Weeds - Kleine Deals unter Nachbarn

For years Weeds is being the "everybody-talks-about" series but I never had the opportunity to watch it. But finally I did it, and I did it desperately because the show is addictive. So finally I could understand why it got so much attention.

First of all, the cast is amazing. Mary-Luise Parker, as Nancy Botwin, fits so well in her character and she is so charismatic and so beautiful and so subtle, gentle, comprehensive and polite that it's almost impossible dislike her. Elizabeth Perkins, as Celia Hodes, my god, that woman rocks! She's so naturally dried by the unhappy life she has built that even a spontaneous smile seems like a rock. I can't believe that Elizabeth Perkins never won an award for this character until now because every moment is an outstanding performance and I mean it! It's a shame that her character lost so much of her potentials to a point of being kicked out of the show because Celia was one of the gears of the show.

The most interesting things about the show were not the drugs, neither was Nancy living a hell each new day, nor the mistakes each character does during the episodes, but yes the social matters that it pointed. I'm Brazilian and I live in a small suburban city like the imaginary Agrestic/Magestic, so... I know a lot how is to survive in a place where you're surrounded by ignorant people that are moved just by an inexistent appearance. It's so revolting to a point that sometimes you just want to do things just to provoke them and play with their abstraction of reality, and the series shows it in a very intelligent and interesting way so you feel connected by it.

But now, after 6 years and some changes, Weeds seems to have lost most of what made it so interesting during the years becoming just another dramedy and Weeds is now just all about a woman dealing with an everyday drama that doesn't fit anymore. While the first 4 seasons were amazing and subtle in its subject, the last 2 seasons lack of the cleverness that once existed. Weeds now is being pushed to something we don't know anymore and it's showing signs of tiredness and completely losing its identity and also its characters. But that happens with every kind of show sooner or later.

But anyway... if you have the opportunity to watch at least the first 4 seasons, do it. Weeds is not about dealing with drugs, but a way to express the hypocrisy of each single person in the world.

I give 8 just for the show in a whole, but the first 4 seasons deserve 10.

This show is as good as it gets. As in, Six Feet Under good, without being any kind of clone: it's its own magical world, of which there will be many future clones, but nothing will ever come close to this for wit, emotion, pacing, or perfection of casting. This show says This Is Us like nothing I've seen in a long time. Showtime has done some good shows, and they've been getting better (after decades of astonishingly lazy creative thinking) but in Weeds the we-try-harder network finally has a true destination series. For one thing, Mary Louise Parker, who is always brilliant, here manages to pull it off with none of the mannerisms that have colored some of her lesser roles: she is luminescent and true in every moment. And the kids? And the son's girlfriend? You get this weird feeling there was no camera around--there couldn't have been for people to come off this completely real. Bravo bravo bravo! Can't wait to see episode 2.

Nancy Botwin was an interesting combination of naive and capable. For awhile. Unfortunately the more she learns the less she knows. The less she knows the more despicable she becomes. That's okay. The fact the other characters in this show never seem to get it, no matter how unbelievably horrible she treats everyone, gets old. The incredibly weak circumstances that keep drawing them all back in is frustrating to watch. I do not like to leave a show unfinished. I never walk out on a bad movie. I want it to redeem itself. I am watching the final episode of the seventh season. If it was so stupid it was funny then I could endure the stupid. I just don't think I can make it through thirteen more episodes of everyone wanting to cling to the Nancy train when she clearly could not care less about any of them and makes no effort to hide it.

What a clever, well written show. Immensely watchable and well acted. Mary Louise Parker is perfect in the role of a Yuppie, widowed woman making ends meet by selling Marijuana. The show highlights well the difficulties for single women not just at the upper end of the economic spectrum, but those not quite as well off. The language, although at times is strong, is realistic and appropriate.

All of the roles are interesting. Elizabeth Perkins plays the role of the acerbic friend who never quite realized her life ambitions. Her one daughter is overweight, the other just hates her, and her husband is sleeping with the Asian American tennis pro.

Every episode offers something new. I will definitely keep on looking for the next episode.

Every Monday at 9PM CST I am in front of my TV to watch one of the best shows written with the best cast on a sitcom. And I would re-watch it throughout the week. The characters, the storyline and even the opening song that you can't get out of your head. The only way to make it better is make it an hour long and use Kevin Nealon a lot more. Please don't keep us in suspense! Is it going to be renewed? I got Showtime just to watch this show and it is definitely worth it! This show does well showing part of suburbia that most people don't want to think really exists. But exist it does and not just in California. I like the plots and the passion that keep you coming back for more and hating it when the show is over. There should be a few Emmy awards waiting!