The ramifications of Hank’s actions are bringing the house down around him. With Karen back in town, and both she and Becca at odds with Hank, he’s on the outside once again, looking in at a life he continually screws up in hopes of brighter days.

Marci’s feeling low after her break-up with Rick Springfield, which also got Charlie fired from the agency. Despite firing him, Sue tries to convince Charlie to stay on as her boy toy, but Runkle isn’t down with being her plaything. He’s still in love with Marci, which he confesses to Hank in the bar. On the other hand, Hank is still convinced that despite the problems incurred with his multiple affairs while Karen was in New York, he’s still in the game and will win the war before it’s over.

He remembers a morning three years earlier when he passed out by the pool at Karen’s ex-fiance’s home, and she invited him inside for breakfast, even though she didn’t have to.

Hank finds a signed copy of one of his books in a bookstore, which he slips it down the back of his pants to steal. They run into Karen, Marci and Becca on the street. Charlie asks Marci to move to New York with the Moody’s, since he got fired and there is nothing left holding them there. Marci tells Charlie she’s done being his mommy, and before the ladies leave, Hank gives Becca the signed copy of his book.

In the liquor store, Hank sees a kid stealing and confronts him. The kid and his friend pull guns on Hank and Charlie, but while they are robbing them, the store owner comes out shooting, chasing the thugs off the premises and sparing Hank and Charlie’s lives. Sitting in the car, the two lament about the thoughts that went through their heads in the face of danger. Hank thought about Karen and Becca, and how awful it would have been to die with Runkle being the last person he kissed.

Becca asks Karen and Marci what she can expect as an adult, since the two of them sound so bitter about men and marriage. Karen says she wishes Hank didn’t need so much propping up, but Becca points out that Hank will never change. He’ll always be the fool he is, and if that isn’t what her mother wants, it’s up to her to walk away and end things.

Hank and Charlie wake up in the morning in the car after a long night of partying. Hank reminds Charlie that despite the fun they had, he needs to keep himself together because he’s a businessman. More than that, he’s a good friend. As they’re getting out of the car, they realize that sometime during the night’s mayhem, they wound up with tattoos.

Back at home, Hank shows Karen his tattoo, an anchor with her and Becca’s names. She says she’s not impressed, but as Hank is walking away, she asks him if he’s hungry and would like some breakfast, bringing things full-circle back to the conversation he had with Runkle in the bar.

With just two more episodes of Californication before the season wraps up, one can only wonder how much worse things could get for Hank. He’s been at rock bottom for a long time. Maybe it’s time things start looking up.