Is it possible to go home again without repeating the same mistakes over and over again? That's the premise behind season 5 of Showtime's show Californication, which had some humorous but rather typical results.
Californication followed dysfunctional writer Hank Moody (David Duchovny) who loved to play just as much as write. Unfortunately, his bad behavior often got him in trouble. He barely escaped a jail sentence for sleeping with a minor, which he wasn't aware of at the time. He left California to return to New York after he made a mess of his relationships with his ex-lover Karen (Natascha McElhone) and their daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin) who both had enough of Hank's antics. In the years since he left California, Karen has gotten married to someone else who won't put up with Hank's guff in the slightest. Hank swore he would never return full time to the West Coast, until a messy break-up and a job opportunity from his best friend/agent Charlie Runkle (Evan Handler) comes his way. Charlie has a complicated relationship with his ex-wife Marcy (Pamela Adlon) as they raise their son together, which left room for plenty of parental mishaps on both sides. Hank ended up crossing paths with a rapper/mogul looking to make a movie based on his life story. The only wrinkles in this new opportunity is Hank's desire to be with the rapper's new musical protegee and his dislike for Becca's new boyfriend. Will Hank give into his worst impulse or will he finally find true happiness?
Of course, many fans of Californication know that Hank is never fully reformed because there would be no show if Hank didn't mess up his life royally. Some might not have been as memorable as others. (Most of season three is a prime example. When he became an under qualified college professor who slept with three different women at the same time. Hank's crazy behavior was at an all time high, but the logic wasn't always there sadly in that season.) It was a nice evolution to show that Hank's actions had consequences that impacted everything. A prime example would be his transgression with the then-underaged Mia being exposed so publicly. The new storyline with the rapper and his very attractive partner had the potential to push the show and Hank out of its comfort zone. It could either work in its favor or against it in the long run. Only time will tell if it's the former or the latter of the two.
Even though the show succeeded in bringing in celebrity guest stars, the real story power came from Hank's relationships with the other core cast members (Karen, Marcy, Charlie and Becca). The audience got to see as more than a crass oversexed playboy with a penchant for trouble. With Charlie and Marcy, he had loyal friends. With Becca, he had someone who would love him no matter what. Even if she didn't want to love her father. With Karen, he had a soulmate who he could never make it work out in the long run. Duchovny still gives Hank a mixture of sharp sarcasm and a hint of vulnerability as he tried so hard to do the right thing and always missing the mark. Handler's Charlie is a good foil to Duchovny, because he gives Charlie a sense of hope no matter what happens. It's the best bromance not cable television. Martin and McElhone make their mother/daughter duo a realistic one, even though most mothers wouldn't approve of Becca's taste in boyfriends. In the end, the cast works well together and will hopefully share more scenes as a group as the season progresses.
Californication premiered on January 8th and airs Sundays at 10:30 PM on Showtime.
Verdict: Duchovny's Hank returns to the West Coast for all too familiar chaos and makes the most of it.
TV Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Score Chart
1 Star (Mediocre)
2 Stars (Averagely Entertaining)
3 Stars (Decent Enough to Pass Muster)
4 Stars (Near Perfect)
5 Stars (Gold Standard)
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