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Californication is back. Back to the beginning that is...Season One has begun again this week and there really is no better time than the present to get into this outstanding show.
The story that unfolds here is the tragic tale of Hank Moody (David Duchovny). An acclaimed writer (whose most successful novel “God Hates Us All” has recently been adapted to film titled “A Crazy Little Thing Called Love”), Hank has recently relocated from New York to LA. His hatred of the film that his book has inspired leaves him in a state of self-loathing whilst he suffers from a (very) severe case of writer’s block.
Hank leads a freewheeling hedonistic lifestyle (to put it lightly). Sex, drugs and alcohol are all prevalent aspects of the show. As proof, there are a total of three sex scenes merely within the first half-hour! Believe me, there’s loads more to come. Women seem to gravitate towards him, and Hank is hardly going to complain about casual one-nighters. At his heart though, what Hank really wants is a successful monogamous relationship with his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child, Karen van der Beek (Natascha McElhone).
The drama of the first season (and arguably all of Californication so far) is derived from one of Hank’s seemingly throwaway one-night stands. Hank meets Mia Cross (Madeline Zima) whilst gazing over his own work in a bookstore. However, Mia isn’t just any girl. By the end of the episode, it is brought to our attention that she is the sixteen year-old daughter of Bill (Damian Young), Karen’s fiance. Mia proves to be devious and manipulative in the events that ensue.
The character of Hank’s daughter, Becca (Madeline Martin) is incredibly important. She is the light in Hank’s life. The enduring constant of Californication is that the troubled writer will always love his daughter more than anybody else. Also close to Hank’s heart is his best-friend and agent, Charlie Runkle (Evan Handler) who desperately tries to get his client to put pen back to paper.
Californication works because it is the brutally honest tragedy of a highly flawed character. I love the well-written and very human characters, and that the show keeps itself within the realms of possibility very convincingly. I understand that it is perhaps unlikely to appeal to many people simply on the basis of its content. That’s fair enough, it’s not for everyone. But, if you think it might be for you, I really recommend it. It’s a dark, humorous and realistic show, and I can guarantee it only improves from here.
Don't miss your opportunity to watch Californication from the beginning - Saturdays, 11:30pm on fiver
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