Californication: Season 1

What do you do after you take on the whole paranoid universe? You get wasted and laid galore!!! And, you insist on some of the snappiest, most literate dialogue ever written, put it in the mouths of a great cast, give us some unforgettable comedic moments, and flash us world-class eye candy every episode---Voila!!! Welcome to Californication, starring David Duchovny as the scraggly-but-dashing writer Hank Moody, both incurable romantic and bawdy p-hound; the bitter, ever-hungover, ex-partriate New Yorker who's living out his next novel amidst the boudoirs of Lotusland--though he doesn't know it just quite yet.Part Lancelot, part Hefner, part Faulkner---with a jigger of Kafka thrown in for the Existential after-burn, Duchovny's Hank has his Grail Quest set out for him--to win back the capricious Karen, his tatooed love goddess, who left his non-committal ass for the steady though dull arms of Bill, publisher of the redoubtable digital HELL-A magazine-- ironically, the only writing gig open to Hank as he scrapes bottom during his free-fall. Also holding his heart is his impish daughter, Becca, to whom he is a glorious, if bruised, hero. Holding his body and soul together is his agent and true friend, Charley, while Charlie's wife Marcie remains Karen's loyal confidante and bush-waxer throughout tribulations.A Post-Modern Odysseus, Hank bounces from gorgeous bed to even-more gorgeousbed -- including one that is highly (though truly unknowingly) taboo--before going through an archetypal, Groundhog Day-ish ritual cleansing & purification that gets him closer to fine--and just maybe--to his estranged Penelope-esque Ex, Karen, now bound in the labyrinthine canals of Venice/Ithaca. Having gone through the Underworld, Hank's writing again, and hits upon that which just might win his lady back for him from the pretentious suitor Bill...but Cyclops, Circes, Sirens, and Swine abound, and the Fates may not be having any of it...And so it goes on his mythic peregrination back to the wholeness of love, family, and home. Will he make it? You'll have to watch to find out-and you'll thank me for keeping the secret, Rosebud....Hank is a guy you can't help but root for, even though you gotta admit he's blown his 9 lives about five times over. Duchovny does a great job of keeping Hank at that sleazy-but-adorable edge throughout the show's initial run, and that is the main ingredient in the show's steamy comedic chemistry. I found it irresistible and addictive viewing--smart, bawdy, real, (gulp) mature--this show continually won over my heart and my mind.I will say that I did have some qualms about the finale and what motivated it, but I can't go into that specifically without spoiling it for the uninitiated. Was it the complete, authentic story arc, or, were we not sure if we were coming back for Round Two? In a show that made precious few boo-boos, and that avoided clichés like the plague, it stood out as an impulsive compromise of some sort. Nevertheless, I was still hankering for more Hank, so I am just wiggy about the new season. Bring it on, Broheem!!!The only other real mistake, I thought, was that they did not stick with the formula for the opening from the first episode, i.e., by having the intro scene, and then cutting to the overhead of Hank driving the coast road, and blasting the Stones song as the theme. BRILLIANT!!! He's a dude at the edge of the world, having lost his Woman, but with the scent of Strange wafting off his 4-day stubble as he bemusedly zips along in his grimy Porsche...& Mick 'n Keef wailing away...see?. I thought the way that played in the opener was just superb, and I was looking for that in week 2--and what I got was the jerky post-mod splat of dissonant rock and oblique montage that passed for a theme song & intro--BUMMER!!! (Crazy Little Thing Called CRAP!!! The show's biggest villainy visited upon itself!!) I'm sure high school kids have done better on their senior projects for TV Production class. I still cringe every episode and wonder how they missed on that one.Otherwise, though, this was an absolutely joyous, hilarious, sexy, wry, subtle/not-subtle masterpiece of a show from start to finish. I am going to get a DVD set just because I can't stand watching censored re-runs anymore--and on a cable station mind you!! For crying--out--f*&%$n loud!!!! Like Hank, I'm reaching for a Dewar's mini.....and Disc One.

...First saw the entire series in December 2014 over the course of a couple of days. Now on my second viewing.Duchovny portrayals his character perfectly. Done so well I wish I were Hank....Understand his, the character's, loving a woman, the character Karen, as he does, especially after having screwed up...a few times as he is known to have done.(Still pine for a specific woman myself, daily -- week after week... Like being Adam and having not only been banished from Eden but also having been exiled from Eve's love.)IMDb reports the character of Hank is a creative portrayal of the writer Bukowski.(...Liked his writing when I was younger, Bukowski. ... Thought it was cool to "be into Bukowski." But was so out of it as to how things really were back then that I did not know liking Bukowski's writing was the reason to be "into Bukowski." Sad commentary, that. ...Not true. ...Liked Bukowski"s bare-bone writing style, both of his prose and poetry.)Was he not a bum, a drunk and bum, Bukowski? Remembered, what little as it is, of his writing is of his telling of his having affairs, sometimes involving violence, with women who shared his love of wine.Is that what Hank is? Besides being a womonizer, as well? A drunk? A bum? And I wrote eariler I want to be like Hank?!No, Hank has a redeeming quality that he is a dedicated father. That I can relate to about him.(Womanizer part does spark fantasies in me, having never really behaved like that in my life. ...Wait that is no true. Did have a brief time in my life when perhaps my behavior approached that of a womanizer. But those lovely human beings are all now absent from my life. ...Now left alone, all alone, me.)Will that be Hank's fate? Was it Bukowski's?What is more, and finally, Natascha McElhone, in character, is able to convey a qenuine interest in Hand the character, even conveying an continuous underlying love for him... portrayed through her eyes and facial manner. ...Demonstrates why McElhone deserves the positive profrofessional attention as she does.Each script is written beyond good...then, meaning excellent?!Too many wonderful lines coming at me. Unable to keep up. ...Want each and every line in. Could pause the video? And as I do, often, the viewing is a slow read. ...Use close captions.

