We meet 30ish year old Hank Moody in a church asking God to help him get his life back on track. He is then distracted by a hot nun. Moody also has to interact with ex-wife Karen who might still love him. With her, they share the custody of their 12 year old daughter Becca who is wise beyond her years but is starting to have a sex life, which freaks out both of her parents.
Becca invites Hank to her Mom and Bill's house for a dinner party with some mutual friends. After he arrives, however, he realizes that Karen has planned a little setup for Hank with a scientologist friend of hers, which doesn't thrill Hank all that much. But, Hank gets a nice laugh out of it after the rest of the party people walk in on him and Sonja in the bedroom. Hank also gets a little news about the job he recently accepted.
After reuniting at the end of Season One, Hank and Karen decide to pack up and head to New York. As part of the reconciliation, Hank undergoes a grueling vasectomy at Karen's request. Hank has an accident when he confuses a partygoer for Karen. Hank gets arrested for driving under the influence and assaulting an officer.
In order to distract Hank from his heartbreak, Ashby arranges a sex session with popular, yet incredibly annoying, celebrity chef, Chloe Metz. Charlie takes on a new client who’s eager to land the lead in a porn film called Vaginatown. Charlie meets with the film’s director and secures her the part, but only after investing $100,000 of his own savings.
Hank has the apartment all to his bad self when Becca visits Karen in New York. Hank's old buddy from Long Island pays a visit. Hank shows him an epic time. Hank and his talented pupil Jackie take their student / teacher relationship to the next level. Charlie and Marcy are finally hitting the sheets again.
Karen hatches a plan to move the family back to New York for good. Hank's mighty pleased, but Becca's crestfallen about leaving her new best friend, Chelsea. After inviting herself to Hank's class, Karen meets the comely ladies of the university: T.A. Jill Robinson and sexpot student Jackie. Later on, tempers flare when Becca and Chelsea get into some serious trouble and Hank and Karen are forced to pay a tense visit to Chelsea's parents, Felicia and Stacy Koons. Charlie is crushed when Marcy loudly consummates her girlhood-crush on Rick Springfield. But Sue Collini thinks up a creative way to restore Charlie's confidence.
Hank's in for a hedonistic night to remember when Jackie and two stripper friends arrive at his doorstep, unannounced. The next morning, before Hank can escort his new friends from the apartment, Charlie shows up with a verbally abusive Rick Springfield. Hank’s forced to hide the hung-over party girls all over the house after Jill and Felicia pay surprise visits. The charade reaches its boiling point when Dean Koons arrives on the scene, resulting in a messy catharsis by fire.
As the Moodys at last prepare to move to New York, Becca tells Hank about an intimate coming of age experience she had. Hank’s stunned when Mia shows up at the house unannounced, in town with her slimy boyfriend / manager PAUL for a book signing. Hank fails to prevent Mia and Paul from hatching a devious publicity stunt, forcing Hank to finally share the long-buried heartbreaking secret with Karen. gives Charlie a career opportunity of a lifetime, but Charlie must confront the fact that he might be losing Marcy for good.
Just as Hank is released from a 72 hour jail period for assault he is picked up by Charlie and dragged off to show the recent events of F&P with Mia becoming public and dropped into a meeting with a young actress that wants to capitalize on the publicity, and make a movie out of F&P. whom which he later re-enacts F&P in her hotel room. The episode ends with Hank hearing from his lawyer that the assault charges have been dropped and he is then arrested for statutory rape.
Hank Moody is notified by his attorney Abby that he will be going to trial for statutory rape. But not before Hank hands the completed F&P script to Charlie, who promptly drags him to a meeting with the Director, producer Stu Beggs and eccentric financier Zig Samitaur, setting off a chain of events that leads to Hank and Charlie having to explain why there’s a dead billionaire in the bathroom.
A few years have passed and Hank is living in New York but looking for a ticket out of town after his latest breakup. He accepts an invitation from Charlie to come to Los Angeles for a job writing a film starring rapper/actor Samurai Apolcaypse, then reunites with Karen, her former professor and now-husband Richard, and his daughter Becca, who now has a boyfriend named Tyler that is the spitting image of Hank himself ... in the worst possible way.
Hank passes on writing Samurai Apocalypse's new movie but Sam won't take no for an answer and drags Hank to a meeting with director Peter Berg, where they discover that Hank and Peter have shared more than just a love of the written word. Sam takes it on himself to get rid of Tyler, which makes things worse between Hank and Becca. Co-parents Charlie, Marcy and Stu have their hands full when Little Stuart exposes himself to a preschool classmate, and Charlie takes it upon himself to mend fences with the offended girl's attractive mother.
Hank hands a completed draft of "Santa Monica Cop" over to Samurai Apocalypse, but he still finds himself stuck in L.A. when he's asked to take Kali, his "acquaintance" from the flight to Los Angles, out for a night on the town. Tyler crashes at Karen and Becca's house while he recovers from his injuries. Charlie is rescued from a serious parental crisis by Stuart's nanny, Lizzie.
Hank receives an unwelcome surprise in the form of Carrie, ex-girlfriend and arsonist that he's forced to invite along when Karen and Becca show up to invite him to a dinner party. Stu, Marcy and Bates' talk of sexual proclivities leaves the Moodys searching for the nearest exit, but the party gets even more out of control when Carrie has a realization about Hank. Meanwhile, Charlie goes on a blind date with Mary, a "nice girl" who's more than a little inexperienced.
