Californication – The state versus Henry Moody

It’s the day of the trial minus three, and Hank has an open weekend ahead of him before facing trial for the statutory rape of Mia Lewis. I would have said that getting kicked out of his hotel room for owing $25,000 was the least of his problems, except that he would have been a lot better off without a weekend with Karen and Becca. And, by the way, where’s he living that he racked up a bill like that so quickly?

We talk about the evolution of Hank Moody on Californication, but I wonder if there’s such a thing as de-evolution, because there’s no question that we’ve known Hank to be both more domesticated and better behaved than he now is. Even while sitting with Karen talking about the demise of their relationship — after Becca got into a car accident — Hank was drinking. Is there no limit to how far he’s willing to push the limits of humanity?

Everything involving Becca rubs me the wrong way, but I thought that seeing Hank sitting in the back of his car completely unprotected while Becca drove for the first time was symbolically interesting. He’s certainly been riskier with his life in the past, don’t you think? But who teaches their kid to drive on a stick? I’ve been driving since I was sixteen, and I understand the basic concept behind shifting gears, but even after all these years I don’t feel prepared to try anything other than an automatic. And forget safety, what about Hank’s poor car?

Although I suppose Becca and Pearl took care of that concern. I’d blame Pearl for being a bad influence, but we already know that Becca’s a complete nightmare. She’s really an awful kid … I just can’t.

I was surprised to discover that Charlie’s still sleeping with Peggy the real estate agent (Melissa Stephens) from last week. Her, let’s say over-exuberance, with sexual fantasy was frightening the first time; the incest playacting last night was a freak show. But I thought it was interesting that she seemed to genuinely be jealous of Charlie’s feelings for Marcy. Then again, after she attacked Charlie with a cigarette lighter to his chest, I’m not sure that my initial instinct that she was building toward another fantasy wasn’t actually true. Who knows.

Charlie and Peggy’s dinner with Marcy and Stu was uncomfortable enough, but the ending was an explosion of “What now?” Can Marcy really be such a hateful person that she would let Charlie continue to think that Stu was her baby’s father? Even if she doesn’t know whose kid it is, she at least knows that nothing’s been confirmed yet, and all signs have been pointing to it being Charlie’s. So I come back to my original question: can she really be so hateful? Is there something so wrong with Charlie’s desire to sleep around, no matter how much it might repulse Marcy (and she’s one to talk)? Not only is he entitled to know the truth, but he also doesn’t deserve to be hurt in this way by Marcy.

She owes him at least that much decency.

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Mar 07, 2011 @ 15:00 EST5EDT