Netflix Pick Of The Week: Californication, Season One

Let me put this out there: I love Netflix like it’s a part of my family. My film and television consumption has increased ten-fold (maybe even into astronomical territory) since I began subscribing to it over two years ago. Therefore, it would be a disservice on my part to not share with you the beautiful bounty that is Netflix. Each week, I’ll pick something that has caught my eye and share it with you. Am I paid by Netflix to promote its product? No, but if you have Netflix yourself, you’ll know why I want to talk about it.

This week: Californication, Season One

David Duchovny stars as Hank Moody, an author who isn’t doing a whole lot of writing these days. His mid-life crisis is in full swing and it affects all those around him, whether it is one of the seemingly hundreds of random women he beds or his own family. Duchovny is presented with the task of making an audience care for an asshole, and his performance goes well beyond just that. Moody is complex but never straying from his ultimately narcissistic tendencies, which makes for a myriad of great situations.

The real winner here, though, is the writing of the show itself. Hip vulgarity has been done before, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it and Californication provides some of the best one-liners and quips that I’ve heard in a while.

This is another example of the exceptional television that is taking place on networks like Showtime, Starz, and, as always, HBO. Not everyone gets these channels and is thus forced to endure the banality of big network television, so Netflix’s ability to carry these shows is a real life-saver. Even better, this first season is available on the Watch Instantly feature that Netflix has, which allows viewers to watch certain movies and TV shows straight from one’s computer.