Charlie's boyhood dream is realized and Hank's worst nightmare comes true when Samurai Apocalypse invites the boys on a ride-along with the Santa Monica Police Department and takes them on a joyride that goes sexually awry for Charlie; Richard hits the bottle at a crowded Venice restaurant but Hank and the boys arrive to save the day for Karen and Becca, and Tyler realizes he's seen Sam somewhere before.
When Samurai Apocalypse hits a lyrical roadblock with his protege, he calls on the best writer he knows: Hank Moody, who unites with Kali to imbibe, bear his soul, and write a song that takes Hank back in time to an era when he, Karen and Charlie were happier and life was simpler before "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love." But the present comes roaring back when Karen shows up at Hank's door, worried that she made a mistake.
Hank saves Karen from embarrassment with a drunk Richard, then covers for Richard by pretending to be dating a stripper named Holly, who takes a liking to Tyler and offends his girlfriend, Becca. Meanwhile, when she's fired after an inappropriate encounter with Stu, nanny Lizzie calls on Charlie and allows their relationship to progress, only to have Marcy beg for her return.
Hank is stuck reading Tyler's screenplay but discovers some talent under that head of hair, even though the script appears to be disturbingly autobiographical account of the author's relationship with Becca. Charlie and Lizzie's love quadrangle with Stu and Marcy heats up, but when their bedroom games hit too close to home for Charlie, it may be off to therapy for all four of them.
On the first day of production on Hank Moody's latest movie "Santa Monica Cop," Stu has brought back his "F--king and Punching" director in hopes of creating a cinematic masterpiece, but Hank's rendezvous with the film's leading lady puts his relationship with Sam in jeopardy. Luckily for Hank, Stu and the production's crew, Charlie has a backup plan.
Minus one agent and best friend, Hank crashes with his two favorite ladies, Karen and Becca. Looking for new representation, he meets with Hollywood power agent Larry Levine, who quickly sets a meeting with world-class filmmaker and Hank Moody idol Lars Manderhoff. It may be a match made in heaven when Lars surprises Hank with one of his favorite working girls, Trixie (guest star Judy Greer). Distraught over his personal losses, Charlie seeks comfort from Marcy while Lizzie enjoys her big break, a part in "Santa Monica Cop" courtesy of Stu.
Hank overstays his welcome at the house of Karen and Richard and hits the road with one last stop at Malibar, where he runs into Lizzie, who uses her newly acquired acting chops to lure him back to the Runkle Manor. Once there, Hank is surprised by everyone he loves and loathes: Karen, Becca, Charlie, Marcy, Stu, Richard and his creepy sponsor, Gabriel. Even Sam and Kali show up, but it's not a party until someone gets hurt and luckily for these partygoers, Hank has it in him for one final run-in with Tyler.
Hank discovers the bartender at a local watering hole is his late friend Lew Ashby and wonders if he's in Hell. Richard makes a startling announcement about Hank and Karen. Hank tries to make things right with Becca, but her news about Tyler leaves him stunned. On the set of "Santa Monica Cop," Sam's jealousy and fondness for firearms give Charlie an opportunity to show how much he loves his best friend and number-one client; Hank's arsonist ex-girlfriend surprises him with a way for them to be together forever.
Hank Moody narrowly survives the aftermath of his scorned ex-lover Carrie; her attempted suicide to see them both together, free from the constraints around them. Charlie takes Hank to see Atticus Fetch, a rocker who is interested in turning "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" into a Broadway show. Meanwhile, Karen, Marcy and Charlie have to deal with Hank, after a revelation about Becca.
Hank reluctantly heeds the advice from his family and friends, but Faith, muse to many-a-rock-star, may be his light at the end of the tunnel. Charlie runs into out-and-proud movie star Robbie Mac and finds himself taking drastic action in order to land the award winner as a client. Marcy loses her resolve with Stu, while Karen lands a new job.
Karen asks Hank to intervene with Becca. Later, the boys board Air Force 69 with Atticus Fetch to fly to NYC to present the songs for the Broadway adaptation of "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love." Charlie faces a serious case of aerophobia. Atticus is surprised by Faith, while his wife surprises Hank.
Hank returns from his trip to find Becca spiraling, but his plan to help her backfires when they go to visit Atticus and meet his current house guest (guest star MARILYN MANSON as himself). Hank has an encounter that puts him in a very awkward position with Karen. Charlie takes Stuart out for the day and has an encounter of his own.
The reviews are in for the first draft of "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love: The Musical." Hank looks for inspiration from Faith to help get him to the next level. Becca contemplates alternate careers. Charlie and Stu join forces to win back Marcy, but first, they'll have to pry her from the man-hating clutches of Ophelia Robbins.
Atticus throws a party. Faith provides the girls, The Dealer provides the recreation and Hank's old friend provides the entertainment. Hank gets a taste of his own medicine with Karen. Atticus tries to recreate rock and roll folklore with one of his biggest fans while Charlie reunites with The Widow.
Hank makes a big decision about his future, which affects Faith. Charlie and Marcy also make a decision. The troops are rallied to ensure Atticus makes it to the Greek Theatre for his co-headlining gig with Marilyn Manson. A call from Becca and a visit from a dearly departed friend set Hank in motion.