TV Show Review

TV Review: CALIFORNICATION: Season 6, Episode 1: The Unforgiven

David Duchovny Natalie Zea Californication The Unforgiven

Californication The Unforgiven Review. Californication: Season 6, Episode 1: The Unforgiven returned the show to its emotional roots. Californication sometimes loses itself in plot devices and season themes as it did last season (the weakest of all the previous seasons). With this episode of Californication, the show was brought back down to earth.

It is no spoiler to say that the main character in this TV show survived the “ordeal” that brought him to the brink of death at the end of season 5. Real life took hold of Hank Moody (David Duchovny) at the outset of the episode. The show’s comedic aspects were placed on the sideline. Hank was quickly hit by a emotional one-two punch that shook him out of his perpetual laconic state and it was good to see, both for the show and for his personal growth.

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Because Hank Moody was emotionally immature, he sought solace in any drug he could get his hands on or his lips around. Like Vincent Chase in Season 7 of Entourage, this began his descent down a rabbit hole (semi-hilarious in Hank’s case) that could only have two outcomes: death or rehabilitation.

When Hank’s drunken delirium brought him into the bed of a nine-year-old boy, it was comedy gold (“I think you’ll find it’s all there”). The dream/guilt sequences on the other hand were hit or miss.

Atticus Fetch (Tim Minchin) was a much better character when he wasn’t high and was played as a great musician than when he was the super-animated, drug-ailed rock God. He was easier to relate to when he was the former.

Becka Moody (Madeleine Martin) being the one that eventually got through to Hank was sincere and very appropriate as she is probably the single most important human being on the planet to him next to Karen van der Beek (Natascha McElhone). It would benefit the show if Becka’s role in it were enlarged.

The Unforgiven ended with a new chapter in Hank’s life beginning, a beginning that will introduce him to people he might not have normally met and people at a similar low point in their lives. This was both a sad moment before the credits and an optimistic one.

For more Californication reviews, videos, photos, and information, visit our Californication Page.

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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