Weeds

The final season of this odd Showtime show was not very good.  I always liked the show’s quirkiness but lately it had started to become long in the tooth.  How long could this woman keep selling marijuana for?  How many ways can she find of getting away with it?  How many more dangerous situations can she get herself out of without serious consequences?

Weeds had clearly endured past its shelf life, and I was all but ready to stop watching it when I found out that this would be its last season.  Ultimately though, it left me wanting for a send-off more in line with the show’s rebellious spirit than this attempt to please everyone.

Many years have passed since we last saw Nancy Botwin and now she’s apparently quite rich, the opposite of what she was when we first met her, which forced her to start selling weed to begin with.  She feels like a completely different character.  Her extended “family” seems to be doing quite well too, each in their own way, which again runs counter to what we had grown accustomed to.  Most jarring though is the fact that they seem to now live in a very distant future without having aged more than a few years (their telephones feel like 2080 and marijuana production is legalized across the nation).

Ray enjoyed the way the show ended but for me it concluded in the worst possible way.  I’d have preferred to see them destitute and on their way to the next big adventure rather than rich and settled.  It just felt like a copout on the part of the creators.

Overall, the show was well made and enjoyable, it had just grown too old and weak under its own weight I guess.  I’d still recommend the first 4 or 5 seasons to everyone though.  Mary-Louise Parker is phenomenal and I’d take any chance to lay my eyes on Hunter Parrish, thank you very much!!

Grade – Season 8: 5

Grade for the Show: 7