is that the main character, Hank Moody, is not a formulaic 'sympathetic' character that most TV shows and books insist on having as leads. Things don't always go right for him, and to be honest he brings a lot of his troubles upon himself. It's the same thing with the Charlie Runkle character. By many standards, both men are 'losers' but you can't help but want to root for them when they do show their vulnerability…especially Charlie because he does have a heart of gold.



Another one of the reasons why I like this show so well is the casting, particularly in the 3d season. There's none of the let's go down to Central Casting and 'round up the usual young and nubile suspects' and have ONLY those types on the show. In the real world, not everyone is thin, blonde, pretty and under age 35 and it's time TV shows reflected that reality. It's great that the writers of Californication casted veteran actors like Kathleen Turner, and gave her them the strong and multi-dimensional role that serves as the walking talking karma out there just waiting to start biting people in the butt. If I had Sue Collini's chutzpah, let me tell you, I'd rule the world! I don't watch much television, so for me to make the time to watch Californication every week says something. I look forward to seeing what they'll come up with next.

Let's be clear on one thing: Californication is a show that premiered with Hank Moody receiving fellatio in a church to The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Its protagonist is a sexaholic who hates the city he lives in, because that's a lot easier than taking responsibility for his life. But there is a fine line between embellished observations about human nature, whether they take place in the office or in the bedroom, whether they are dramatic or hysterical, or both at the same time, and pursuing obscenity for obscenity's sake.



Thanks to David Duchovny's pitch-perfect portrayal of Hank Moody, from his sardonic wit to his genuine affection toward his friends and family (whether that means making sure his daughter's doing okay in school or that his best friend isn't discovered cheating on his wife with his kinky assistant), season one was an instant classic. We saw Los Angeles through Hank's distorted perspective, and saw Hank through the city's, which, more often than not, was the more reliable of the two. I wrote, what seems like ages ago, in the Whore of Babylon review:



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"There are things I need to figure out. For [Becca's] sake at least.



The clock is ticking. The gap is widening. She won't always love me "no matter what."



For all the sex and nudity, the crass jokes and witty banter, it is ultimately Hank's unquestionable love for his daughter that inspires him to work through his own issues, even when it would be so much easier to drown in a sea of endless female genitalia.

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Californication was not the only modern dramedy about living the life -- Entourage is in a far more prime position for that -- but David Duchovny took advantage of the focus on a broken family by providing insights on genuine love and responsibility.



It is tempting to watch Evan Handler's interactions with his secretary and say, "That's not so different from what happens in Season 2." But it is. In season 1, the raunchy subplots were a diversion from the main course offered by Hank, yet many of season 2's episodes focus on the dysfunctional Runkles who spend half of the season doing cocaine, half of the season filming a porn flick, and a good portion attempting to do both at the same time. If it sounds funny, it probably was. But such extensive toilet humor used to be above Californication, and from the outside looking in, one might guess that the writers simply decided to crank up the obscenity factor until it was the only thing left on show. These scenes are necessary, as they might be the core of the show's humor and nature, but without the relevant human element to connect them, they are meaningless and forgettable. Without impacting Hank's journey as a father, lover, and human being, they are trivial adventures, nothing more. Maybe David Duchovny should have taken Hank's epiphany to heart. The clock was ticking. We wouldn't always love Californication no matter what. -pW

Nothing so good could last for long. Watching the first season i thought it was so unexpectedly good- i mean David Duchovny pleeeease!!- and wanted more and more. Next season? What a disapointment!!! Who could thought that such an original and smart idea would end like this. You could simply watch the pilote episode and then the last one and you could see what i am talking about. Where is this witty, dark humour that got me hooked since episode 1 first minute? Still a must see for its first season and its amazing cast-lets leave Mia out of this!

http://dagblog.com/arts-entertainment/moft-episode-5-californication-385



Californication boasts some of the most memorable characters and situations on TV today, with some of the best, cleverest discussions about sex, and relationships, and art, and parenting, and a hundred other interesting topics, all the while navigating that fine line between comedy and pathos better than any series I can remember watching.



