Weeds - Season 1 Review

Overall 4.81 of 5 view all 16 reviews

add to my favorites email to a friend view more TV Show Reviews

Publisher's Circle

Cat
Charlotte, NC

add Cat to my friends list

Sex, Drugs & the Suburban Housewife

open minded, easily amused, a comedy fan

Pros

witty humor, great acting, great intro and opening, complex and interesting storyline

Cons

graphic sex, mature content, it's about drug use

AUG

2007

The summer season brings with it a drought of television shows, so when my husband saw "Weeds: Season 1" available at the video store, he brought home the first disc with several episodes on it.

About Weeds
This Showtime series has an interesting premise: a housewife in uber-suburbia turns drug dealer after her husband dies, leaving her with a limited income. The show appealed to me for several reasons: first, as a woman who lives in the ultimate suburban wasteland full of pretty houses, the intro sequence featuring the song "Little Boxes" drew me right in. I love the idea of the straightlaced housewife becoming a drug dealer, and I really enjoy watching Mary-Louise Parker act.

The show gets off to a strong start, and all of season one builds and builds with each episode. The cast is fantastic, from the twisted children to Kevin Nealon. Nothing in this show is taboo. There's plenty of sex and drugs, and this will definitely be a con for some viewers. For me, it's just amusing. I certainly wouldn't watch this show around my kids, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to my parents.

Key topics covered in season one include Nancy (the mother) coming to terms with her husband's sudden death while jogging. Her youngest son constantly gets himself into trouble, shooting wild animals walking through the backyard, and filming amateur terrorist videos with dolls. Meanwhile her older son finds love and all sorts of trouble. As Nancy tries to keep a lid on her new source of income, while trying to figure out how to raise two sons coping rather disastrously with the loss of their father, she inevitably runs into snags and conflict. Nancy's friends, and some of her clients, provide fresh, much needed humor throughout the show. Mary-Louise Parker's Nancy never uses the drugs she deals, and while she exudes a detached, sexy self-confidence, she's clearly in over her head most of the time.

Cat's Bottom Line
If you're looking for edgy entertainment with a dark, humorous twist, "Weeds" is a good show to check out. The buildup of drama as this housewife learns the ropes of starting up her own "business" is well done, and entertaining. I highly recommend this show, but only to the most open-minded, not easily offended folks out there. You simply can't be uptight if you're going to watch "Weeds".