One may have thought the opening to “The Recused” was just another in a long line of gratuitous sex scenes on Californication, but according to Hank it was “naked poetry.”

When he playfully told Abby he hadn’t been fucked like that since he was an altar boy, I immediately called to mind Marla Singer from Fight Club when she remarked that she “hadn't been fucked like that since grade school.”

Yet another nice Shakespeare reference was made by Hank, this time from Othello, when he told Abby he was pretty sure she wasn’t his attorney while they “made the beast with two backs“ the previous night. This, of course, pertained to her ethical apprehension about being both Hank’s lawyer and lover. A dilemma she tried to fix by talking to her boss, Lloyd Allen Philips Jr. (Alan Dale).

I found it hard to believe Dale as a boring/dorky legal eagle after portraying so many cunning men of influence like Caleb Nichol on The OC and Charles Widmore on Lost.  The golf course scenes were great, though, from Hank asking for a “Houlihan” instead of a Mulligan to the eventual fight in the sand trap that invoked Bob Barker and Happy Gilmore. 

I half expected Hank to explode from joke overload when Lloyd told him about his anal fissure. No surprise when Hank’s Chin-occhio line didn’t raise a laugh from the stone faced Fissure King.

Karen was really upset with Hank when he showed up unannounced. A little too upset, I thought.  After all, he did show up with coffee in hand, a pretty nice gesture given Hank’s tendency to think of only himself. Just to keep things on the level, he had to ask Karen how she took it now with the emphasis on “black?”

Loved how cool Ben was as he took the cup of Joe from him and said “thanks brother.”  Karen still can’t help but laugh at Hank’s antics, like she did when he dropped the Poo-casso line. Hank also couldn’t help giving props to her new man after he learned Ben designs album covers. Ben took the higher ground and played referee between Hank and Karen, but the longer he lets Hank linger the harder it will be for Karen to move on. Something he very much would like to see happen.

Marci and Charlie had the Showtime people eating out of their hands by the end of meeting while TMI Stu attended to his IBS in the bathroom. Not every man has the stomach for the Marster, but we saw that despite the bad blood, Charlie still does. 

You could see the love he still has for her when he described his vision for her show as “a smart sophisticated woman looking for love in a city that doesn't place a whole lot of value on it.” Marci then, of course, showed why they were together for so long as she added as only she could that the show would also be “about pussy, about getting some, giving it away and keeping it clean."

As Stu and she went off to celebrate, all wasn’t lost for Charlie. Abby’s BBW secretary, Patti, indeed seemed DTF and determined to be #21. Charlie, however, seemed like he hoped Marci would be DTF soon. Down to forgive that is.

Abby was definitely down and falling for Hank, but the comment she made about wanting to see what he would still want after the trial was over showed that she wasn’t falling blindly. Hank agreed with her and showed the early signs of regret on his face.  I was glad to at least see an honest reaction out of him in this case.

The Queens of Dogtown played an unplugged version of Skid Row’s “I'll Remember You” as both Hank and Ben reached for one of Karen’s hands to hold. Hank hoped Karen would “remember yesterday” like the song said while Ben no doubt hoped for a chance at tomorrow with her. Karen appeared at a crossroads, not yet ready for a new relationship, but not at all looking to go back to Hank. Not for now at least.

With the apparent departure of Abby from Hank’s love life, it will be interesting to see who fills that void, or rather, whose void Hank will fill in the weeks ahead.  For now, though, fare thee well my dear Abby. Every time the wind whispers, I’ll remember you and write you love letters in the sand.