Californication Can't Shake the "Monsters"

Article first published as Californication Can't Shake the "Monsters" on TheTVKing.

Showtime's sixth season finale of Californication, entitled "I'll Lay My Monsters Down," is a joyous celebration, as well as a time for introspection. Charlie (Evan Handler) and Marcy (Pamela Adlon) are getting remarried. Now Hank (David Duchovny) has to decide whether to hit the road with a rock tour, or try to win back the heart of his lady love once again.

The wedding is super sweet. Marcy and Charlie have been through many a rough patch, but they always belong together. The longer that they are apart, the harder it gets to watch them suffer. Once Marcy agrees to remarry Charlie, there is little doubt in my mind that, not only will she go through with it, but this time it's forever.

How can it not be? They've both had their chance to sow their wild oats, and find out what else is out there. Yet, they come back to each other. This is why Californication is the story of love, even if the characters must overcome the effects of the West Coast to find their true happiness.

Marcy's urging Hank and Karen (Natascha McElhone) to get back together can be chalked up to projecting her own feelings onto them. She has realized that she belongs back with her man, and so assumes the path to her best friends' happiness is the same as her own, even though this is not necessarily the case. Given it is her wedding day, she can be forgiven, and surely won't hold it against them if they ignore her.

Yet, Hank's story has always been about Karen. He may take detours along the way, most recently with Faith (Maggie Grace). But not matter who he shares his bed with, he always comes back to Karen. Even in his dreams, she's the one.

It's interesting that Hank's subconscious takes the form of Lew Ashby (Callum Keith Rennie) at this point. The departed musician was striving for love when he died, just as Hank always is. Is Hank worried that he will wait too long and die before he can get back with Karen? I think so, considering that Hank literally appears in Lew's position behind the bar in his second dream. Though, it really doesn't matter why Hank imagines Lew, so long as we get a glimpse of that great character again, highly appropriate in a season chock full of rock 'n' roll.

The question is, is Hank Karen's destiny? We don't see as much of her, so it's not always clear. She definitely cares about him, but she may not want to spend her life with him anymore. Shortly before "I'll Lay My Monsters Down," Karen ponders if they only remain in one another's lives at this point because of their shared daughter, Becca (Madeleine Martin). It's sad, but it could also be true, as much as Hank and his fans won't want to admit it.

Which is why it's probably good that Californication is pulling a fast one on the audience when Hank drops to bended knee on the stage at the rock concert. It is heart breaking to realize that Hank won't lie it all out on the line right then and there. But, Karen knows how he feels. He makes it clear constantly. And her words say that she's not ready to commit to him, so he is liable to be disappointed if he tries for this now. She must sort out her own feelings first.

On the other hand, she could be on the fence, and the things she says may be just to test him. After all, Hank may say one thing, but may not mean it, even if he wants to. Perhaps she needs the grand romantic gesture to make up her mind.

I truly love when Becca, high, calls her father and tells him she just wants him to be happy. At first, Hank thinks that may be traveling with Faith. Then, he realizes that it's being with Karen, of course. This is a moment where Hank is forced to consider what will make him happy, and it's fitting that his wise daughter comes through once more, even if she isn't as smart with her own decisions.

It's also great that the moment includes Hank asking Becca to text Marilyn Manson (himself) a lude picture. How very fitting for the tone of the show!

"I'll Lay My Monsters Down" bids a fond adieu to Faith and Atticus (Tim Minchin). I will greatly miss these characters, and am sad to see them go. They both truly connect with Hank in a way that only a handful do, they are two of his soul mates, and are worthy of being recurring characters along the lines of Stu (Stephen Tobolowsky) and Bates (Jason Beghe) because they just fit into Californication so well. I hope they return often, as they, far more than most recent guest stars, deserve to do so.

Also, Krull's (Steve Jones) goodbye to Hank is a wonderful moment in an episode packed with wonderful moments.

Californication will return for a seventh season next year on Showtime.

