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.

Hank, Bill and Karen drive back together and find Becca performing in the garden with her band. When the song has finished, Becca’s delighted parents applaud and congratulate their daughter. “I want you to play that song at the wedding!” says Karen. “Well,” interjects Bill, “let’s not get carried away.” Karen is annoyed by Bill’s dismissive comment and the couple begin to argue. “I don’t want to get your hopes up guys,” says Hank, clearly happy to see his ex-girlfriend arguing with her new fiancée, “but you guys keep rolling with the marital discord and I see you across from Oprah on the big yellow couch... Fingers crossed!”

When Karen drops Hank home, he invites her up for sex, but she refuses and explains that what happened recently was a mistake. “Let’s just forget about it – it was a slip,” she says. But Hank has some exciting news to share – for the first time in a very long while, he has actually managed to write something and he credits his success to his new intimacy with Karen.

He also wants Karen to read his work like she used to when they were together, but she is reluctant. “I can’t tell the difference between the ridiculous and the sublime until you tell me,” he insists, before getting out of the car and leaving his manuscript with Karen. On returning home, Hank’s good mood gets even better when he finds a large royalty cheque waiting for him. He visits Charlie, who tells Hank to enjoy the rewards of the “aggressively mediocre taste of the American movie-going public”, though Hank describes the cheque as “blood money”. Upon learning that Hank has written something new, Charlie is ecstatic. “I have dreamed of this moment,” he says. When Hank explains that his new piece of work is a modern-day ‘Lolita’ about a man whose life unravels after he unwittingly beds a young girl, Charlie suggests that Hank go and spend some of his money to celebrate.

But before he leaves his agent’s office, Hank has some other, rather more controversial news to deliver: he has bought Karen an engagement ring. “I’m thinking you intend to give that to someone who might already be engaged,” says Charlie. “That’s the plan, motherf**ker!” is Hank’s response.

After going on a brief spending spree which sees him buy a brand new Porsche for himself and an expensive guitar for his daughter, Hank visits Karen looking for feedback on his writing. However, she has not read the manuscript. “I can’t go back,” she explains. “That part of my life is over now –you have to do it on your own.” “What if I want to go back and do it all over again?” asks Hank. “Hank, I don’t love you any more –I love Bill!” she replies. Hank’s good mood has now all but evaporated, but after a drive downtown, things are about to get even worse...

Elsewhere tonight, Charlie’s relationship with Marcy hits a big snag when he returns home from work early to celebrate Hank’s new novel. After their ill-fated threesome with Danni, Marcy seems to have changed her sexual allegiances. “I think we should go out there and f**k all the people we never f**ked,” she explains, before a scantily clad Danni comes down the stairs. “Carpe motherf**king diem!” Marcy concludes.