I just finished watching Showtime's "Californication" for the second time, and there's a reason I've seen it two times now. It's a good show. David Duchovny plays the lead, Hank Moody, very well, and basically carries the show for seven seasons.
It led me to thinking what the best moments on the show were. I've come up with my favorite ten moments on the show. If it's a show you've considered watching, this might help, but of course there will be spoilers. This is your warning.
A lot of these involve music, which I think the show does so well. Here we go:
10. Hank dreams about getting a blowjob from a nun in a church, opening with "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones, Season 1: "Pilot"
This show kicks off and gets right to it in its first scene. They instantly show it's going to be a show about sex and a show that's not afraid to push boundaries. It's iconic and there's even references to this a couple times throughout the show. Anyone watching this show not knowing what it's about receives an absolute shock when the nun asks, "What about a blowjob?" Although to be fair, Hank curses a bit before she propositions him in his dream. And this whole scene starts with Hank driving up to the church set to the London Bach choir's part of the song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones. Funny thing I just found out: They use the Stones' vocals of the same song to conclude the show in Season 1, book-ending the season with different parts of the same song.
9. Hank gets carjacked, set to the Foo Fighters "The Pretender", Season 1: "Filthy Lucre"
As Hank pulls up to a red light, he gets asked by a female pedestrian how to get to the highway. Soon after he responds, her male partner approaches Hank from the driver's side and points a gun to Hank's head, ordering him to get out. We see Hank trying to save what he thinks is his only copy of his novel, but he is unable to due to the carjacker's threats. They speed off with the car and novel, and instead of panicking, Hank like a boss calmly lights a cigarette. We then see Mia had made a copy of his novel, and then fade to credits right as the chorus of "The Pretender" hits. Just one of the most perfectly timed moments with one of the best song choices.
8. Hank trying to put out fires (one literally) left and right, but all hell breaks loose, Season 3: "The Apartment"
This moment is from the highest rated episode of Californication on IMDB, so I had to include it. In season 3, Hank juggles varying levels of relationships with three different women, all with ties to the school he is teaching at: One student, one teacher/wife of the dean, one his teacher's assistant. They all decide to visit him one morning, all trying to seduce him or be with him in some fashion. Meanwhile, Charlie and Rick Springfield (Yes, the Rick Springfield who sang "Jessie's Girl") are in the main bedroom with two hookers. It's a long story. And of course, Karen and Becca and Becca's friend, Chelsea, and Chelsea's dad the dean all show up. It culminates into one of the most hectic but entertaining moments in the series.
7. Hank reads Karen "The Story of Us" on the plane to their daughter Becca's wedding, Season 7: "Grace"
Hank makes the grand gesture of going to New York with Karen for Becca's wedding (after initially saying he wouldn't go because he objects to the marriage), and when he boards the plane he pulls out a letter he's written to Karen. He initially hands it to her, but she doesn't seem keen on reading it so Hank steals it back and reads it aloud. It really summarizes up their relationship pretty well. Just like in the show, it doesn't have a definitive ending, but that's ok. The letter was moving enough to make the stubborn lady sitting next to Karen switch her seat.
6. The chaos of the dinner party, Season 4: "The Last Supper"
At a dinner party hosted by Stu Beggs with tons of guests, chaos of course ensues. At the party are Hank, Karen, Karen's date Ben, Marcy, Stu Beggs, Charlie and his date, Peggy, Eddie Nero, the director of "Fucking & Punching", Hank's lawyer Abby, and Sasha Bingham. Basically, it's a party to celebrate the movie they're all making, and most people bring dates. Anyway, arguing starts, plus a lot of personal and sexual details revealed. After Charlie confesses that he still loves Marcy, Marcy reveals the baby she's carrying is Charlie's, then Peggy in her anger stabs Charlie through the hand with a knife. Marcy then attacks and fights with Peggy, Hank takes the knife out of Charlie's hand, which causes the director to vomit. I told you there was a bit of chaos.
5. The glorious mangina, Season 3: "Wish You Were Here"
Season 3 kicks off with a bang, as Hank has dinner with his daughter's friend's mother and her family. There at the party is an author Hank looks up to, Richard Bates. Hank makes the mistake of getting Bates to succumb to his desire for alcohol (He had been sober for many years). After Bates' drinking, the next time we see him he is naked. What is funny though is he has his penis tucked between his legs, showing off what he calls his "glorious mangina". Never did I ever think I'd see a man's crotch with his penis tucked between his legs on TV. Bates then goes streaking to God knows where. What made this moment a classic was Hank's several times referring to it years down the line.
4. Hank and Becca bond as Season 2 ends, set to "California Dreaming" by the Shaw Blades, Season 2: "La Petite Mort"
I have just always loved this scene. Hank meets the skater girl he had previously slept with, and as she leaves Becca approaches and she and Hank talk about relationships. It's one of their best father-daughter bonding moments. I really like the song they chose for this, a cover of the Mama's and the Papa's "California Dreaming", this time done by the Shaw Blades. The camera pans up as we see the large crowd at Santa Monica and the season ends. One of the best, if not the best ending to a season.
3. Hank punches a guy for calling Karen the "C-Word", Season 1: "Fear and Loathing at the Fundraiser"
It's a quick moment, but a guy earlier was extremely rude to Karen and called her the "C-Word", while Hank wasn't around her. When everyone is leaving the fundraiser, they see each other again and the guy says, "See You Next Tuesday!" which is another way of saying the C-Word. Karen cusses him out, and Hank asks what it's about. When Karen tells him, Hank calmly walks up to the guy, says, "Excuse me," and sucker punches him. I love this moment because we learn how much he really loves Karen deep down and that someone calling her the most insulting term for a woman really makes him want to defend her honor.
2. "BOOOOO-YA! The baby's black!", Season 2: "La Petite Mort"
This is undoubtedly the moment in Californication that made me laugh the hardest. After a fling of Hank's, Sonja, tells him she's pregnant with his child, Hank gets into hot water with Karen, of course. However, Hank and Karen are present at Sonja's water-birth. Everyone receives a surprise when the baby comes out as black, proving that Hank can't be the father. His reaction to seeing the baby is utterly priceless. He says the above line, including a fist pump while he's at it, and celebrates with Karen that he's not the father.
1. Karen finds out about Hank and Mia set to Elton John's "Rocket Man", Season 3: "Mia Culpa"
It's amazing that this show was able to keep Karen from knowing about Hank and Mia for almost THREE seasons. After a fight with Mia's manager, Hank realizes he has to tell Karen himself rather than her hear it from someone or somewhere else. As soon as he gets serious and begins telling her, "Rocket Man" by Elton John comes on. It fits the moment perfectly, and we know basically what they're saying so we don't have to hear the dialogue. It's a lot of chasing and shoving and running, anyway. It ends with the cops coming and whisking Hank away for assaulting Mia's manager, signaling his absolute lowest point. I said earlier Season 2's "La Petite Mort" had the best ending scene to a season, but I think this tops it.
