Started fresh if not realistic. Now it's just absurd

JJonsey

Weeds has always been full of hyperbole and social commentary via satire. It wasn't always all that insightful but it was clever and cute at the least. Unfortunately it's disdain, detachment from reality and holier than thou attitude often show through the wit. From it's grindingly unaware and sanctimonious title song, to it's hypocrite self centered characters...once the cute wears off, it's hard to give a crap about anything deeper because the surface is so tarnished.

The ridiculous story lines not only do nothing for the point trying to be made, the absurd unbelievable plots treat the viewer like an idiot :

Don't like anti-drug laws....so the proponent of said laws is a barely functioning alcoholic whose entire life is a train wreck. How clever. Alcohol is worse than Marijuana...we get it.

The "War on Terror" sucks.... so the army randomly kills recruits with drone planes apparently driven by Gomer Pyle. To cover up they send in evil teams of black Ops LAWYERS to strong arm witnesses with magic toys that make the most ludicrous James Bond toy look like a calculator watch. I wish I was kidding. If I had to be fair, this is the scene that broke weeds for me. I forgave it's heavy handed idiocy and overlooked it's characters flaws and unrealistic reactions because to be honest...it was funny a lot of the time. I think I would have been much happier to watch them just flat out say "The war on terror is ridiculous, and we have lost respect and trust for the Armed Forces." Thats totally fine...I agree 110%. But a scene that makes Get Smart look realistic and hides behind weak attempts at humor? Cmon...what a joke.

To top it off, the writers are often too afraid to make the protagonists react in realistic ways for fear of alienating weak minded viewers. Nancy can yell at her bumbling drug addict brother in law, but when her self centered prick of a son nearly gets her killed and essentially forces her into servitude with the local drug dealer by stealing her drugs...she never mentions it. In fact no one even addresses it.

I want to like the show. Heck a lot of times I do. Mary Lousie Parker is droll and kissably cute...not to mention incredibly versatile in her role. The soundtrack is often pointed and sharp, which is in stark contrast to the ham fisted finger wagging of the actual show. Sadly, 9 times out of 10, I share Weeds outlook on the topics they address. However, the childish and unrealistic way they address them often makes me wish I didn't for fear of association with halfwits.

In the end it's just hard to tolerate preaching from a show so flawed.

score 6/10

JJonsey 25 September 2007

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1735967/