2008 Woodie Awards
Californication Pilot
TV Review
Andy Scagnelli
Issue date: 8/31/07 Section: Opinion
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"Californication" is an interesting concept that boils down to a very simple base concept: no matter how 'mature' an adult may be, an adult will still act like a child. David Duchovny of "The X-Files" stars as Hank, a struggling writer with a pre-teen daughter of a soon-to-be-wed ex-girlfriend, an axe to grind with the movie industry, and an infatuation with "unavailable women." Hank is simultaneously everything a person should aspire to and despise, as proven by the show's opening sequence.
This opening sequence is one of the highlights of the episode. It begins with Hank receiving *** from a nun, only to reveal itself as a dream sequence; Hank is in reality bedding the "nun," actually a young married woman whose husband is arriving at their home. Hank steals away, sans pants, to meet his ex-girlfriend and daughter for her weekly visitation making a fool of himself in front of the two people he cares for the most.
It is this relationship with his daughter and ex-girlfriend that is the emotional base of the show and makes it so compelling. He openly wants his ex back, refusing to acknowledge that she has moved onward, and even upward. At the climax of the show, he leaves a woman alone in his bed so that he can save his daughter at a moment she desperately needs it. He was literally picking her up and bringing her to safety. We see Hank as an outstanding father and even possibly a good husband, but at the same time literally reeking of his faults.
Not only does "Californication" supply an interesting and emotional look at a dysfunctional family unit, it also serves as a perfect vehicle for Duchovny's deadpan humor. Although the show may lack an overabundance of laugh-out-loud moments, the understated humor fits the situation perfectly.
"Californication" is an achievement in showing the dysfunction of human nature in a relatable environment where no moral misstep goes unpunished, even if only in a minor sense.
This opening sequence is one of the highlights of the episode. It begins with Hank receiving *** from a nun, only to reveal itself as a dream sequence; Hank is in reality bedding the "nun," actually a young married woman whose husband is arriving at their home. Hank steals away, sans pants, to meet his ex-girlfriend and daughter for her weekly visitation making a fool of himself in front of the two people he cares for the most.
It is this relationship with his daughter and ex-girlfriend that is the emotional base of the show and makes it so compelling. He openly wants his ex back, refusing to acknowledge that she has moved onward, and even upward. At the climax of the show, he leaves a woman alone in his bed so that he can save his daughter at a moment she desperately needs it. He was literally picking her up and bringing her to safety. We see Hank as an outstanding father and even possibly a good husband, but at the same time literally reeking of his faults.
Not only does "Californication" supply an interesting and emotional look at a dysfunctional family unit, it also serves as a perfect vehicle for Duchovny's deadpan humor. Although the show may lack an overabundance of laugh-out-loud moments, the understated humor fits the situation perfectly.
"Californication" is an achievement in showing the dysfunction of human nature in a relatable environment where no moral misstep goes unpunished, even if only in a minor sense.