There aren’t a lot of programs I watch on the tube (or the idiot box, as they call it). One of the few shows I never miss is Showtime’s award-winning Weeds. I have watched every season (this is the 5th) and followed the path of Nancy Botwin from Ticky-tacky Agrestic, California to somewhere-in- Mexico, near the border. Nancy has managed to survive life as a widow by selling weed (marijuana). This is edgy, dark comedy at its very edge; entertaining, I think, because it never stands still; it’s always moving.
Actually, Weeds is a souped-up, newer version of The Perils of Pauline (look it up, kidz), because our heroine, Nancy, has been in trouble and in danger more times than I can count using all my fingers and toes and those of everyone else in my family. Nancy hasn’t yet been tied to the railroad tracks, but last year, she managed to barely escape with her life when she crossed swords with a Mexican drug-kingpin.
Well, I won’t bore you with the plot details. Hopefully you can YouTube or Hulu this show. The reason each 30-minute segment is so sharp is due in part to the intentions of its creator, Jenji Kohan (her opening credits are so creative). Kohan looks like anybody but the type of person you would think would know much about dealing marijuana and Mexican drug gangsters. But Kohan knows about this and more–especially how to pick an incredible cast (the multi-talented Mary Louise Parker stars), witty, insightful writers, and a plot that never lets up or down.
Now, recently I’ve seen some scenes in Weeds I never thought I’d see on TV and some references to body parts that may offend and amuse, and certainly make you sit up straight. In one of her rare interviews, Kohan claims Weeds is reflecting true life, even most words, like life, can be spelled with four letters. If you have never seen Weeds and are thinking of taking a look, be prepared for outrageous TV. This is not The Office or 30 Rock or even close. But this show offers you a lot of politically incorrect subjects to ponder, which never happens (at least to me) on most TV sitcoms.
I see Kohan’s gut feeling, when creating Weeds, was for how it was just a matter of time until marijuana, grew more prevalent in public landscapes and became accepted. First, over the past few years, tracking right along with the Weeds series, medical marijuana became available in many places. Now there is talk about legalizing small amounts of weed so that the sales could be taxed (just like alcohol) and bring the government some revenues. The program’s creators also seemed to anticipate how hard it is to earn a living these days - and what some people will do to pay for food and shelter (some times the unhappy consequences of these illegal actions are also shown, such as jail).
There are some pretty weighty political ideas expressed this season - the border crossings between California and Mexico, and the problems associated with immigration; the underground tunnels that served as gateways for bringing drugs to the U.S. from Mexico; the hypocrises of people in power where gender, sex and illicit activities are concerned. The program emphasizes the fact marijuana is a lot different type of drug; less dangerous than hard drugs (which are always disparaged, if mentioned in this series). For those who may think so, this is not a program that promotes weed and drugs. Rather, it’s a program that reflects how widespread (though still somewhat underground) marijuana consumption is by a rather large slice of the population.
Some people hate Weeds so much, they want Nancy to get into trouble she can’t get out of. Others are pulling for her (at least somewhat, because she’s one tough cookie). But more than that, like a good page-turner, or a champion boxer, Weeds never telegraphs its punches. It’s always surprising! And so it has its die-hard fans, including some critics.
I would say Weeds (just like its 1936 campy movie predecessor, Reefer Madness) will one day be a cult classic. Not only for the boundaries and borders it crosses, the touchy subject matters it discusses, but also for its portrayal of desperate characters, the likes of which are almost never seen on TV.
Watch it if you dare.
