Weeds: The best show ever made

Marijuana-related entertainment carries a bad reputation, and with semi-good cause. What with Cheech and Chong numbers 2 through 18, Dude, Where’s My Car? , Evil Bong (some movie we spotted on the TV Guide channel, probably while drunk, and decided to Netflix, but which nearly destroyed our will to live), and any of the other millions of lousy stoner flicks out there, someone not familiar with the genre might be inclined to dismiss it altogether. This would be a terrible mistake, however, as this hypothetical person would be missing such film classics as Half Baked, How High, Killer Bud, and of course the masterpiece known as Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. And, okay, I’ll give you Up in Smoke, though I have to admit that, rewatching their films these days, Cheech and Chong are less funny to me now that I’m not 15.

But finally there is a TV program that brings some dignity to the world of marijuana, and of course some daring and controversy-courting comedy as well. First of all, I should comment that the opening credits are just lovely, especially during the second season, when the theme song, “Little Boxes,” is covered by a bevy of musicians, among them Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis, Regina Spektor, and Death Cab for Cutie. The song, originally performed by Melvina Reynolds, perfectly introduces the perfect, 1950’s-style, picket fences mentality at Agresta (the gated community in which our scene is set), and simultaneously laments its conformity-producing powers.

The brilliant cast includes Mary-Louise Parker as protagonist Nancy Botwin, Elizabeth Perkins as the delightfully malevolent neighbor Celia Hodes, and of course the ever-hilarious Kevin Nealon, who surprised everyone, including me, by turning in an amazing performance in this show. Nancy’s scheming and freeloading brother-in-law Andy is played with endless charisma by good-looking Justin Kirk, and as Conrad, Nancy’s obvious love interest-to-be, Romany Malco provides more eye candy, as well as that whole nice guy thing. Kudos as well to the fine actors who portray the children of Nancy and Celia. They all act much wiser than their years, with excellent comic timing, no less.

But the real star of this show is a little friend called Mary Jane. The premise, you see, is that Nancy was recently widowed, and has a huge mortgage and two kids to raise, with few marketable skills. So she takes to dealing pot, buying from Conrad’s sassy business partner and aunt, Heylia James (played by Tonye Patano), a character who becomes increasingly important as Nancy’s business grows beyond what she ever anticipated. Twists and turns abound in this show, as does irreverent and oft-shocking humor. There’s also sex a’plenty for those of you out there who are fond of sex, though it is always presented in an unusual and thought-provoking fashion (you’ll have to watch the show to see what I mean). Guest stars such as the always-fabulous Zooey Deschanel, whose name always reminds me of bechamel sauce, keep things fresh and add wacky side-plots to the mix.

In conclusion, you don’t have to be a pot smoker to enjoy this program, though it would probably add to your level of interest in that aspect of the show, which is actually downplayed much of the time (Nancy herself rarely smokes the stuff, so most of the time it’s Kevin Nealon who adds the pothead humor in his comic relief scenes). Even the most stiff and unhip television viewer is bound to get hooked once the drama gets going, especially anyone who likes crime-related shows like The Sopranos. In conclusion, go watch it now and keep this awesome show on the air. Why? Because we said so.