Last night was the series finale of Californication. Seven years of constant entertainment, ridiculous sex scenes, provocative jokes, and a love story for the ages. The tale of our favourite “rock star” Hank Moody has finally come to an end, but is it the end we all hoped for?
On last week’s episode, Hank was dealt some surprising and unsettling news that Becca is getting married. Hank reacted like the child that he is and told her that he couldn’t support her in good conscious, and she was crazy for deciding to get married this young. This led to a minor falling out with his daughter, which slightly derailed his plans to try and woo back Karen.
The finale starts with Hank and Becca on one of their old familiar walks along the creek, where they chat about marriage, and Becca says that she’s decided not to get married because she knows every relationship she enters is doomed because of her father’s track record. She then launches herself from the bridge into the water. Thank god for Hank, he immediately wakes up and realizes it was all a bad nightmare. Charlie is there at the foot of his bed and can’t sleep because Marcy is due to sleep with Stu tomorrow. The two men then drift off to sleep together, cuddling and comforting one another
The next day Hank goes to talk to Becca but finds out from Karen that she’s already left for New York to get ready for the wedding. Hank can’t believe that she’s actually going through with this and it’s not some sort of sick joke. Karen tells Hank that she’s leaving for New York that evening as well and she will keep Hank posted on the wedding details when she gets there. His phone ringing interrupts Hank, which is Julia telling him that Levon has been arrested.
Charlie see his wife Marcy looking all hot and dressed up right before she leaves for Stu’s to sign her private parts away for the lofty price of one million dollars. Marcy is disturbed that Charlie is seeing her like this, but Charlie still continues to try and convince her not to do it. Marcy then heads out the door and leaves Runkle to sputter in his own frustration. Hank meets Julia and Levon at the jail where Levon has been arrested for toying around with hookers on the street again. This leads Hank to take Levon under his wing to help him get an actual girl, instead of having to rely on hookers to get laid. They head to the bar to grab a drink where Hank wants to talk to his son and teach him about the value of meeting a quality girl that you actually like, somebody that you enjoy talking to as well as having sex with. They then spot Tara, a girl from Levon’s school over playing pool. Levon goes to talk to her and fumbles all over his words, but still manages to get Tara to agree to have a drink with him. Hank gives his son money, wishes him luck, and tells Levon to call him later.
Hank goes back to see Julia and tells her that Levon is going to be okay, he’s talking with an actual girl. He then tells her to wear one of her nicest dresses tonight for dinner, as he’s going to do it right and take her on an actual date. Hank then arrives at the Runkle’s place, where Charlie and Krawl are seen with two women, Hope and Love. Krawl is having sex on the couch in the middle of the living room when Hank walks in, while Charlie is lying in bed with the other girl. Hank thinks that Charlie has had sex with a strange woman and ruined the purity of his marriage, but Runkle insists that he couldn’t even get it up. For that reason, he didn’t do anything of that sort. Hank convinces Runkle to go get his wife before it’s too late and Stu and his massive horse dick defile his wife.
At Stu’s place, he and Marcy have been doing everything BUT have sex all day. Marcy has not been able to bring herself to actually go through with it so far. She then comes across Stu’s creepy sex doll replica of her and starts to freak out. Stu’s creepiness has hit an overload and she can’t go through with the deal anymore. Right then Charlie comes barging into the room to save the day, where he wacks Stu across his side with a gold trophy. He rushes Marcy through the house, where he threatens to sue Stu and that they’re going to keep the money. Stu finally agrees to let the Runkles keep the one million dollars since he has completely toyed with their marriage.
Now the finale really starts to take mold as the ending draws near. Julia is pictured sitting lonely at a restaurant table waiting for her knight to show up. Only the knight that ends up showing up is Santa Monica Cop show runner, Rick Rath. Who was clearly set-up by Hank to have dinner with Julia. The two decide to stay and have dinner together. Hank is pictured in his car near the airport trying to find the right words to piece together his true feelings for Karen. He then tries to start his car, but realizes the battery has died. He flees from his vehicle and chases off in pursuit of his true love.
The next scene sees Hank boarding the flight that Karen is on for New York. He tries to switch seats with the lady sitting beside Karen who won’t budge. Hank then brings out the note that he wrote for Karen. She doesn’t want to read it so Hank gets the whole plane’s attention and decides to read it out loud. Here we have another one of the infamous Hank Moody moments where all his childish behaviour fades away for a moment and we see the true romantic that Hank is, the poet who always has the right words to say exactly what he means and how he feels. Karen can’t help but be a deer in the headlights for Hank’s words as they always have had a power over her. The woman sitting beside Karen then offers up her seat to Hank.
The finale closing sees Hank and Karen sitting beside each other on that flight. Hank says, “Baby, till the wheels come up and we take off”, they then stare into each other’s eyes adoringly and grab hold of each other’s hand. Then we see a long montage of past moments on the show, of times with Hank and Karen, as well as Charlie and Marcy. The series then concludes as Hank and Karen kiss. In the words of Hank Moody, “I’m a writer, so I’m a sucker for happy endings. Boy gets girl, screen fades to f*cking black.”
It’s been a wild ride for Californication fans. While there has been no shortage of insane moments through the seven years on the show, at the core it has always been a story about true love and what if you get it right the first time. It seems that Hank and Karen finally found each other in the end and left our hearts happy and content. Our beloved Hank Moody, the proverbial delightful screw-up, seems to have gotten the happy ending most writers can only write about. And for Californication lovers, it’s probably the ending we all hoped for as well.
Jamie,
I think the correct line in the final scene was “baby until the wheels fall offf, until they fall off”. Not “till the wheels come up and we take off”.