By Curt Schleier

Poor Hank Moody (David Duchovny).  As CALIFORNCATION’S excellent first season comes to a close – this is the penultimate episode (and I mention that only because I like to use the word “penultimate” every chance I get) -- Hank is back in the doldrums. 

To start with, 16-year-old Mia (Madeline Zima) has the only copy of his new book – and she’s claiming she wrote it.  (He lost the original in a carjacking.)  Mia’s agent Dani (Rachel Miner) loves the book and so do the publishers she’s offered it to.  It’s about a 16-year-old girl who has an affair with an older writer.

Nothing Hank says convinces Mia to tell the truth.  He can’t push too hard, because he is in fact the older writer and Mia is the very mature looking 16-year-old on which the novel is based.  That he didn’t know she was 16 and that she came on to him doesn’t matter.  What matters is that he doesn’t want to get arrested.  And he doesn’t want his former girl friend Karen (Natascha) to find out.  Karen is currently engaged to Bill (Damian Young), who also happens to be Mia’s father.

Which brings about another complication.  Hank still loves Karen.  She probably still loves him, but is going through with the wedding anyway – or at least so it seems.  This speeds up Hank’s downward spiral, something their super bright daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin) senses.


So she tells Karen she wants to live with Hank – angering Karen (who blames Hank for this) and increasing her resolve to marry Bill.  If you haven’t been watching the show, this may sound a bit confusing. But, remember, this is the penultimate episode.  It would be like ignoring the first 22 hours of 24 and tuning in for the first time on the 23rd – or penultimate – episode.  If that’s the case, go to Showtime on Demand and view earlier installments.  Or if that’s not possible, wait for the DVD.  This show is that good.

What happens next?  Hank’s agent Charlie (Evan Handler) finally reads the manuscript and recognizes his client’s work.  But previews for this week’s episode show Karen in a wedding gown.  Will she get married?  Gosh I hope not.  It will ruin next season for me.