Best TV Shows You Aren’t Watching: ‘Weeds’

If Big Love is one of the best reasons to get HBO, the breezy and entertaining Weeds is one of the best reasons to get Showtime. A hilarious, sometimes absurd satire of life in the suburbs, religion, family and dealing pot to make ends meet, Weeds is much like its namesake: highly addictive.

But once the buzz wears off, you’re left with Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker), perpetually gnawing on the straw of an empty coffee drink with nervous energy and wide, worrisome eyes. Nancy deals pot to make money after the death of her husband (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, making a living out of playing dead), and she’s gotten herself into quite the pickle because of it. Gun-totting drug dealers, a dead DEA boyfriend, enough debt to bury her for life and a son who wants in on the business are just a short list of Nancy’s problems.

However, while the consequences of Nancy’s action are very serious, the show never takes itself too seriously. It goes over the top, throwing the characters into ridiculously hilarious situations. During one episode, Nancy is forced to play moderator during a meeting between two rival gangs. Mary Louise Parker is a delight to watch with her expressive eyes and deadpan delivery of lines like, “Oh, I’m not sure I’m comfortable going to a gang summit.”

– Written for Starpulse.com

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