The Last Waltz (Californication)

"The Last Waltz" is the twelfth episode and first season finale of the Showtime original series Californication. It was written by Tom Kapinos, directed by Scott Winant and originally aired on Monday October 29, 2007.

Plot

The episode opens with Bill and Karen's wedding. After causing a scene and in the ensuing chaos falling off a cliff, Hank falls into his bed and sits bolt upright. Next to him is Karen. He then wakes up again to his daughter Becca shaking him awake to go to Karen's wedding. Shortly before they leave, Becca reveals that she is having her first period. When they get to the store to get tampons, the last box is being grabbed by a middle aged woman. Hank demands the tampons, and the woman refuses. When her husband gets involved, Hank begins to fight with him over the tampons, with the wife eventually coming to the realization that Hank is not the one who actually wants the tampons. After the woman shows Becca how to use them, Hank and Becca go to the wedding.

In the meantime, Bill tells his daughter Mia that he will not allow her book to be published due to the "national climate", to protect his reputation. While Mia gets drunk as a result, Marci and Karen are talking, and Karen reveals that she slept with Hank. A stoned Marci then rushes out to meet Hank and hurry Becca into the wedding as her husband arrives. Hank and Karen share an exchange in which Karen expresses regret for the current situation and Hank gives his blessings on the wedding.

After the wedding has begun and the minister has delivered the oft interrupted phrase of "speak now or forever hold your peace," Bill looks at Hank, only to see a very obviously drunken Mia stand up. While she is berating the two for getting married, Hank stands up to try and remove her, but she reveals her illicit one night stand with Hank. Bill is noticeably upset and knocks Hank into the audience. After taking a look at Becca, Mia lies and says she made the whole thing up.

Later, at the reception, Mia reveals to Hank that Bill will in fact publish her book. Mia also reveals that she had in fact lost her virginity to Hank (though her being a pathological liar makes this reveal questionable) and that is why she has been so vindictive to him. Marci and Charlie reconcile, they are seen having sex behind the house. Hank catches Becca kissing a boy, and tells her he will wait in the car. When they get there and are about to drive away, Karen runs towards them screaming. She jumps into the back of the car and tells Hank to drive away before she changes her mind. As Bill chases after her, Hank eludes him, and the scene fades to black on a still shot of the reunited family as they drive off into the California night.

Cultural references

• Hank catches a glimpse of Charlie and his wife having sex inside the house and quietly comments, "Now that's what I call fucking, Runkle." The line as well as the camera shot in which they are discovered are both references to the Warren Beatty film Shampoo.
• In this episode, Marcy calls Becca a "Lilliputian" - this is a reference to the race of humans that are 1/12 the size of a normal man in Johnathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.
• "The Last Waltz," is also the title of The Band's farewell concert in 1976 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The title was also used for a triple vinyl album soundtrack to the concert released in 1978. In addition, "The Last Waltz" was a 1967 hit song by Engelbert Humperdinck and is the title of a Viennese operetta that opened in 1920.
• The song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones is played in the closing credits as they drive away. The song was also played at the opening of the first episode of the season as well as the last episode of season 4 later on.
• A cover of Warren Zevon's song "Reconsider Me" by Steve Earle and Reckless Kelly can be heard.
• Becca sings Only Women Bleed by Alice Cooper at the wedding reception.
• After Hank catches Becca kissing the boy after the wedding ceremony, he tells the boy "Check yo self before you wrickity-wreck yo self." A lyric from The Ice Cube song "Check Yourself."
• Hank refers to Becca's new date as "Captain Fantastic" shortly after "High Flying Bird" by Elton John is played, referencing his album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.

External links

"The Last Waltz (Californication)" at the Internet Movie Database