Californication

Well, this is going to offend everyone

This episode sets its card on the table right from the start. Sacrilege, sex, drug references, infidelity… it’s all here.

This is dark humour as we focus on the exploits of our hero, Hank. It’s not correct to call him an anti hero as he’s far too appealing. Take the classic driving shot as he pulls away from the husband who’s just found him with his wife. He puts on his shades and looks so darn cool we’re rooting for him.

There seem to be two strands running through this episode. There’s the wish-fulfillment factor. Haven’t we all wanted care free sex, to punch out that annoying guy in the cinema, to get away with being pretty darn offensive? Hank does it all, but the second strand kicks in as we see some of the consequences. Hank has writer’s block, feels he can’t adequately protect his daughter and seems, in many ways, out of his depth. Thankfully this strand is not too over stated. It offers no easy answers and, quite frankly, it’s far more fun watching Hank live a wild life.

Becca, Hank’s daughter is well written and played. She’s caught part way between being the child her parents see her as and the adult she wants to be, not quite fitting in with either. She seems in many ways naive, and Hank’s fears for her are fully represented when he seems glad that she is gay since “men are a*holes”

The ex, Karen, seems almost as messed up as Hank, though in a more internalized way. She is clearly shaken when Hank tells her she doesn’t want her new fiance. Her self-justification comes across as far more hollow that Hank’s honest admissions.

Mia is another interesting character. One likely to offend many sensibilities. Although her cool facade may well prove superficial later in the series, at this point she seems to be the only character in control. Her motivations are currently a little cloudy, making for a potentially highly interesting character.

And, though this shouldn’t be a side point, this episode really is very funny. There are points when I laughed out loud. It’s unashamedly trendy, drawing on pop culture references and iconography that’s hard to escape. And it pulls it off. Duchovny was brave to take on the roll of someone so used up and, quite frankly, moral-majority baiting as Hank. It all comes together beautifully.