The show is anchored by Duchovny, in a convincing portrayal of a character who is at his core a good-hearted, moral family man, but who just can't escape his demons and completely grow up. It appears that given what we now know about the actor in real life (i.e. his sex addiction), Duchovny was born to play Hank Moody. Even if there's not a lot of acting going on there, I'm still very impressed (Duchovny has a surprisingly impeccable comedic timing).



The other main asset of the show is the mother of Moody's child, Karen Van der Beek. The terrific and stunning Natascha McElhone plays the Baby Mama as the perfect straight foil to Moody. She is brilliant, responsible, and wise, but she's not perfect either (her affair was the initial reason the two broke up) and more often than not empathizes with Moody's restlessness and forgives his various transgressions. She is also clearly the love of Moody's life (and vice versa), and you can't help but root for the two to live happily ever after, even though you know the show will not - cannot - allow that to happen.

Sure I loved David Duchovny's work on the X-Files. But Californication? I had my doubts. It was a huge departure. Californication can be an off the wall shock to people coming from basic network television. Each episode has at least one sex scene. Some have several. All of them have detailed and raunchy language. If you're a mature adult with a certain sense of humor, this show is widely entertaining. Hank Moody is our main character. He is a brilliant writer. His latest novel was turned into a movie, which he hated. He hasn't written anything since, the love of his life - Karen - is getting married to another guy and his daughter lives with her. His life is a mess and you quickly see that he is an even worse mess. He drinks too much, is in bed with a new beautiful woman every night, doesn't write and painfully watches the love of his life grow closer to marrying Bill, her fiancee. David Duchovny embodies Hank's weakness and charms, from when he is seducing (or being seduced) a [by] a striking woman to his true and genuine love for his daughter. The supporting cast is right on. The writing is even better. But its David Duchovny who really makes this show. Give this one a shot.

I thought that I would hate this because the star is the guy from X files, and so when a friend told me about it I was apprehensive, but I am glad I listened and checked it out. I look forward to the show every sunday. The complicated drama between the people is exciting. The dirty, rawness of the episode is feeds my adult needs. It is a nice break from the the kids shows I have to watch every morning and the teen bopper shows I hate to watch but find myself turning on all the time. I acting is great and I just cant say enough about the show.

I love how twisted and just politically incorrect Californication is. I've missed a program in this genre. Normally Nip/Tuck fulfills this need with me, but that has been off tv for a while now. I love how dysfunctional everyone is and how they still manage to keep parts of their lives relatively normal, like work. They're like immature teenagers, they take no responsibility for their actions, they just live in the moment. I was afraid that I would get fed up with Hank who is never changing, like how that put me off 'House'. But I was surprised to find myself stuck week after week, and I still love it, these people do show some compassion and maturity at times (unlike Dr House).

This show is definitely a guilty pleasure for me. It is so naughty and funny and the cast have done an excellent job here. It is really worth a look. The jokes have not worn thin like in so many comedies around right now.



The whole show revolves around Hank, his attitude towards sex and how this affects his relationships. He has a daughter who is generally more sensible than he is and of course there is his true love Karen, mother of his child.



I don't know whether this show will go on to a third season, but the episodes I have seen so far make me want to know more about these characters.

I love this show and love David Duchovny on it.

I mean it is so cool and scary the live of this ,almost, nymphomaniac writer.

He is hot, the girls are hot, the guys are hot, i mean, this show almost make my tv steam away. I love the way fate takes revenge in karen in this episode. She fell in a very stupid way and get kissed by the man she hates more than Hank. I have to say even so, i found Charlie digusting i really apreciate him, i found hilarious all the situations he always found himself. Lets see in what way does Hank mess-things up again in the next episode.

This is my first review, but after watching this weeks episode I had to sign up and have my say.



Season 2 took some getting going, what with hank hooking back up with karen, but last night he was on top form. there were 2 stand out hank moments in this one, the first was him telling beccas teacher that all he wants, is his daughter to be 'a happy lesbian' and the second was after he nailed beccas teacher, her sons comment of 'did you hurt her' were priceless (she was on her period if you havent seen this one)



the preview for next weeks looks like we have plently more classic hank to come!

