“The show revolves around a newly widowed housewife (Mary-Louise Parker) from an affluent California suburb who becomes her neighborhood’s marijuana dealer to make ends meet. The title is a play on words, referring to both the slang term for marijuana and the widow’s weeds. It also plays on the tendency of American suburbs to grow quickly and pervasively, with the dwellings and their residents being almost as indistinguishable as weeds.” -Wiki
It’s difficult to do a write-up on a series in which you crammed 5 seasons into a 2-3 week period of time. I’m going to do the best I can though because this series is worth watching for a myriad of reasons.
****CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!****
minimal spoilers though… just plot progression stuff… continue reading if you want.
- For all the failing you’ve felt you have done as a single parent, at least you didn’t become a drug dealer, set your city on fire, get caught up in human trafficking, get your kid shot, and then wind up marrying the drug lord politician of Mexico after getting knocked up with his bastard child. If your kid gripes at you for any shortcoming they thought you had, you can always throw that back at them.
- The complete dysfunction of each character spirals into depths that go deeper than your worse day… ten fold. It puts your life in check and gives you that weekly affirmation that you aren’t a complete idiot (or so I’d hope).
As the seasons progress, each year takes on a whole new story and character development. The growth and the backsliding makes you feel as if you’re really watching 3 different shows.
The bumbling comic relief that’s found in the side tales of Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins, Andy Milder, and Allie Grant brings the lightness that caters to my attention span.
I think the true tragedy of the show lies in the kids. Yes I laugh at the dysfunction and I feel better about my own life and decisions after watching this (not there’s really anything I’d do differently), but this woman’s selfish behaviors by turning to drug dealing in order to maintain her suburban lifestyle after her husband passes away- takes an already tough situation and makes it catastrophic. I watched as the sons went from promising to messed up to “What the f’ did she do to them?”
The show is like a horrific crash you can’t seem to tear your eyes away from. I wish I could do it justice by writing a grand detailed review on it and the cast/writers.
Sadly, like Eureka, I now must wait until the summer (the end of August to be precise) to get any new episodes. Who the freak has an entire year gap seasons? Why are they so cruel to me always? WHY?
