What's a mom to do when her husband dies of an unexpected heart attack leaving her to care for their two son's? How can she possibly maintain their lifestyle of driving leased Land-Rovers and sipping cappuccinos in the upscale, Southern Californian neighborhood of Agrestic?
The answer is simple . . . you start selling pot.
That's the basic premise of Weeds, a series on Showtime. I don't subscribe to Showtime, but browsing through some TV series DVDs I came across season 1 and watched it. I'm hooked on it. It is irreverent, disrespectful and completely hilarious.
Mary-Louise Parker, as Nancy Botwin, is a woman who suddenly finds herself a single, widowed mother of two sons. Her husband, an engineer, had previously been the breadwinner and provided for an upscale lifestyle in the upper-middle class, Californian neighborhood of Agrestic. As if being a widowed mom isn't enough, her fourth-grade son, Shane ( Alexander Gould ), has his own problems growing up. He has a bit of an emotional side but tries to find outlets like writing gangsta' rap music, making mock terror videos and shooting mountain lions. Her teen age son, Silas ( Hunter Parrish ), is not only sexually active but also enjoys smoking pot and going to his fair share of parties where he meets his deaf girlfriend. But life for the Botwins wouldn't be quite right without a fine, upstanding father figure like Andy ( Justin Kirk ), Nancy's brother. He's drifted in from Alaska and decides to step up and invite himself to be Nancy's partner in the business. He teaches Shane how to better cheat on his homework, seduces Silas' girlfriend via IM, screws Shane's friend's mom, and watches porn while getting high with Nancy's CPA. When he gets busted trying to help Nancy sell her pot, he then decides to bang his NA sponsor. But it's ok in Agrestic to be a bit odd.
Her best friend, Celia Hodes ( Elizabeth Perkins ) isn't without her fair share of faults. She sends her daughter away to boarding school after finding out that she is sexually active ( and Silas' original girlfriend ). Later she finds out that she has cancer and has her breasts removed after having an affair with Nancy's supplier, Conrad ( Romany Malco ). But it isn't just her desire to be young and beautiful that drives her to Conrad. She also learns that her lawyer husband, Dean ( Andy Milder ), is doing the local tennis pro and lets her shove her tennis racket up his ass. But Nancy doesn't let that stop her from using his legal skills combined with the local CPA, Doug Wilson ( Kevin Nealon ), help her to set up a front for her budding ( pun intended ) "bakery shop". After all, not only are they experts in their field, they are wonderful customers of hers.
But it isn't all fun and games. She's learning a little at a time about the drug dealing business. She faces angry, territorial dealers, the trials and tribulations of raising her kids, and the grief of losing her husband who she loved very much. There are times when the world is spinning out of control and she fears she just might lose it. How's a woman supposed to bring home the bacon, maintain a successful, expanding marijuana-dealing business while still being a good mom?
Mary-Louise Parker, as Nancy Botwin, is a woman who suddenly finds herself a single, widowed mother of two sons. Her husband, an engineer, had previously been the breadwinner and provided for an upscale lifestyle in the upper-middle class, Californian neighborhood of Agrestic. As if being a widowed mom isn't enough, her fourth-grade son, Shane ( Alexander Gould ), has his own problems growing up. He has a bit of an emotional side but tries to find outlets like writing gangsta' rap music, making mock terror videos and shooting mountain lions. Her teen age son, Silas ( Hunter Parrish ), is not only sexually active but also enjoys smoking pot and going to his fair share of parties where he meets his deaf girlfriend. But life for the Botwins wouldn't be quite right without a fine, upstanding father figure like Andy ( Justin Kirk ), Nancy's brother. He's drifted in from Alaska and decides to step up and invite himself to be Nancy's partner in the business. He teaches Shane how to better cheat on his homework, seduces Silas' girlfriend via IM, screws Shane's friend's mom, and watches porn while getting high with Nancy's CPA. When he gets busted trying to help Nancy sell her pot, he then decides to bang his NA sponsor. But it's ok in Agrestic to be a bit odd.
Her best friend, Celia Hodes ( Elizabeth Perkins ) isn't without her fair share of faults. She sends her daughter away to boarding school after finding out that she is sexually active ( and Silas' original girlfriend ). Later she finds out that she has cancer and has her breasts removed after having an affair with Nancy's supplier, Conrad ( Romany Malco ). But it isn't just her desire to be young and beautiful that drives her to Conrad. She also learns that her lawyer husband, Dean ( Andy Milder ), is doing the local tennis pro and lets her shove her tennis racket up his ass. But Nancy doesn't let that stop her from using his legal skills combined with the local CPA, Doug Wilson ( Kevin Nealon ), help her to set up a front for her budding ( pun intended ) "bakery shop". After all, not only are they experts in their field, they are wonderful customers of hers.
But it isn't all fun and games. She's learning a little at a time about the drug dealing business. She faces angry, territorial dealers, the trials and tribulations of raising her kids, and the grief of losing her husband who she loved very much. There are times when the world is spinning out of control and she fears she just might lose it. How's a woman supposed to bring home the bacon, maintain a successful, expanding marijuana-dealing business while still being a good mom?