Before diving into The Tudors, then Californication I never really had much interest for anything Showtime. Possibly because I wasn’t subscribed to it, I only had HBO and Starz. Now that my parents changed providers to Verizon with their beautiful FiOS TV package, they opted for Showtime. Naturally, I threw my hands up in protest, because HBO is god in my book. So imagine my surprise when I decided to actually check out something Showtime offered. First up, was The Tudors.

The Tudors: Season One (A-)

I’ve always been a complete sucker for anything medieval, so I had my hopes up for The Tudors, and thankfully, it didn’t let me down. Basically The Tudors is about the reign of King Henry VIII, and his quest for anything that pleases him, much to the discomfort of everyone around him. Jonathan Rhys Meyers does a very good job at Henry VIII, he is a very cocky king, yet seems innocent at heart. He means well, but can never seem to do right. He is surrounded by people only looking out for themselves, ill-advising him to their advantage. Season 1 is mostly about Henry falling for one of the Queen’s maidens Anne Boleyn, and attempting to secure her as the Queen, claiming the marriage was never in good faith, and the fact that the Queen as unsuccessfully given Henry a Son. Maria Doyle Kennedy plays the Queen superbly, a pure example of the people’s Queen. Throughout the entire series, I couldn’t help but feel her pain, as her love for the King is pushed aside for a younger, “prettier” woman.

Full with deceit, betrayal and good old burning of the wicked, The Tudors is a overall great show, it has some quirks here and there, but they are so minor in my eyes that they aren’t worth mentioning.

Californication: Season One (A)

Californication to me is a smart, dirty, fun, sexy and a very enjoyable comedy. It’s about Hank Moody (David Duchovny), a troubled novelist whose move out to L.A. and a bad case of writer’s block severely complicate the relationship with once girlfriend Karen (Natascha McElhone – The Truman Show, Ronin) and daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin). I loved every single character in Californication; I can honestly say that, some more than others though. Besides Hank’s quick, without missing a beat come-backs, Becca is probably my favourite. She’s a 12 year old rock star wannabee, but quite possibly the smartest 12 year old character I’ve seen in a long time, in terms of being in touch with her feelings, being her Father’s voice, his conscience when he can’t find it himself. Again, as with The Tudors, you really feel for the characters. You feel Hanks pain, and his struggle, you feel Karen wanting to get back with him, but she’s just not sure if its the right thing, and you feel Becca’s longing hope that it all actually happens. The show also has a modern day answer to Lolita, which actually makes me want to jump into the show, and bitch slap the daughter of Karen’s new boyfriend, Mia (Madeline Zima – The Nanny).

The main reason that kept me from slapping the + to the A for its rating, is in the early episodes, like the first 3-4, Californication borderlines on a soft-core porn. I don’t mind watching a show where characters do what humans naturally do, and I know Hank is fucked up in his own way, but seriously, to me it shows a lack of writing ability. The last episode might throw some people off, because it makes you wonder if it actually happened, or if Hank was just day-dreaming as usual. I highly recommend this show to anyone, as long as you aren’t a super mega conservative.

~Vaughn