Californiacation has been hyper aware of hipness throughout its three seasons. To maintain an image of current coolness, though, the series occasionally delves into some territory that doesn’t seem to maintain a singular bent to the show or any sort of sensible decisions on the part of the characters. Of course, Hank Moody has been concocted to represent some romanticized version of what a novelist is and or should be. But the fact that his character and its trajectory seem to change from episode to episode – or even in the middle of one – is kinda bothersome.

As a side, David Duchovny, who portrays Moody, is getting more and more haggard of late. So while George Clooney has benefited from years and the onset of rugged good looks, the former X Files star doesn’t look to be headed in the same direction. But who knows, maybe it’s just for the character. Yeah, that’s what we’ll chalk it up to.

Anyway, this latest episode entitled “Dogtown,” which may or may not reference the skaters from the So Cal area, finds the cast of characters in a ramshackle disarray of plots, life and rhythms.

Runkle gets canned, which isn’t too surprising. But what is, is the fact that his boss, as portrayed by Kathleen Turner, still wants to knock them boots. It seems highly unlikely, but considering her character has become one of the consistent portions of the show she’s probably not going to simply disappear into the ether.

After last weeks disconcerting family problems, Moody finds himself in the mood to blow off some steam with his newly unemployed friend. But since the writer has repeatedly professed his intention to change the way he lives to the mother of his child, the concept of running around Los Angeles and boozing it up shouldn’t be the next logical step. That’s what happens, though.

And in the show’s endless pursuit of creating something akin to subtle and unassuming coolness, Moody smacks one on Runkle’s lips like a lover and starts a bar fight with a guy that’s got him by nearly half a foot. Even if the altercation was rendered in realistic terms, the situation still comes off as Showtime working really hard to craft an edgy show, but only being able to figure out how to create tired scenarios.

Subsequent to the brawl, the disasterly duo head to a bookstore while swigging a flask. It appears to be a reasonable situation for a writer to enter into, but as Moody proceeds to rip off a first edition copy of his own book – which has a one hundred dollar price tag affixed – and then a printing of some scribe he has only contempt for, viewers should wonder why any of this is happening other than to pad out the show.

As the procession of stores whizz by while the drunken partners ramble about, there’s some brush with death in a liquor store and contemplation of mortality. Boss. Each disparate setting possesses a few interesting and heavy moments, but stringing them all together doesn’t actually make for a proper show. “Dogtown” almost works as a series of vignettes as it maintains the same characters throughout.