Californication: An Exceptional and Important Television Show

Earlier this year, when I read about the premise for Showtime’s new series, Californication, I got a sinking feeling. Girlfriend of ibiteyoureyes (who informed me yesterday that she’d rather I start referring to her again as shepicksyournose, because “it’s funny and I do pick your nose”) watched the pilot episode of this “show about a writer,” starring David Duchovny in his first TV role since The X-Files, and liked it pretty well. But she warned me about watching it for myself.

“I feel like you might get kind of sensitive about how they treat the character,” she said. “He’s definitely a writer, all the stereotypes are there, but I don’t know if you’ll like it…then again…why else would they be stereotypes?” A teasing description of how many of the stereotypes fit onto my back probably followed, after which I probably bit her chest-eyes.

Anyway! After heeding her warning for a while, I caved. There’s just not much else out there worth watching, and Showtime and HBO have each proven themselves as surer bets in the search for eye-safe television. And, lo and behold, shepicksyournose was right. I did get kind of sensitive. In all the right ways.