Plot: What’s it about?
Hank Moody (David Duchovny) worked hard to win back the affections of his ex Karen (Natascha McElhone), but now that he has, what will life have in store? After all, Hank tends to engage in some promiscuous behavior, so now that Karen is his woman again, will he curb his appetites? As Hank struggles with not only his sexual desires, but his anger over his stolen manuscript and demons from his past, Karen never hesitates to remind him that maybe this wasn’t a good decision. Throw in copious amounts of alcohol and some recreational narcotics, and Hank has ample temptation to deal with. Can Hank be the man that Karen wants, or is he destined to lose her once again?
The first season of Californication was good, not great, but it showed some promise. The season ended with a big finish that gave the second season plenty of room to expand. But…instead the show stagnates and takes several steps backwards. The writers fail to capitalize on the first season’s promise, content to just roll out random sexual situations and little else. This season does get a minor foothold about halfway in, but even then, the spark just isn’t there. The cast is fine, but without good material, the performances suffer and minimal development is unrolled. I wanted this second season to be great, as the first season held so much potential, but sadly Californication: The Second Season is a disappointment. As if the show’s drop off wasn’t enough, Paramount has done little with this release to warrant attention.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. I watched the show on Showtime HD before the DVD release, so of course, there was a decrease in visual quality here. But for DVD, this looks good and has few concerns. The image is clean and clear, with no compression issues or what not to contend with. The colors look bright and bold, while contrast performs well and is always consistent. Not a dazzling presentation, but it is above average for sure.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not much to talk about here, as aside from a few episodes that have some action, the audio is rather limited here. But for what the show is, the soundtrack can often be quite active, though in a smaller scope. I had no problems hearing the dialogue at any time, as vocals were clean and crisp with no volume issues in the least. The music and sound effects manage to create a decent enough atmosphere, which is welcome in a show such as this. Not bad at all.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A couple of brief featurettes are all we get of substance, in addition to some still photos and cast bios.
