California + Fornication = Californication

I just finished the first season of "Californication" and found myself relating to the show.

Not when the protagonist bangs a sixteen year-old.

Or when our hero snorts coke off a hooker's ass.


Frank Moody is a New Yorker who begrudgingly finds himself in L.A./I am an Upstate New Yorker who woke up one day in her 20th year in an apartment complex in Burbank that Rick James died in.
He attributes the town to tearing away his sanity and foundation./ I attribute this town to punching, stabbing, crushing, and farting on my sanity.
He lives in Venice./ I am temporarily living in Venice because I am homeless.
He hates it here but yet finds himself partaking in the machinery of it all./ I hate the machinery but try to avoid sleeping with a girl every night and drinking Whiskey for breakfast.

The show is fun. The dialogue is quick and clever and David Duchovny looks more comfortable playing the cranky, sarcastic, witty writer than the... cranky, sarcastic, witty FBI agent. This is one of those niche shows where you only fully appreciate it if you a.) live in L.A., b.) work in the business, and c.) bang fake-breasted youngens' every night. And though I didn't like that about "Entourage", it seems more interesting when it's a near fifty year-old crab instead of a bunch of snot-nosed twenty-somethings.

Duchovny is good with the delivery and appears to take a little creative license that works well. Unlike some shows, the supporting characters are equally intriguing and developed (especially Frank's baby mamma played by Natascha McElhone and Frank's agent played by Evan Handler). It took me awhile to warm up to Frank's "woman-child" daughter but after a few viewings one can strangely warm up to her dead-pan speak and vacant eyes. As a young woman, does it make me cringe to watch the over-sexed 16 year-old Mia try seduce and manipulate Frank and see all the eager and willing women that jump in Frank's sack upon walking by him on the street? Yes, yes, and yes. Does it make me wonder why Hollywood continually writes women this way? Yes. But what are you gonna do? If I get David Duchovny shirtless in return, I think I'm ok with that for now.

"Californication" can be seen on Showtime and it's available on Netflix and Itunes. It has been picked up for a second season with a TBD premiere date.