Absolutely my favorite show right now (comedy at least, Dexter may be tied for favorite show, which at times can also be absolutely comedic) I've gone through the first season and the first 7 eps of this season in the last 2 weeks for the first time. The dry wit is definitely my cup of tea. A fatally flawed man (Hank)has the real world (his daughter and ex and agent although he falls into fantasy world at times) vs. his fantasy world (drugs, sex and rock and roll) intertwine in such an amusingly watchable fashion, that I can't wait for the next episode!



Gratuitous sex, and the consequences therein; this story of a writer on the path towards either the bottom of the bottle (often) or redemption within his family are the main plot points during this episodic journey.



Undeniably a guilty pleasure initially, that is certainly as previously mentioned my favorite current show on tv.

Californication is such a great show because it goes deep into taboo topics of sex and drugs, as well as dealing with different types of relationships. David Duchovny is awesome as Hank Moody, by far the best role he has ever done. While some say his character is arrogant, I see him as very confident with a strong swagger and style in dealing with life and the crazy situations it can throw up. There are also many other characters on the show that almost anyone can relate too because of their diversity. Topping things off is the fact that there is plenty of eye candy for both men and women.

For almost two seasons now I have seen promos for this show and have never really had a need or a want to watch this show... And for that I have to say to myself, "Self you are an idiot for waiting so long". I not only love this show... I LOVE this show and I am ready to make an serious commitment to it if it will allow me to. So on bended knee, I want the whole world to know that as long as this show promises to stay funny, raunchy, sexy and full of drug use... I will be the happiest man to ever walk the face of the planet.

i do love this show. but my god, what is the deal with mia? i cannot stand her anymore. she cannot keep her big mouth shut. she is starting to ruin the show because of her stupid spoiled attitude. i know everyones gonna find out about hank having sex with her because she has a big mouth. i hope she gets killed off the show. she is such a pain. maybe if she was on the show and wasnt so annoying the show would be a little better cause jeez. and the fact that she's still hanging out with them is beyond me. if i were karen i would have told her to get lost a long time ago, she's not with bill anymore.

I am not going to write to much. I was completly emotionally with Hank. Such a funny and equall sad episode. I can't really believe how good David and Natsaha are. They are top notch actors and this episode is frakin brilliant. I love special efects, I love stunt or fighting sequences, but when something gets me on an emotional level... well that is extra-ordinary!

I could cry like a baby after this one. The style of Californication also got upgraded, we get sequences filtered in a way, like they do them in the oficial intro, it really is a good way to show how time passes, or to make it clear to the viewer, that a very personal scene is about to be screended.

After the first two episodes I thought the whole thing suffers from "Season Two syndrome" - like Heroes, but in fact, after this episode I have to say that Californication was never better than now... and it was really genius already last year!

Hank Moody is a self indulgent, sex crazed writer who suffers a severe case of writers block and he sleeps his way around LA all the while dreaming of getting his ex back. This show is raunchy to say the least but it is also one of the funniest shows going around. This is largely due to the way we see Hank and his views on life and the people he encounters in his life.



Much like another Showtime product, Dexter, the show gives us a character that we care for and sympathize with. Were we to actually meet this peron out on the street we would most likely dispise. But it seems that all Showtime dramas are going inthis direction and for that I must applaud them because it is working!



The writing is sharp, the stories are very smart and provocative and the performances are truely great as almost the entire cast bring out a great side of their characters that you are not quite sure whether it would have worked for another actor. Needless to say David Duchvony is the best fit for Hank that I can think of. The show would be truely lacking without David on the cast as he is able balance both sides of Hank, the one we love and the one we despise. Trust me when I say that it is no mean feat to make Hank likeable but David does it with supreme ease.



In summary, all I can say is if you are ot watching this show right now you are missing out on something very funny and dare I say touching. This is not for kids, but then again what on Showtime is! All you need to know is that it is one of the best dramas on TV and as it is just the start of Season 2 I suggest you get into it now before it is too late.