Drama, promiscuity and heartwarming plot has never molded so well together as it does in the new season of “Californication.” David Duchovny plays writer and womanizer Hank Moody in the Showtime series. “Californication” showcases Hank’s midlife crisis, his stints of writer's block and encounters with dozens of women, all while he tries to patch up his family life.
The fifth season of “Californication” premiered Jan. 8, and the scandalous series is taking a different path than before. Though it used to be sex scene after sex scene, the show has slowly transformed over the seasons.
The crude, purely sexual-based comedy in the earlier seasons is now replaced with a well thought out storyline based on actual life occurrences.
Hank is confronted more with his family life. Every character in “Californication” has a complicated storyline and all are delicately strung together through scandal, family or work.
Hank’s best friend and agent Charlie Runkle (Evan Handler) is a prime example of the scandalous material “Californication” has to offer. Last season Runkle made a goal to have sexual intercourse with 100 women, and before he splits from his wife in an earlier season, Charlie does the unthinkable to his personal assistant. However, audiences see that Runkle is there for Hank through thick and thin.
Viewers have also had the pleasure of being able to watch Hank’s daughter, Becca (Madeleine Martin), grow from a prepubescent girl into a teenager with her own drama and relationship issues. Becca’s guitar lesson in the series’ pilot leads into her involvement in all-girl punk band called Queens of Dogtown, which is an actual band outside of the show’s borders. As Becca grows older and runs into conflicts with boys and drugs, Hank's awareness of his daughter grows as well.
Do not be mistaken, though. The carnal encounters between characters are still prominent, frequent and steamy, but loyal viewers will notice the change in plot direction.
As hedonistic and morally distraught as Hank is, the new sense of direction in “Californication” seems to be a great production idea so far, but only the remaining episodes of season 5 will tell. New episodes are at 9 p.m. on Sundays.
Reach the reporter at kmstark1@asu.edu
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