Follow The Following

Article first published as The Following Series Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 97%

FOX is known for high-octane action dramas that are also about good storytelling. In THE FOLLOWING, premiering this Monday at 9 p.m. ET, not only does it follow in this proud traditional, but it uses a well-known group of actors and a seasoned creator, Kevin Williamson (Scream, Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries), to deliver one of the best network series in the genre to date.

As the story opens, after a suitably intense first scene, we meet agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon, Mystic River, Apollo 13), an alcoholic, washed-up fed who once captured a notorious serial killer named Joe Carroll (James Purefoy, Rome, Resident Evil). Joe is on the loose, and with some new agents by his side (X-Men’s Shawn Ashmore, not to be confused with twin Aaron, and Law & Order’s Annie Parisse), Ryan has to track down Joe all over again.

While the hunt is on, THE FOLLOWING takes time to show us some of the previous events in a series of flashbacks. We are introduced to Sarah (Maggie Grace, Lost, Taken), the victim Ryan saved from Joe’s killing spree, and Claire Matthews (Natalie Zea, Justified, The Other Guys), Joe’s wife, whom Ryan previously had a sexual relationship with, during the first go-round with Joe. Ryan checks in on them both in the present day, concerned, and hoping that they can lead him to Joe.

Other than that, it’s hard to tell you much. FOX would like me not to spoil the various plot twists that make up the hour, and after thoroughly enjoying the story, I agree that everyone should watch the episode for themselves. It’s a thrilling ride, with plenty of the unexpected happening, and it would be pretty rude to give you a heads up about those things.

This also makes it hard to talk about the series going forward, or what it will be. The story is significantly different at the end from what it appears to be at the beginning. so I can’t write about the premise very much without spoiling. So I won’t.

What THE FOLLOWING does well is set up an intense situation. As publicly released materials on the show’s official website have already revealed, the show will deal a lot with what would happen if serial killers in many different areas formed a network, rallying around a central figure. It takes an element of society that it already dangerous, and heightens the threat, with a support network helping the bad guys complete their evil missions. This is exactly what is happening.

There is also the Battlestar Galactica element of the enemy hiding among us. On that sci-fi show, the villains are Cylons, robots that look like humans, live as humans, and may not even know they aren’t humans. In THE FOLLOWING, serial killers masquerade as normal people, and like in BG, they could be anybody. This makes for a high-stakes guessing game sure to engage viewers.

Of course, we have the flawed hero in Ryan, a familiar enough trope at this point. Bacon brings something fresh to the table, though, as the latest in a string of well-respected, highly talented film stars that are transitioning to the small screen for the great roles offered. Bacon takes Ryan, and immediately sets up someone fans will get behind and root for, even as we wish we could help him through the internal and external traumas he is dealing with, forgiving him his slipups because of what he has endured.

There is a simmering tension in the air, as THE FOLLOWING makes us wonder what a person is capable of. We get both sides of the spectrum, hero and villain, both intelligent and capable, and both ripe for exploring humanity through the prism of. Obviously, Joe’s actions are heinous, but the show seeks to get into his head a bit. At the same time, Ryan has clearly taken almost all he can possibly take, but, somehow, he has to find a way to overcome his failings and be the man the public need him to be to protect them.

Ryan is starting a step behind, Joe, of course, not knowing the game is already afoot. But the chemistry between these leads is great, and surely the upper hand will go back and forth between them repeatedly over the run of the program.

What makes THE FOLLOWING even better than the typical series are the literary and artistic references. Edgar Allen Poe plays a huge role in influence, with a thumping heart beat even accompanying one scene in a brilliant way. Joe thinks that there is a beauty in the murders he commits, and while THE FOLLOWING will not glamorize or agree with Joe, we see the elements in his act that he attributes to the more noble pursuits.

In short, THE FOLLOWING works on many levels, and is extremely well put together in every category. It takes what FOX did with Prison Break and 24, testosterone-fueled dramas, and pumps it up with some braininess that elevates the game. This is a fascinating story with plenty of mystery and suspense. It should become a much-watch for many very quickly.

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