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 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.