Californication : Season 2

Well this show sets a new bar for raunch and is clearly not for everyone, but what saves it, and keeps me coming back is the writing. Some of the words make me cringe but the darn writing is so clever I find myself laughing out loud nearly every episode.I had to remind myself that the plot lines are not really based in reality. The feelings the characters express are dead real, but the situations they get into are not all that credible. If you accept the show as a sort of semi-fantasy it will temper your expectations and allow you to enjoy the comedy, the superb acting, and the fairy tale yet highly believable love story that the two lead actors David Duchovny and Natascha McElhone create. It is a joy to witness two people so in love. Their character's love for each have a kind of Romeo and Juliet lilt (or some may say Barbie and Ken).And what about this David Duchovny person? How dare you look that good in your 40's. How dare you slip into the character of Hank Moody as naturally as a snake sheds its skin. Well I guess I could be envious, jealous, or even bitter, but instead I'll just pray I am you (David or Hank) in the next lifetime. .... And by the way, is Duchovny channeling Garry Shandling? His mannerism are often reminiscent of the great comedian and the jokes that come out of his mouth are very Shandling-esk. Which is great. I dearly miss Garry.EdiT: I would like to add something please... Now that I'm conditioned to the pleasure of the wave of humor that machine guns you non-stop, I am [thankfully] seeing deeper into the series. When you look past the comedy, the hanko-one-liners, the pelting of raunch (also non-stop) you start to realize what an amazing thing Duchovny and Natascha pulled off... in episode after episode. Their dynamic. Their soulmatedness. They did something incredibly rare! They played an actual, believable dysfunctional couple. Now the key word there is believe-able. I believed, again, non-stop, that these two people really were helplessly, haplessly, hopelessly IN LOVE.ITS THE ONLY POSSIBLE REASON THEY STAYED TOGETHER for that many seasons. Sure the producers wanted as many seasons as possible to milk out the revenue. And yes, they could have fallen back on this incredible on-screen couple just being ADDICTED to each other... staying together as a sort of better-the-devil-you-know kind of thing. But the show rose above that! I am in season 3, and I'm going to continue watching -completely out of character for me- because it is so much fun to witness the love these two fictitious people have for each other (hint: it's ALL fiction at the end of the day).Stupendous acting. I hope THE ENTIRE CAST, especially the daughter, whose name I am too laze to lookup at them moment, due to having a few glasses of Merlot with the spaghetti dinner. That actress rocks. The whole cast really cast a magical spell. Thanx for this show. I don't love it because of the raunch. Bit in spite of. !!

Loved the material. Wish it could've had more seasons

I love this show. Yes its mostly adult topics and situations but its smart and funny. I wish I could be half as ballsy and witty as Hank.This is sex in the city if you took out a few women and slipped in a few men.Hank is a NY transplant writer in LA, who is basically is a charming cad. He pretty much says & does what he thinks and it gets him in a bunch of trouble.He longs for the woman he let go, who is also the mother of his teenage daughter who is exploring her new boundaries. Throw in a few crazy friends, sex, drugs, and rock & roll and you have this show.The thing that makes him lovable is he doesn't lie or say he is something he is not. Yes, he cheats, he drinks, does occasional marijuana but you end up liking him because you just want to see what he says or do next. As you watch the show, you will see he has this gravity of bad decisions that pulls the people he loves and other random people into him and away. Its the dynamic that makes the show enjoyable and fresh even though its several years old now (2007 -2014)

I became an instant fan of Californication when it first appeared almost three years ago. I loved each and every episode. I always thought the episodes went by too fast and I couldn't wait until next week to see the newest one. Then I went broke and lost Sho Time. I waited what seemed like forever on end to be able to buy the second season on DVD. And I was not the least bit disappointed. I will admit, I was worried about that within the first two episodes. It is sad to say this, but Californication is not funny unless Hank is completely self destructive and his life is in the toilet. As his life was going down the toilet once again, I found the episodes to be more and more funnier than the last one. Hank is such a crude a hole. I loved the characters and dialouge. And of course I loved all the crazy misadventures he went through. But what makes the show so great is beneath the sex addiction, crude behavior, less than tactful moments, and the drinking/drug use, Hank is a good, sweet guy. He just uses his cynism so people don't know he is actually a very vulnerable person. I love the writing in this show. I can't wait until I can buy Season Three.

Everywhere Hank turns, something is going to happen that derails him...I love his character and David Duchovny plays everything to the maximum and puts everything that he has into the role of "the Hankster." Does a magnificent character move are every turn. The love that he has for Karen and Becca and palpable and is so sincere it hurts to watch him being so vulnerable to the problems that keep slamming at him...I await all of the problems and how he skates around them....what a doll....even when he pushes the "broads" away, they somehow manage to sabotage the moment...and I can appreciate that he is so kind hearted and really makes an attempt to stay out of trouble and it always finds him.The language is colorful and delightful and perfect for all of their roles in whatever the situation comes along.Can you tell that I love the series and all of the scenerios that keep appearing. Great job, all of you that are involved in Californication. Kudos and accolades.

I enjoyed the entire series from start to finish. Hank Moody (David Duchovny) stars as the writer that can't make up his mind if he wants to stay with the love of his life or lead a life of debauchery. He gets hit on and beds dozens and dozens of beautiful women, including more that a few that cause endless problems. He writes a book that becomes a best seller but not under his name. I don't want to ruin the show for you but get ready for lots of bare female breasts, male and female bare bottoms and sex scenes from 1 person to full orgies. There are bar fights, swimming scenes, dream scenes, car wrecks and some top movie actor and musicians actors in some really crazy scenes. The whole series pretty much blew me away. Each episode runs under 30 minutes.There is no foot dragging in the series.

'Dyspeptic Spirit' wrote a review here, giving this second series two stars. If the series had continued as poorly as its first few episodes then I would have agreed and maybe gone for one star. With Karen and Hank coming back together the story seemed to lose its structure and purpose and I agree it became crass and not at all funny. But, for me, it perked up once the two had bounced of one another again. Some of the moments in the middle and latter episodes are better than anything through series one, and there's one episode that's just beautiful and brought the sun out for me. I didn't write a review for series one, because it had all been said by other reviewers. If series two were just the last 7/8 epsiodes then I would have given it five stars, but the first few epsiodes hold it back and so I've gone for four.

Hilarious and funniest season in the series by far!

Hank is back and as bad/good as ever. Great performances from the whole cast with witty fast paced dialogue. If you loved the first series then what are you waiting for you know you want to. Some great new characters adding even more dark humour to this great series.

Absolutely love the series, extremely funny!

Continues from Season 1 with the same sharp sexy humour touched with pathos as characterised Season 1. The best thing I've seen for years. Hopefully to be followed by Season 3,4,5......