Californication

californication
the last waltz (12/12)

Concluding this week is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s season finale, Karen’s wedding day arrives and brings with it a number of shock revelations and a great deal of emotional upheaval.

Despite Hank’s best efforts to cancel the nuptials, the day of Karen’s marriage to Bill has arrived. The day begins with Hank in bed, dreaming of the point in the ceremony at which the congregation is asked if anybody objects to the union. Everybody turns to face Hank, who obligingly gets up, marches to the front and attempts to drag Karen away, before falling off a cliff.

californication
turn the page (11/12)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. Tonight, Becca makes a decision about her future; Mia receives a great deal of interest in the novella she claims to have written; and Hank finally realises what has happened to his manuscript.

Hank’s relationships with the various women in his life are once again the centre of attention this week, as his daughter, his ex-girlfriend and his teenage nemesis put him through a range of contrasting emotions. After a day out with Becca, Hank arrives at Karen’s house to find her and Mia trying on their wedding outfits. At that moment, Bill arrives and prompts Karen to run behind a screen so that he cannot see the dress. “You know what’s worse luck?” Hank calls after her. “Getting married itself!”

californication
the devil’s threesome (10/12)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s episode, Charlie convinces a reluctant Hank to help him get lucky; Mia passes off Hank’s new novella as her own; and Karen and Marcy have a heart-to-heart about love.

After having lost what he thinks is the only copy of his new manuscript (see last week’s episode, ‘Filthy Lucre’), Hank is back to square one in terms of his career and turns to booze for comfort once more. Upon waking up in his messy flat, he drinks a stale lager and gets out of bed to find his agent at the punchbag. Charlie has been staying with Hank since breaking up with Marcy, and he is now determined to get in shape in order to attract other women. “That is a fool’s errand, my friend,” is Hank’s cynical advice.

californication
filthy lucre (9/12)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s episode, Hank returns from his time in New York feeling optimistic about his career and his relationship with Karen, but how long will his buoyancy last?

This week’s action begins with Hank in an unusually good mood. Having been to his father’s funeral in New York, he returns to LA and encounters Karen at the airport. She is actually there to pick up Bill, who has been away on business, but Hank is pleased to see her and is keen to pick up where they left off –their last encounter resulted in them making love.

californication
california son (8/13)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s episode, Hank receives some bad news from back home which sends him on a drinking spree and a reflective trip into his past.

While sat in front of his laptop drinking neat vodka, Hank receives a phonecall from his sister delivering some bad news: his father has died. He quickly decides that he will not be going to the funeral, but the shock sends him on a trip down memory lane as he recalls one of the last times his father visited him in Los Angeles...

californication
girls, interrupted (7/12)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist (David Duchovny) who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s episode, Hank tries to get closer to Karen but ends up with some explaining to do; while Marcy comes up with a novel way of spicing up her sexual relationship with Charlie.

This week’s action sees Hank experience a range of fortunes in his relationships with the various women in his life. Determined to make the most of the kiss he recently shared with Karen, he attempts to charm her in his inimitable style when she comes to his house to pick up Becca. “You’re totally into me –still,” he tells her. “Oh please!” she responds.

californication
absinthe makes the heart grow fonder (6/13)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist (David Duchovny) who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s episode, Hank is robbed by his latest one-night stand; Charlie makes a suggestion to Marcy and Karen and Hank grow closer.

Out shopping in a shambolic, vaguely drunken fashion, Hank enounters yet another nubile young lady. After he helps her out with some cash when she finds herself short of a couple of dollars at the till, he exits the store to find her waiting for him outside. He brings her back to his place, where they smoke a few joints and listen to some vinyl. “You’re just an analogue guy in a digital world, aren’t you?” coos the girl. When Hank wakes up, he is naked on the floor and the mystery girl has gone – along with his records, guitar and favourite Keith Richards T-shirt.

californication
lol (5/13)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist (David Duchovny) who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s episode, Hank’s linguistic pedantry leads him into trouble with his new girlfriend; Bill asks his rival to present a talk at Mia’s school and Becca has her heart broken.

Hank’s hectic love life is once again the centre of attention this week. After a particularly bizarre dream involving a somewhat ungodly priest, Karen and a black Jesus, it is clear that Hank still loves his ex-partner. This is further illustrated when his current girlfriend, Meredith, uses the phrase ‘LOL’ (meaning ‘laugh out loud’ in email jargon) during pillow talk. “Every time you say it,” says Hank, “you’re contributing to the death of the English language.”

Hank carries his irritation with him throughout the day and uses a live interview on local radio to vent his displeasure. Talking to the radio presenter (played by guest star Henry Rollins), he laments the destruction of his beloved language and claims that people are becoming stupid. “People don’t write any more,” he says. “They blog.” When he is reminded that he writes a blog for an online magazine, Hank explains that the work creates in him an acute feeling of self-loathing.

californication
fear and loathing at the fundraiser (4/13)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist (David Duchovny) who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s episode, Hank struggles to be on his best behaviour at a fundraiser evening; Karen starts a row when a man bumps into her and Charlie gets up to mischief with his secretary.

When Hank’s new girlfriend, Meredith, expresses her desire to develop their relationship outside the bedroom, he finds himself reluctantly agreeing to attend an environmental fundraiser. But little does Hank know that he is walking into a potential viper’s nest of trouble.

