Some television shows can be sexy, some can be vulgar/obscene, and others can be both – then there was Californication. The show with sex written right into the title managed to push the boundaries for both categories of shows as lust and love were the driving force behind the entire series.
Despite not being as appreciated as much lately as it was during the time of its airing, the show centered around a writer in Los Angeles essentially sleeping his way through every woman in Hollywood while trying to make things work with the love of his life remains a glistening reminder that lust never equals love. That said, the characters of the series certainly thought otherwise, and whichever one is your favorite could say more about you than you realize.
Richard Bates
While not quite a main character (though he could certainly make a case) Richard Bates was a former professor/old-flame of Karen’s from when she was in college who ultimately ends up marrying Karen in season 5. However, the two break up again when Richard gives into his alcoholism and starts living life freely.
If Richard is your favorite character, chances are you’re a bit on the eccentric side and tend to take your good times a little too far. Nevertheless, you could also be a highly spiritual and enlightened person who simply looks past material gains and strives for the long-lost answers of life.
Mia Lewis
Hank can only blame himself for being such a womanizer, however, it certainly wasn’t his fault when a 16-year-old Mia (whom he didn’t know was 16) coaxed him into consensual sex. The following events took several seasons to play out, but the sex eventually led to Hank writing a book about the experience… which Mia stole, sold, and eventually turned into a movie.
If Mia is your favorite character, hopefully, it’s just because she was the one who helped Hank finally break out of his writer’s block, because otherwise, her character didn’t have many qualities that one would want to emulate.
Stu Beggs
If you live in Hollywood and you work as a writer, you’re gonna have to work with producers – enter Stu Beggs. Arriving in season 4, Stu starts out as the main producer for the movie about Hank’s sexual experience with Mia and eventually becomes a major member of the cast when he marries Marcy.
If Stu happens to be your favorite character, perhaps you’re a person who loves a fresh take on things, appreciating when something new comes along, and having the ability to recognize when you’ve met somebody that seemingly fits right into the puzzle of your life.
Becca Moody
Becca may have started the show as a little kid, often being the voice of reason for her father and, ironically, being the only grown up in the show who would call him on his behavior. However, after seven seasons, the little girl grew up herself and became just as sexually active (and reckless) as her parents, often falling in and out of love with one guy after another.
If Becca is your favorite character, perhaps you’re a person who appreciated the wisdom of her childhood, while simultaneously acknowledging/appreciating that even she had trouble following her own advice once she became an adult.
Marcy Runkle
Everybody needs a best friend in life, and for Karen, that best friend was Marcy, the wife to Charlie and the feisty little hot-head who quite often was the voice of truth in situations where nobody else would speak up. Despite her rocky relationship with Runkle, she eventually ends back up with Charlie simply because she realizes how much he genuinely loves her (despite his terrible way of showing it).
If Marcy is your favorite character, then you might be a person who seems kind and timid upon first glance, but in actuality, you’re quite spunky and more than capable of handling yourself, even if that means eventually finding yourself back where you started.
Charlie Runkle
Runkle was the long-time best-friend/agent to Hank who spent nearly all of his time complaining about Hank not writing anything new or trying to sell something that Hank would eventually write. Quite the sexual deviant himself, Runkle causes himself scores of marital problems due to not being able to keep it in his pants, but ultimately is able to make Marcy realize how much he truly loves her.
If Runkle is your favorite character, you could be a person who is a steadfast friend and will always do everything you can to pick up the people in your life when they’re down, despite possibly not always doing so great yourself.
Karen
Hank may have spent the entire series bedding as many women as possible, yet the string that always kept pulling him back to his heart was ultimately attached to Karen, the mother of his daughter and the love of his life. Karen, however, is fully aware of how Hank can be and does everything she can to get as far away from him as she can – only to find herself always crawling back to him.
If Karen is your favorite character, perhaps you can relate to having somebody in your life whom you simply “can’t quit” regardless of how toxic they may be. That said, you might also be a person with enough patience and understanding to look past certain imperfections.
Hank Moody
The man behind the words. As stated, Hank was a writer who had spent the majority of his life seemingly trying to sleep with as many women as he could, while simultaneously claiming to still be in love with Karen and want to make his little family work. However, actions speak louder than words (even for a writer) and Hank continuously degraded himself by being as sleazy as possible. Luckily (because the series had to end sometime) he admits to all his past wrongs and he and Karen fly off into the sunset.
If Hank is your favorite character, you might be a person who easily falls prey to pretty words and sentences, unfortunately causing you to make some questionable life choices. But fear not, for you might just also be a person who is so full of love that you feel the need to share it with as many people as will take it.
