Californication Season 5 Final Recap & Review (5.12: Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be)

Hank arrives at Karen's house and Bates greets him at the door. He tells Bates that either he has to tell Karen about letting his sponsor give him a blow job of Hank will. Bates tells her he needs to be free and that their marriage is over, and surprisingly she is relieved. Before he leaves, Bates tells Hank and Karen their is still love between them, and that Hank needs to stop using his shenanigans as a way at keeping her at arms length because he is afraid. As soon as Bates leaves, they have sex.

In bed, Hank suggests they back their bags and leave, and Karen tells him than rather than always running, he should stay there in the house with her, and wait and see what happens.

Later Hank meets with Becca, and she tells him that he has to let her make her own mistakes, and that after Tyler apologised for his behaviour she forgave him, they made love, and are now engaged. Hank is violently sick upon hearing this, but Becca tells him that just because they're engaged, it doesn't been they'll be getting married anytime soon.

At Charlie's house, Marcie tells him that Lizzie quit, and that she knows about Stu and Lizzie. Charlie is relieved and tells her he was having a trouble keeping it a secret, but she didn't actually know and tricked him to see if it was true or not. Distraught, Marcie goes to confront Stu at the studio. Saying that she is too upset too drive, Charlie offers to take her.

Hank arrives at the studio to talk too Tyler, and Stu reveals that Tyler is missing, and that Samurai has locked himself in his trailer because he has a bug up his arse about Tyler. Hank goes to talk to Samurai in his trailer, and tells him that after offering Callie a part in the film that she told him she didn't love him, and that she slept with Tyler the previous night. He tells Hank, while waving a gun around, that he now has to kill Tyler, and Hank tells him he has to let it go. He convinces Samurai to come out of his trailer and continue filming, and Hank tells Tyler that he just saved his life and as reimbursement, he wants Tyler to resend his marriage proposal to Becca and leave her alone.

Filming resumes, but when Samurai sees Tyler flirting with Callie, he pulls a gun out on him. Hank intervenes telling Samurai that he'll have to shoot him first to get to Tyler, and that he also slept with Callie. Charlie and Marcie pull up, and as Samurai goes to fire the gun at Hank, Charlie jumps in front of it, and he is shot in the arm. Marcie grabs the gun out of Samurai's hand and pistol whips Stu, telling him he'll be hearing from her divorce attorney. Callie tells Samurai that him shooting someone for her is the most single romantic thing anyone has done for her, and the pair embrace. Karen rings Hank to confirm their dinner, and asks him to get some wine.

Hank returns to Charlie's house where he finds Carrie waiting for him. She tells him she lost her job and that she's been having difficulty finding one in L.A so she thought she'd look Hank up. He says he has to leave and she asks him what Karen has that she doesn't, and if Hank ever loved her. Hank refuses to sleep with her and agrees to one drink, which he sulks. Carrie stumbles, and reveals that she shouldn't be drinking while taking the anti-depressants she's on - since Hank dumped her. Hank tries to call an ambulance, and asks her to tell him how much she has taken, to which she replies that she's taken no more than him. As he falls on to the couch Carrie tells him it'll look like they we're in love with each other when they're found together, and Hank imagines running onto Karen's front lawn on a sunny day and embracing Karen and Becca before passing out.

This episode surprised me, obviously all of the secrets that have been developing season-long had to be revealed, but I was quite entertained by the way some of them were handled, not what I would have expected, which is always good. Of course Bates is gone so now Karen and Hank can be together. Honestly, I'm no longer invested in their relationship, Karen should know better. As much as I hate Tyler, I think he plays against Hank quite well, and their scenes together are always interesting, and I like how he is compared and contrasted with a young Hank. I think he'll be back next season, there's no way he'd listen to Hank. It looks like Stu might be done for too, wish I don't know how I feel about, if Hank and Karen and Charlie and Marcie get back together it is going to make me appreiate the seasons in which they had other temporary partners less and less. I doubt Lizzie will be around much longer, and I don't expect to see Samauri or Callie again. But then there's Carrie, hopefully she dies, because to be honest, I was annoyed when she showed up earlier this season as the crazy girlfriend, and was surprise she was written out so quickly, but I guess I shouldn't have spoken so soon... Oh well, she certainly provided one hell of a cliffhanger.
Rating: 3.5/5