Ep 10. The Trial

After a tumultuous and sexually-charged rollercoaster ride of a season, season 4 of Californication culminates in episode 10, "The Trial."

Hank, the show's protagonist played by David Duchovny, finds himself in an even stickier situation than usual: he's facing prison time for statutory rape, stemming from an encounter with a 16-year-old girl earlier in the season. Of course, anyone who's familiar with Hank's track record with women knows that this is just the latest in a long list of questionable decisions he's made in that arena.

The episode opens with Hank and his lawyer, Abby (played by Carla Gugino), prepping for his trial. Abby is the perfect representation of Hank's id — quick-witted, sex-positive, and always ready with a glass of whiskey or a snarky one-liner. She reminds Hank that his best bet is to be honest on the stand, and to beg for mercy from the judge.

Meanwhile, Karen (played by Natascha McElhone), Hank's on-again-off-again girlfriend and mother of his child, is dealing with the fallout from his arrest by throwing herself into work. She's taken on a new project with an eccentric director named Sasha Bingham (played by Addison Timlin), who turns out to be a sexually aggressive wild card — much like Hank himself. Karen's struggles to balance work, motherhood, and her complicated feelings for Hank are a highlight of the season, and this episode is no exception.

Throughout "The Trial," the audience is given glimpses of flashbacks to Hank's interactions with the young woman he's been accused of assaulting. These flashbacks are presented in a dreamlike state, skewing our understanding of what really happened, and emphasizing the show's overall theme of blurred lines between reality and fantasy. Hank is forced to confront his own flawed sense of morality, as well as the consequences of his choices.

The trial itself is a tense affair, with Hank taking the stand to try and set the record straight. But as his testimony rambles on and Abby's attempts at damage control fall flat, it becomes clear that Hank is digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole. The prosecuting attorney (played by Allison McAtee) seems to relish each new piece of evidence she presents, and it's unclear whether the jury will believe Hank's version of events.

As the episode approaches its climax, Hank's personal relationships are put to the test. Karen has to decide how much she can forgive of Hank's behavior, while their daughter Becca (played by Madeleine Martin) struggles to come to terms with what her father has done. The tension between Hank and Charlie (played by Evan Handler), his longtime friend and agent, also comes to a head — their bromance strained as a result of Hank's actions.

The episode ends with a surprise twist that sets up the next season's overarching storyline. It's a bold move for the show's writers, but it makes sense given the series' penchant for unpredictability. All in all, "The Trial" is a fitting finale for a season that's been nothing if not dramatic, and sets the stage for even more chaos in the episodes to come.