Californication
Californication wraps its second season run with revelations you could see coming a mile away and some that were nice little surprises. The best part of the episode, aside from the tidy resolutions of most of the storylines: the fact they didn't end with a freeze-frame shot of anything. Sorry if I ruined it for you, but it goes without saying a show like this should never end a season like that.
One could consider the recent announcement of a third season of Californication an early Christmas gift. The fact the renewal came so late in the season may be somewhat discouraging, but let us revel in the celebration of excess that is sex, drugs, rock and roll in the city of angels.
Californication has largely shied away from the narrating technique known as the flashback. Not only do we catch-up by overusing it, we get the added benefit of the quintessential Seattle grunge soundtrack adding to the story. This left me largely with a "meh" feeling for the evening, but it does set-up the final two episodes quite nicely.
Californication loves to take the opportunity to show off various landmarks within Hollywood and greater Los Angeles. Too bad Starline Tours doesn't offer an all-inclusive package into the seedy underbelly that is the True Hollywood Stories of its occupants... now that would be worth the price of admission!
If there's anything Californication proves, it's that all you need to save your relationship is to fool around outside your relationship. It's a veritable buffet of infidelity in the Hollywood Hills and the boulevards. Lest we forget that drugs are bad, mmmkay, but only if used for any reason other than to land a girl in the sack.
Sure, Californication makes illegal sex and drug use (among other things) look cool and highly imitable, but when it begins to interfere with your personal life, you should probably take a step back to see the big picture. If you're Hank Moody, what do you care? Especially when Mallory Keaton has the hots for you. Sha-la-la-la!
It was only a matter of time before Californication went back to the season once formula of sex, drugs and rock-and-roll that made me fall in love in the first place. Of course, I live vicariously through Hank, so I thrive when he decides to kick up the fun another four or five notches.
After one of the better Californication episodes of the season, I wasn't sure how they could keep the momentum up. However, mixing Hank's wild side with Charlie's love of the adult film industry and adding a dash of The WB to the recipe seemed to hold me over quite well, thank you very much.
Family holiday get-togethers are bad enough, but when you have the roster of friends that Hank has on Californication, random gatherings aren't all that much better. So many dynamic personalities in one room can only lead to the mother of all train wrecks. Please to enjoy: the dinner party!
