Episode 101 - Pilot
20 October 2010
Review
Californication - 101 - Pilot
Another show I am very late in seeing. The combination of sex and comedy was quite the draw but I found neither to be that interesting here. If the show were new I would certainly watch some more but it may be a while before I do.
The attempts at comedy were mostly Duchovny being sarcastic or bitter, which were fine as entertainment but not funny. The sex was mainly Duchovny getting a lot of sex without much effort which certainly doesn't make him a very sympathetic central character.
But it was neither of these aspects of the show that bothered me as much as the acting. Duchovny seemed far too laid back throughout. This seemed to infect him when he was assaulting an irritating guy in the cinema and even when trying to reclaim his ex in her kitchen. In both scenes I was left wondering if he really knew who his character was yet. The chemistry between him and his ex Karen was difficult to buy into too. The script called for some desperation from Hank but it was awkward when it came. She on the other hand didn't do a great job of playing the conflict between wanting him and her fear that they would be no good together. Considering she is engaged to another man her lack of resistance to Hank's advances made her seem a bit flimsy.
If anyone wants to recommend really good episodes for me to check out please do. Otherwise it may be a while before I revisit this show.
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