Watching Showtime

The second episode of this black comedy has officially won me over. From flashbacks to happier times with Karen and Becca to blog posting at the Mac store, Hank is starting to grow on me and I’m happy to report I loved this episode!

Despite his best efforts to win Karen back, Hank is invited (by Becca really) to a dinner party at Karen and Bill’s house where she’s fixed him up with another woman. He accepts the invite before realizing he’s being set up, and while biding his time for the party to start, finally agrees to take a meeting about blogging for Hell-A Magazine. The person he’s meeting? A hottie Brit who hits on Hank mercilessly, despite being in a relationship. (Why do these women find his washed-up, greasy hair and clothes attractive?)

After the painful meeting, Hank hooks up with the girl who was in the car next to him at the very beginning of the episode. Freak nasty should be her name, because she wants Hank to critique everything from her titties to her lips (not the ones on her face) and then offers to give him head while her young daughter is crying from the other room. AND she’s in porn. Welcome to LA everyone. Hank takes off (because apparently some things are even too much for him?), but not before grabbing one of her videos. Classy.

attempting to blog for Hell-A proves too much for Hank’s old laptop, and so he heads off to the mall (presumably to buy a new one). “Hank Hates You All.” becomes the title of his first blog post, and solidifying his super-classy attitude, he writes it on one of the Mac store computers before leaving empty-handed.

Heading over for the barbecue, Hank runs into Mia, and she throws out the “statutory rape” phrase! She rivals Hank for class factor, because she knew who he was and his connection to her family when she hooked up with him. I’m just waiting for that connection to become even more important than it already is. Sonya, the woman Hank is being set up with, keeps asking SUPER appropriate questions at the dinner table, like how Hank and Karen met, and to break the tension she and Hank scamper off to get stoned. And have sex in Karen’s bed. And then throw up everywhere. Awesome.

The one shining moment in the episode was Becca telling Hank she wants he and Karen to get back together, that she misses her family. If that’s not a reason to get your shit together, I don’t know what is. Because even if he and Karen don’t get back together, he needs to be able to get along with his ex.

Bombshell of the episode (because you know there’s got to be one)? Hank finds out (from Mia, natch) that the magazine he’s now blogging for is owned by Bill. Karen’s new man. Holy, holy crap!!!!!

Showtime, Californication, Hank Moody, David Duchovny, Karen, Natascha McElhone, Becca, Madeline Martin, Mia, Madeline Zima, Charlie, Evan Handler

To catch up with older episodes:
season one, episode one