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86 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the funniest shows on television, April 9, 2008
It took me a few episodes to warm up to "Californication." At first I wasn't quite sure what the show was trying to be...maybe "Sex and the City" for men? But it's actually much more than that. The show revolves around Hank Moody (David Duchovny), an author who's been in a bit of a writer's slump ever since his last novel was published seven years ago. Hank longs to return to his hometown of New York City, but remains in California because his former lover, Karen (Natascha McElhone), lives there, along with their teenage daughter, Becca (Madeleine Martin). Hank is still very much in love with Karen, and it's pretty obvious that she still loves him, too. Unfortunately, Karen's engaged to stuffy Bill (Damian Young), and Hank unwittingly has sex with Bill's 16-year-old daughter, Mia (Madeline Zima), who eventually ends up blackmailing Hank and trying to take credit for his latest manuscript. What a mess!
"Californication" also boasts a strong supporting cast. Evan Handler plays Hank's best friend and agent, Charlie. Poor Charlie and his wife, Marcy (Pamela Adlon), experience some problems in the bedroom that lead to both of them cheating on each other with Charlie's hot young assistant, Danni (Rachel Miner). Handler and Adlon are amazingly funny on screen, and they play off each other very well: They're the funniest television couple since Lucy and Ricky Ricardo!
By far, the best thing about this show is its sense of humor. There are some incredibly funny scenes in "Californication" that definitely are among the most hilarious moments in TV history, and that's saying a lot. From Hank throwing up on Bill's priceless painting to the office dominatrix scenes to the three-way/orgy culmination, there are plenty of great scenes to go around. I don't remember the last time a TV show made me laugh so hard.
The first four or five episodes of the show were a little bumpy, but then "Californication" evolved into a great program about love, relationships, and self-discovery. The entire cast is brilliant, and most of the episodes are incredibly touching. I especially loved the last scene of the final episode, which came as a complete surprise and resulted in a very happy ending, at least for now.
Overall, "Californication" is a surprising success. I can't wait for the second season.
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31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, an adult comedy with brains, May 24, 2008
Not since MILLENNIUM and HOUSE, MD has a new television series caught my attention and held on each and every week. This show is smart, sassy, sexy, serious, funny, sometimes sad, and above all REALISTIC! The characters work perfectly off one another. I never watched David Duchovny in X-Files so I wasn't sure what to expect. He is TOP NOTCH fantastic in this show. He has the character of Hank Moody down to a "T" from voice inflections, sarcasm and facial expression, you always know where his character is coming from. The entire show orbits Hank's daily life. Begin with his love and affection for his ex, Karen, and their young pre-teen daughter, Becca, and end with his utter loathing of the literary world of which he is a part, and you will find a man who is struggling daily to look himself in the mirror and try liking what he sees. He drinks too much, parties too hard, and has sex with women whose names he doesn't even care to know. We all have known people like Hank, therefore, he is very real to nearly every adult watching this show. I especially get a kick out of the way his agent, played with precision by Sex and the City's Evan Handler, is fumbling through a kinky fling with his twenty something secretary while his ever suffering, sex-starved wife is begging for "nooners". The show is definitely for an adult audience, and though it can offend some and be quite irreverant most of the time, it is so well written and such fun that it almost doesn't matter. Add to all this some edgy musical tracks from greats like The Rolling Stones and The Foo Fighters, and you have a divine adult drama/comedy series. I'm thrilled with this release of Season One on DVD and keep my fingers crossed that Californication returns for Season Two, Three, and so on. Watch it once, you'll be hooked.
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Warning: Californication has Sex, Drugs, and Intelligence., August 17, 2008
"A morning of awkwardness is far better than a night of loneliness."--Hank Moody
The fact that Family First has called for a boycott of this Showtime series for its depiction of sex, drugs, alcohol, and "innuendo" is reason enough to experience it. Created by Tom Kapinos (Dawson's Creek) and produced by Scott Winant (My So-Called Life; thirtysomething), Californication stars David Duchovny (The X-Files) as 30-something novelist, Hank Moody, whose move to LA and writer's slump complicate his relationships with his ex-girlfriend, Karen van der Beek (Natascha McElhone), and their 12-year-old daughter, Rebecca "Becca" Moody (Madeleine Martin). Hank has written three best-selling novels, South of Heaven, Seasons in the Abyss, and God Hates Us All (all Slayer album titles), but now suffers from a case of writer's block. Although he is also a sex-addicted, self-destructive cad, who has a thing for hookers, surfer girls, and hot nuns alike, Hank is always a likeable character. "Happy endings may get a bad rap, but they do happen," he lovingly advises his daughter. "And when they do, they're just as true as the unhappy ones." There are several things that make Californication such a great show: its dark comedy, clever dialogue, strong performances, edgy storylines, and great music. The series soundtrack features music by the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Joe Strummer, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Foo Fighters, The Doors, Steve Earle, Death Cab For Cutie, and Warren Zevon. Season One consists of twelve episodes:
1. Pilot
2. Hell-A Woman
3. The Whore of Babylon
4. Fear And Loathing At The Fundraiser
5. LOL
6. Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
7. Girls, Interrupted
8. California Son
9. Filthy Lucre
10. The Devil's Threesome
11. Turn The Page
12. The Last Waltz
12/12/08 Update: Californication received a Golden Globe nomination this week.
G. Merritt
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