Californication - Season 2 [DVD]

undefined

Product Description ------------------- All 12 episodes from the second season of the popular US adult comedy drama series starring David Duchovny as Hank Moody, a successful author who struggles to maintain his career, his relationship with his daughter, Becca (Madeleine Martin), and ex-girlfriend, Karen (Natascha McElhone), as well as his appetite for drinking and beautiful women. Episodes comprise: 'Slip of the Tongue', 'The Great Ashby', 'No Way to Treat a Lady', 'The Raw and the Cooked', 'Vaginatown', 'Coke Dick and First Kick', 'In a Lonely Place', 'Going Down and Out in Beverly Hills', 'La Ronde', 'In Utero', 'Blues from Laurel Canyon' and 'La Petite Mort'. .co.uk Review ------------- If your perception of David Duchovny is entirely gleamed from his stint on The X-Files, then it’s fair to say that Californication might prove to be something of a shock. Far more in line with the actor’s grounding in more comedic (and slightly more raunchy) productions, Duchovny plays writer Hank Moody, a man surrounded by drink, drugs, sex and a multitude of problems. Moody is constantly battling against writers’ block, as well as trying to keep his daughter and ex-girlfriend content. But Californication’s second season tones down the comedy elements that helped define the first so well, in favour of taking a slightly more serious look at the chaos that surrounds Moody. That’s not to say it surrenders its laughs--far from it, in fact--just that it’s less laugh out loud funny than first time around. But there are still many, many strong moments to Californication’s second run, and while there are inevitably those who favour the tone of the first, by end of season two the subtle changes are paying dividends. You do have to cut the show some slack with some of its more obvious narrative devices, but Californication ultimately lives and dies on the strengths of its characters, and Duchovny has found a terrific use for his talents with Hank Moody. Where will the show go with season three? A good question, that will be answered in due course, no doubt. For now, you can’t accuse Californication of taking a safe option, and its second season is a fine piece of television. --Jon Foster