First up, Hank runs into Todd Carr, the screenwriter of his film. The last time Hank saw Carr, he let slip that he had slept with Carr’s wife, Sandy, and ended up in a public fistfight (see last week’s episode, ‘The Whore of Babylon’). On this occasion, Carr seems more conciliatory and informs Hank that he is about to leave his wife. But Carr has a sting in his tail – he reveals that Sandy is also at the fundraiser and is furious with Hank for revealing her infidelity.

californication
the whore of babylon (3/13)

Continuing tonight is the US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist (David Duchovny) who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s episode, Hank is urged by all and sundry to continue writing his blog; he makes amends with a former date who he once treated despicably and Charlie gets personal with his assistant.

Hank is delivering a lecture at a bookstore when he gets into a very public fight with a screenwriter against whom he has a grudge. The scrap lands him in jail and Bill (who Hank learned last week was his new boss) arrives to bail him out. Even though Bill extends an olive branch, Hank’s ego still cannot cope with the fact that this man is marrying his true love, bringing up his daughter and now controlling his purse strings too. Hank cannot resist getting into an undignified grapple in the street with Bill, who sends Hank crashing to the floor with a well-directed blow to the stomach. “Keep the job, Hank,” he says, as a winded Hank writhes on the pavement. “Get up on your feet. Get on with your life. And forget about the woman you didn’t want to marry.” “Don’t make me get up and kick your ass all over again,” wheezes Hank from the gutter.

californication
hell-ay woman (2/13)
22.00–22.40

Continuing tonight is the new US comedy-drama about a jaded New York novelist who relocates to Hollywood after his best-seller is made into a hit film. In tonight’s second episode, Hank is persuaded by his agent, Charlie, to accept a blogging job with his bête noire –the mainstream Hell-Ay Magazine. He attends an awkward dinner party at Karen and Bill’s house and finds himself in a compromising position with his date.

Hank Moody’s life is going from bad to worse. He is a successful writer who has run out of juice; his exgirlfriend hates him; his 12-year-old daughter is growing up too fast and he has had to leave his beloved hometown of New York and move to California. To Hank, California is suited, corporate anathema. But to a hip literary icon who cannot say no, it is also a bachelor’s playground where beautiful women are queuing up to meet him and drugs are everywhere.

Although he has only just arrived in the sunkissed state of California, Hank is already well aware of the obstacles he has to clear to get his life back on track. He wants to win back Karen, but she is settling down with new man, Bill, and is hostile towards Hank.The only reason she is being civil to him is for the sake of their daughter, Becca, who deserves a stable upbringing. Hank is not doing himself any favours with his ex, often being caught in flagrante with beautiful women, but attracting female attention comes naturally to him. On one occasion, he is at some traffic lights when an attractive blonde in a convertible begins talking to him. He tells her he is a writer, to which she responds “I've got something you can read,” before handing him her phone number. Inevitably, Hank finds himself calling her up and later discovers that she is a porn star.

http://www.podshow.com/shows/?mode=detail&episode_id=82372 I love the sex, the nudity, the women, the humor ... and, for some reason, I can really identify with being a 40+ year old writer...

californication
pilot (1/13)
thursday, 22.00–22.45

“I’m disgusted with my life and myself, but I’m not unhappy about that”. So says middle-aged lothario Hank Moody, the central character of this new irreverent comedy-drama. Played by ‘The X-Files’ main man David Duchovny, Hank is a jaded New York author struggling to raise his daughter and win back his ex in the sun-drenched Golden State of California. In Thursday’s opening episode, Hank has a one-night stand that lands him in a tight spot, learns some shocking news from his exgirlfriend, and goes on a disastrous double date.

Finding fame after writing the Great American Novel, to critical and consumer acclaim, Hank Moody is approached by Hollywood, heads west for a meeting with ‘the Suits’, signs away his life and shuttles his family across country. He intends to encounter precious bounty, permanent sunshine and maybe, just maybe, an Oscar... But could it all be too good to be true?

I review every episode of Californication, usually minutes after it's been on television ... Here's my review of Episode 8 - a great episode - http://paullevinson.blogspot.com/2007/10/californication-continues-8.html

The review has links to my reviews of previous episodes.

californication

“I’m disgusted with my life and myself, but I’m not unhappy about that”. So says Hank Moody, the star of the new comedy-drama coming to Five.

Played by ‘The X-Files’ star David Duchovny, Moody is a jaded, altruistic New York author struggling to raise his daughter and win back his ex in the sun-denched land of the Golden state. Moody finds fame after writing the Great American Novel to critical and consumer acclaim. He is approached by Hollywood, heads west to take a meeting with ‘the Suits’, signs away his life and shuttles his family across country, while spinning tales of precious bounty, year-round sunshine, and maybe, just maybe an Oscar... But could it all be too good to be true?

Duchovny, an executive producer on the series, stars alongside British actress Natascha McElhone (‘The Truman Show’), who plays Karen, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his precocious daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin). ‘Sex and the City’ star Evan Handler plays Hank’s agent, Charlie, while Madeline Zima (‘The Nanny’) is Mia, a one-night stand who has a profound effect on Hank.