There is not much that I can add to what has already been written. One more 5 star review can't hurt, right? I gave up on network television years ago. What I do now is try out a show on DVD or Blu. I usually buy the 1st seasons used so I am not out too much green. This one I could have bought new, wrapped in old fish wrap, gold trimmed or whatever. This is great entertainment. Yeah there is a lot of nakedness and such. I don't think that it is gratuitous because it just underlines the whole story by putting it all on the table for all to see, not just implied for a side note. I have always liked DD's work and Californication is what he was destined for. I don't know when this went on or off the air, but I am glad I found it. Like I said I truly cannot add more to the great reviews without sounding like a fool. Showtime keeps putting out winners. Of course I am not a fan of all of their shows, but when they get them right, it's great. The only downside is that the show is only 30 minutes long and there are only 10 shows to a season. That is true of most of the really good ones, Nurse jackie, Weeds etc. This is not a waste of 340 or so minutes of your life. I'll gladly give Californication another 340 for season 2 and who knows, every year they put out.

People seem to either love this show or hate it. I happen to love it. Hank is not a hero. He’s not someone to inspire any kind of adoration. He’s just a man. On the surface, a lot of the situations seem contrived but if you look deeper you can see what he’s struggling with. The call of the wild or the comfort of domesticity. Both worlds have good points and bad. I enjoy spending time in Hank Moody’s world. The show reveals him to be deeply flawed yet aspiring to be a better man. He tries and fails, often. But he tries.

シーズン１と２を見てとても面白かったので次を見ようとしたらシーズン３以降は輸入盤しかありません。試しに買ってみましたが輸入盤のCC(クローズドキャプション）（英語字幕）は見ることができませんでした。英語字幕があれば何とか理解できるかと思いましたが、私の英語リスニング力では字幕がないと半分も理解できません。是非みんなで日本版DVDを購入してシーズン３以降の日本版発売を後押しして欲しいと思います。宜しくお願い申し上げます。

リージョン１とのことでしたが、日本のDVDデッキで見られましたよ！Duchovnyファンの方、本当にご無沙汰でしたが、久々に堪能できますよ〜♪ただ、字幕がないので、私は英語がなかなか聞き取れず、かなり苦労しました…。パソコンではclosed　captionで字幕が見られるようです。

Have no fears - if you like a strong, witty, sexy comedy then this is for you. Californication is like a grown up version of The OC, focussing on the disfunctional life of Hank Moody (Duchovney) and how he copes with the break-up of his relationship. Whilst all this doesn't sound all that much like a comedy, it is conducted to the back-drop of his near addiction to alcohol and women, and the even more disfunctional city of LA and all the people in it - for a man with little to lose Hank is now intent on living life to the full and caring about the consequences second, all of which makes for a hilarious view on the man's life. Interestingly the show is surprisingly moral in places, especially around Hank's relationship with his estranged daughter, and this gives Californication something of a soul and stops it from being simply gratuitous in it's portrayal of Hank's roller-coaster life.Without generalising I'd say men would probably like this more than women, but as mentioned the strong character relationships stop this from simplying being male fantsy and turn it into a credible, watchable series.I give series 1 of Californication 9.5/10. Watch it!

Have you seen those adverts for California? "A lot of people have misconceptions about California... ner, ner, ner, ner ...come to California." Don't you chuffing hate `em?If the answer is yes you may sympathise with Hank Moody (David Duchovny) the main protagonist of Californication.Hank- Idealistic, disenfranchised, New York Novelist, is struggling with writers block after being dragged to L.A. for an artistically worthless movie option on his book, his struggles have been galvanised into a true crisis of faith, through having been left by his long term partner, the fragrant Karen (Natascha McElhone ). Who is now co-habiting (with their daughter) with a reliable, high status, dull-ard.Hank reacts to this crisis by releasing his raging id and indulging in all the artistic and L.A.-centric clichés of excess which his cult fame allows, to various funny, gross, and awkward results. His one true source of well being is his 13 year old daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin) who can roughly be described as Hanks common sense ego reminding him of his truly important role as father, as he try's to "win back" her mother Karen. Karen in turn represents a romanticised view of Hanks past life, his creativity and an idealisation of Love its-self.You could describe Californication as "Sex and the City for men", but you would be wrong, in many ways it is it's opposite, Hank hates the city he lives in, he doesn't strive to find the perfect partner but longs to reconcile his past romantic life, his crisis seem more urgent, comic, and libidinous, and some how more honest.All the performances are spot on and at half hour each the episodes are a brilliantly structured, breeze of laughs and heart string tugging, presenting some worthwhile meditations on life, love and creativity. I found it completely non-salacious and just kind of real, really.The tightness of Tom Kapinos' writing makes any sentimentality utterly forgivable, as the negativity is as focused as the romanticism and the two easily sit side by side as forms of idealism.I sat down and accidentally ended up watching the entire six episodes of disc one, which I never normally do. The ending has been deemed a cop out by some, but makes sense the more you think about it, Hank has to change and defy expectation because the ones you love always make it bloody hard work.

I got bored very quickly with this. The sex farce is initially funny but soon gets a bit dull. I mean you can't really care about a guy who picks up his daughter from school after getting through his eighth prositute, smelling of p**** yet again. Or his incredibly, incredibly, forgiving ex-wife. This and the fact everybody is so incredibly rich it leaves you rather detached from the characters and not rooting for anybody.