"Californication" California Son (2007)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Scott Winant

Writers:

Tom Kapinos (creator)
Tom Kapinos (written by)

TV Series:

"Californication" (2007)

Original Air Date:

1 October 2007 (Season 1, Episode 8)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Hank's father dies. Despite the memories of his father floating to the surface, he doesn't want to go to the funeral. Meanwhile, he goes to bed with a hooker named Trixie, despite the fact he doesn't have enough money to pay her. |

Plot Keywords:

Father Daughter Relationship | Family Relationships | Writer | Los Angeles California | Male Female Relationship

Cast

David Duchovny	...	Hank Moody
Natascha McElhone	...	Karen
Madeleine Martin	...	Becca Moody
Madeline Zima	...	Mia Lewis (credit only)
Evan Handler	...	Charlie Runkle
Judy Greer	...	Trixie
Amber Heard	...	Amber
Mark Margolis	...	Al Moody
Chris Williams	...	Todd Carr
Kathryn Adams	...	Katie
Nick Barnes	...	Tom

Runtime:

29 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-MA

Company:

Aggressive Mediocrity

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Charlie enters the hotel room the collar of his shirt is rumpled and stretched with finger marks as if it had been grabbed and they were shooting another take of the scene.

Quotes:

Al Moody: [seeing a guy who looks like Tom Cruise] I liked him in that Vietnam movie. He played a good cripple.

Movie Connections:

References Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Soundtrack:

Mohammed's Radio

The best of Season One

California Son is the high point of Californication's first year, mainly because of its fearless portrayal of the lowest aspects of Hank Moody's character. It's bold, it's outrageous, and of course it's incredibly hilarious.

Just how low do you think a guy like Hank can sink? Well, how about this: after hearing his father Al (Mark Margolis) has passed away, he flat out refuses to go to the funeral. Okay, so he and the old man weren't on the best of the terms (the only one who always got along with him was Karen), but still - it doesn't justify going to bed with a prostitute (especially when you don't have the money to pay her).

The episode moves freely between flashbacks of Al Moody's rare visits to L.A. and people's memories about him in the present. Margolis is a great presence, his determination acting as a clear counterbalance to the more decadent approach to life Duchovny's character has, but it's the today section that really stands out, highlighting just how unbearably (and amusingly) flawed the show's sex-driven protagonist really is. Furthermore, what's not to love about dialogue like Hank and Charlie's conversation about Al? "He was a good man." "No, he wasn't. He used to say you looked like a walking penis.". Priceless