Agrestic welcomes you home!
Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) has been widowed and left with two children and an expensive mortgage in the affluent California town of Agrestic. With no money coming in and bills piling up, Nancy has new business partners in Heylia James (Tonye Patano) and Heylia’s nephew Conrad Shepard (Romany Malco)…and their business is growing. Nancy is dealing weed in Agrestic and business is booming. While trying to raise her kids Silas (Hunter Parish) and Shane (Alexander Botwin), Nancy is also dealing with Agrestic busy-body Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins), but paranoia might just all be part of the business.
Who’s your dealer?
Weeds—Season 1 is a comedy-drama. Airing from August 7, 2005 to October 12, 2005 on Showtime, the series received positive reviews. It received Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Cast for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (“Good Shit Lollipop”), Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series (“Good Shit Lollipop”), Outstanding Main Title Design, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Perkins).
Not having cable, Weeds was on my radar when it was airing, but I always had to wait for it to be released later. As a result, I watched a few seasons of Weeds and then fell off. Rewatching the series in an age where weed is becoming more and more legal in states like California creates a series that could not be set today in the format it exists.
Let your freak flag fly, kid
The odd thing about Weeds is it is one of those shows where I don’t particularly like any of the characters but I still enjoy the show. I find Nancy petty and shallow…she’s unable to prioritize what is important and keeping up appearances is more important than morals. She’s been dealt a bad hand, but a lot of people have and it doesn’t mean that they all turn to drugs…especially since in a way she kind of puts on airs towards some of the people she deals with that haven’t had her opportunities. If bad stuff happens to her, she kind of brings it on herself, but her neighbors and their superficial world are barely worse in many ways.
As a result of the character I don’t particularly love Mary-Louise Parker in this though it isn’t an acting problem as much as a character problem. This is in opposition to Elizabeth Perkins’ Celia who is who she is…and she has few qualms expressing her upper class views. She’s a bad person but she is kind of written that way. The least developed this season are Nancy’s partners in Romany Malco and Tonye Patano who need more development if they don’t want Nancy’s character to be seen as looking down on them.
Don’t ask me about my business, Shane
The idea and the look of Weeds is good with the “ticky tacky” suburbs. High class is everyone looking the same and no one having their own personality. Weeds gets this right and has that harpy nature that many exclusive subdivisions-mini-towns get. It is ripe for satire since the bad stuff happens there…the police just don’t care.
Weeds—Season 1 shows a lot of potential, but it needs more growth. The show runs a risk of losing its satirical bite if it doesn’t treat it as a satire and try to emphasize The Sopranos-esque set-up. The final episode sees an homage to The Godfather with Nancy taking her place among the big dealers…that is what Weeds needs more of and less of the Nancy drama. Let’s get selling!
Weeds—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“You Can’t Miss the Bear”
1.1 You Can’t Miss the Bear Airdate: 08/07/05
Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) is a widow. Her husband died in front of their child Shane (Alexander Gould) who is still scarred from it, and her other son Silas (Hunter Parrish) is rushing into sex with Quinn Hodes (Haley Hudson), the daughter of the subdivision’s busybody Celia (Elizabeth Perkins). Nancy needs a job to support her life and is out to make a buck by selling marijuana. With her suppliers Heylia James (Tonye Patano) and Heylia’s nephew Conrad Shepard (Romany Malco), Nancy is becoming the biggest thing to hit the upper-class California community of Agrestic. When Nancy learns Josh Wilson (Justin Chatwin) the son of the town council member Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon), is selling to kids against her orders, Nancy has to find a way to stop him.
“Free Goat”
1.2 Free Goat Airdate: 08/14/05
Nancy deals with money problems and is forced to take drastic measures with Heylia to keep her supply. Celia takes matters into her own hands in dealing with the affair of her husband Dean (Andy Milder) with the tennis pro Helen Chin (Michelle Krusiec), and Silas finds Quinn shipped off to Mexico for exposing it. Shane watches old tapes of his father Judah (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and suffers an accident that could cause Nancy more money woes.
