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Mary Louise Parker in "Weeds"
courtesy of SHOWTIME
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“Weeds” (SHOWTIME)
One of SHOWTIME’s most popular original series is “Weeds.” This show about a drug dealing single mother has tapped into the American psyche and found a home. It is a unique show in that the heroine is very flawed, but there are still redeemable qualities about her. I mean she is devoted to her children even if it is in a non-motherly way.
This season Nancy (Mary Louise Parker) is on the run. She has burned down her home and taken her two sons (Hunter Parrish and Alexander Gould) and brother-in-law (Justin Kirk) and fled to a coastal town named Ren Mar. She has picked Ren Mar because that is where her deceased husband’s Uncle Lenny (Albert Brooks) and grandmother live.
Nancy has put her dealing days behind her and has taken on a new career as a carrier. She drives into Mexico and brings back drugs. One stipulation she makes is she will not transport heroin (see I told you she had some redeemable qualities).
Meanwhile Nancy’s old friend and nemesis Cecilia (Elizabeth Perkins) is in jail charged with the drug activities Nancy was actually doing. Nancy’s friend Doug (Kevin Nealon) and Cecilia’s daughter Isabelle (Allie Grant) framed her for the drug dealing. Cecilia is in a panic as her stay behind bars is too friendly for comfort.
In the coming weeks Cecilia will supposedly work a deal to get out, and Nancy will get more and more involved in her transport duties. It is hoped Uncle Lenny will become a regular participant in these adventures as Brooks is a welcome addition to the cast.
Still it is Parker who is the heart and soul of the show. Her seemingly innocent demeanor and her ability to fully inhabit Nancy’s persona make this one of the most enjoyable acting performances on TV this year. Perkins is almost as good as she makes Cecilia such a powerful but inept rival.
Sometimes it is hard to get past all of Nancy’s drug involvements. Plus the language and different doings of her sons may make you flinch. But if you take it all as satire of a sort you might have a really good time.
You can watch season four of “Weeds” each Monday at 10PM on SHOWTIME. It is back and just as brilliant and just as bizarre as ever. It isn’t for all tastes but it might be for yours. |
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©2008 Jackie K. Cooper |
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