Weeds (2005-)

USA

Television Series

Creator: Jenji Kohan

Cast: Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Kevin Nealon, Justin Kirk, Elizabeth Perkins, Allie Grant, Andy Milder, Romany Malco, Tonye Patano, Demián Bichir, Enrique Castillo

Kohan’s hilarious, unpredictable, and increasingly outrageous series follows the ups and downs of Nancy Botwin (Parker, excellent), a widowed suburban housewife who turns to small-time drug dealing in order to continue to be able to afford the lifestyle to which she and her family had become accustomed before the death of her husband.

Season 1 (2005)

The first season of Showtime’s addictive comedy drama, following the day-to-day life of a widowed suburban housewife turned small time drug dealer, is, thanks in the main to the perennially wonderful Parker, often hilarious, occasionally moving, and generally thoroughly entertaining.

Season 2 (2006)

The second season of this consistently entertaining series, following the day-to-day life of a widowed suburban housewife turned small time drug dealer, continues to elicit tears of laughter and joy, as business and personal relationships become ever more entwined and complicated.

Season 3 (2007)

As proceedings continue to darken for middle-class suburban housewife turned drug dealer Nancy Botwin, in this wonderfully entertaining third season, so too, conversely, does the show’s tone continue to lighten; there is little now remaining of the first season’s emotional heart, but the show isn’t noticeably hindered by this as it continues to slowly reinvent itself as outré black comedy.

Season 4 (2008)

In this consistently entertaining and often hilarious fourth season, with their old life burnt to the ground, the Botwins and various associates head for Ren Mar, near San Diego, to begin a new life: Nancy turns to drug trafficking and begins a relationship with the mayor of Tijuana; Andy and Doug try their hands at becoming Coyotes; Silas goes into business for himself and begins an affair with a woman pushing 40; Shane reinvents himself as a sexy psychopath; and Celia’s life just goes from bad to worse.

Season 5 (2009)

The fifth season of Jenji Kohan’s jet black comedy is somewhat more sober than of recent, re-injecting some of the drama from its more sombre beginnings, mixing outlandish plot developments with convincing human drama and delicious dark humour, as Nancy Botwin and her expanding family continue to straddle the US/Mexican border.

Season 6 (2010)

Following Shane’s little indiscretion, the Botwins hit the road, on the run from cops ‘n’ crims alike, determined to leave their life of crime behind them, an ambition they are soon forced to abandon, in this inconsistent though still generally very entertaining sixth season, which manages to survive a mid-season lull with a number of excellent episodes. Iain.Stott