“Good Shit Lollipop”
1.3 Good Shit Lollipop Airdate: 08/22/05
Nancy discovers she’s competing with a marijuana pharmacy for her cliental and seeks help from Conrad on how to combat it. A mountain lion prowls the Agrestic, and Shane becomes obsessed with killing it. Celia’s attempt to force her daughter Isabella (Allie Grant) to lose weight backfires, and Silas finds himself a new girlfriend in Megan (Shoshannah Stern).
“Fashion of the Christ”
1.4 Fashion of the Christ Airdate: 08/29/05
Nancy’s husband’s brother Andy (Justin Kirk) comes to town and is causing more problems for Nancy and her family. As Nancy tries to find a new place to mass produce her baked goods, Heylia introduces her to the Candyman (Jane Lynch). Andy causes problems with Shane at school and Silas’ girlfriend. Celia makes a big announcement.
“Lude Awakening”
1.5 Lude Awakening Airdate: 09/05/05
Celia tries manage her breast cancer while Dean works on compensation from the case of Coke dropped on their house from a plane. Silas makes a mistake with Megan and tries to make amends with her. Nancy is caught in a drive-by while picking up her car and drugs and questions her life as a dealer. When Nancy refuses to let Andy in on her business, Andy is arrested picking up his own drugs…leading Nancy to make a legal connection with an attorney named Ms. Greenstein (Allison Janney).
“Dead in the Nethers”
1.6 Dead in the Nethers Airdate: 09/12/05
Nancy prepares to purchase her front and is forced to introduce Conrad to Celia. Silas and Megan make a big first step, and Nancy worries about Shane mental health. Andy’s court ordered drug support group leads him to hook up with his sponsor Sharon (Brooke Langton). A night out with Celia and Conrad leads Nancy to meet another dealer (Keith Diamond) who has a warning for her about her family. Nancy’s maid Lupita (Renee Victor) learns Nancy’s secret.
“Higher Education”
1.7 Higher Education Airdate: 09/19/05
Nancy finds a new market when she goes to the local college for a tutor named Sanjay (Maulik Pancholy) for Silas and discovers college students make cheap employees. Celia has her mastectomy and has to deal with her overbearing mother (Concetta Tomei). Shane has a new friend named Max (Forrest Landis), but Andy is more interested in his mother Eileen (Clare Carey). Nancy discovers someone is targeting her.
“The Punishment Light”
1.8 The Punishment Light Airdate: 09/26/05
Celia starts chemotherapy and reveals her night out with Conrad to Dean. The unveiling of Judah’s headstone corresponds with a karate trip for Shane that leads Nancy to meeting Peter Scottson (Martin Donovan) and his son Tim (Daryl Sabara). Doug and Andy get stoned and search for an intruder in Nancy’s home. Lupita receives a warning for Nancy from Alejandro (Vincent Laresca), and Nancy has to take matters into her own hands when confronted.
“The Puishment Lighter”
1.9 The Punishment Lighter Airdate: 10/03/05
Nancy opens her bakery shop but faces a setback when she loses her supply to a campus security cop (Todd Stashwick) while meeting with Sanjay. Nancy turns down Alejandro’s advances but is warned by Alejandro that she’ll need protection. Heylia and Conrad learn about Nancy’s loss and wonders how she’ll make up the supply. Shane’s misbehavior at school causes Silas to lash out and pushes him closer to Megan’s family.
“The Godmother”
1.10 The Godmother Airdate: 10/12/05
Conrad is warned by Heylia to stay away from Nancy after solving her problem at the college, and Conrad tries to push a new way of growing marijuana. Celia finds Isabella experimenting with a friend, and Isabella realizes her old mother is back. Andy gets bad word from the government and tries to find a way to get out of the army. Silas drops a bomb on Nancy, and Nancy questions how she should handle her family. When Conrad goes behind Heylia’s back, Nancy, Alejandro, Sanjay, Doug, Andy, and Dean find themselves in a potential new business venture. A decision by Nancy to see Peter reveals Peter has secrets also.
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