The REAL ending of this show... happened four years ago.

In a perfect world, Californication should have ended after its fourth season.

I rewatched the finale of S4 and it felt more than ever like a perfect closure to both the story, and the character of Hank Moody.

Season 3 was when the show first started to show signs of becoming a formulaic comedy (with 'muthafvkka' type catchphrases, cheap sex jokes, and Hank's sudden ability to immediately sleep with any woman he meets), but by the end of S3, the finale re-introduced the Mia storyline, and the Rocket Man finale of S3 was one of the best moments of the show for me.

S4 as such brought everything full circle, as it dealt with Hank going to trial and having to face his demons so to speak.

The end of S4 was beautiful. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" played as Hank visited the film set recreation of his memoirs. Everything about this moment was a callback to season one, and it just felt right. Hank is kind of moving on from Karen, but not really, as he sees her face in the actress of the show; it leaves it kind of open-ended that he's still got immense feelings for her and will get back together with her. The way he explains his love for Karen to the actress playing her ("I don't know. I don't think I've ever known. I think sometimes you get it right the first time, and then it defines your life. It becomes who you are") was way more poetic and Hank Moody-esque than the lame letter he write in the S7 finale. I loved how they had cameo appearances from all the season regulars (he sees Mia's and Becca's faces in the faces of the actors; Runkle and Eddie Nero show up on the set). It felt like everything had come full circle, and it ended with him driving off into the sunset in his Porsche with the same song that opened the first season playing into the credits.

Everything since then has been utter rubbish. Seasons five, six and seven were embarrassingly awful and the series finale was disappointing to say the least. For me, the real finale will always be the last episode of Season 4.

If you've forgotten how poignant and well-done it was, I urge you to go revisit it, and it will help wash away the awful taste of last Sunday's finale. That, for me, is the appropriate farewell to Hank Moody.

W.W.G.D.
What Would Gibson Do?