Customer Reviews

Weeds Season 4

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

for my favorite tv show. Yes, this season was a major departure from the original premise of the show, some people may be put off by how different it is. It's more violent, more disturbing, and much more intense. But it had me on the edge of my seat during almost every episode and I loved the new additions to the cast, specifically Demian Bichir. Mary-Louise Parker was phenomenal, and I loved the direction Andy's (Justin Kirk) character took. There is still humor, but it's much less zany. My one criticism is what they did with Doug - he simply doesn't fit in well outside of Agrestic. But Nancy's progression from small-time dealer to a player in a Mexican drug cartel and its moral implications whose fascinating to watch, and Jenji Kohan turned in a terrific finale, as usual.

I don't see how anyone can only give this show one star. This season was definitely different, but it was about time they headed off in a new direction. The characters all had a fresh start in season 4 after most of Agrestic burned down. There are some really funny subplots and big surprises along the way. Many times I found myself wondering what the hell Nancy was doing and how could this possibly turn out okay for her in the end? But that only added to the suspense and my enjoyment. My only true criticism was that Conrad and his family were not accounted for. I hope they make a comeback sometime in the future to stir things up!

Weeds, Season Four.

The catchy theme song we all loved to sing along with while getting excited for the latest episode is gone, replaced by clever logos and an imaginative script. Too imaginative, to say the least. Remember when Nancy was a bad mother who at least tried to do well by her children? When Doug was always comedy gold, Celia was bitchy but loveable, and Shane was innocent? Sadly, those days are over, folks. Never have I seen a cast once so endearing transform into characters I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Thank God for El Andy, who at least retains his charm and seems to be the only character winning over more audience love with time. Nancy Botwin is now officially a horrible person. One of the fascinations of this show was watching her balance that thin line between Suburbia and the Grasslands while juggling single parenthood. She was imperfect; a poor decision maker for sure, but at least she tried to bridge the gap between her growing(ly distant) sons. Her character has now officially all but given up any effort at all at maternal humanity. She goes through so many men that I've lost count and didn't have time to form any sort of attachment with any of those characters except Conrad, who despite all those seasons of subtle romantic build-up, all but disappears from this latest season. When did Doug become a grouchy demanding irritant? Wasn't he everyone's favorite member of Agrestic? By the way, whatever happened to Agrestic? Oh yeah. Up in flames like everything else in the series. Agrestic played such a central role in the series it was a character unto itself. No more. The Botwins now live by the seaside in Ren-Mar where they engage in plenty of acts that are anything but comical. Celia's character was initially written to be the next-door-neighbor, mother, and wife from hell (and the friend you should never double cross). Over the seasons, her character has melted into sheer terror. There is NOTHING funny about locking your ex-husband in a closet and abusing him. I'm pretty darn liberal when it comes to my sense of humor, but a lot of what is being pawned off as comedy is atrocious and completely amoral beyond belief, even for a TV show. I'm actually insulted that some of this is supposed to be laugh-worthy and frankly, disturbed by the implications. I guess the only realistic aspect of this show now is that Shane and Silas would find their way into the drug underworld relatively early in life given their upbringing. Even Guillermo nosedived into scary. This is certainly NOT the season I'd ever want to watch. The entire thing was blanketed in a darkness so thick and storylines so unpleasant I dare not purchase the season and will gladly forget it ever happened if Season Five can resurrect any shred of credibility to its mangled fate. After all that viewing, it appears the show is indeed made of ticky-tacky and like everything else on TV, looks just the same.

The first time I watched weeds I didnt like it. For some reason I watched another episode and absolutely fell in love with it. I now own seasons 1-3 and have just preordered season 4 (which I have already seen on showtime). The cast is great. I really like Kevin Nealon's character, absolutely hilarious!

If for some reason you are having doubts as to buying this season, believe me, it is as good if not better than the other 3. I would encourage you to start from season 1 (which is also cheap on amazon.com) so you can see all the character development. Season 4 is great on it's own(it was the first season I watched prior to buying 1-3) but watching the other 3 first would make it even better!

In Season 4...oh so much happens. Nancy and her family moves from Agrestic. Silas grows up A LOT...and so does Shane. Nancy has moved up in the business and made some serious connections that potentially could end poorly until alas that last moment of the last episode, just the way I love Weeds! Season 4 will keep you watching, glued to your TV. Can't wait til I can watch again :)

I enjoyed the first three seasons of 'Weeds' and I found the beginning of the fourth season relatively engaging, Albert Brooks helped. But the show went off the track as the season went on. I have no problem with dark material, 'The Wire' and 'Deadwood' and 'Dexter' I find brilliant in their own ways. But this season of 'Weeds' turned into shallow melodrama where the writers either ran out of ideas or were suffering personal anger issues that they decided to channel through their characters. Almost every character became a hollowed out version of their former selves. And don't tell me this is some sort of social realism, it was mostly just absurd. I felt angry with the creators and writers of this show by the end as they had taken an interesting show and debased it so horribly. I honestly don't know how so many people can give this season decent reviews? Either intelligence is being lost or maybe shallow spectacle is overtaking substance in culture, certainly in this season of 'Weeds'. Maybe I value some depth to characters more than others. Try and find much of any human heart or compassion in anyone this season, outside of aspects of Andy? This season of 'Weeds' suffers in contrast with shows like 'Mad Men' and 'Dexter' that handle 'darkness' and social commentary with much more subtley, nuance and insight. But that would be giving Weeds Season 4 too much credit.

Other than the weak spot, for me, of having Nancy romancing a man who uses violent henchmen to run drugs and also puts her over his knee, this is a pretty strong season of hilarious dialogue, wacky situations like Doug and Andy trying to be coyotes, the marvelous Elizabeth Perkins tearing it up every minute she has on screen as Celia Hodes, a star turn by the wonderful Albert Brooks as Nancy's father-in-law, and a new location: beach grow houses.

I do miss the Agrestic and Majestic days and the little boxes, but I quickly got used to the new digs, the new weeds, and the Cheese shop being turned into a front along with the maternity store front.

MLP is as great as ever with her timing and delivery.

I really wanted to rate this 3 stars but in all honesty I've got to make it 4 stars. This is because I keep telling myself that this show is stupid and ridiculous and only an idiot would watch it. Then, of course, this idiot is there the following week taking in the newest episode after swearing that the week before was the last time with this show. If I were not now watching the newest season, 5, in exactly the same way, I might be able to make myself believe that season 4 was no good but c'mon, even I'm not that thick.

This is a bizarre season. We leave suburbia for good with the usual cast of characters and take up residence near the Mexican border. So Nancy now is living much more like an outlaw and no more like a soccer mom. Nancy becomes involved with a Mexican drug lord and is as over her head as she was when she was involved with the rogue DEA agent. I have never really understood why Nancy had to go into dealing drugs as her employment when she found herself stranded in suburbia as a widowed soccer mom in season one but 4 seasons in, I've given up trying to understand any logic or reason to the characters in this show.

Coming as no surprise is the character who has grown and grown with each season is her brother-in-law Andy (Justin Kirk). I say this is no surprise because the two people on the show with substantial success in other (deeper) work are Kirk and Parker herself. Kirk was the main character on both stage and screen for ANGELS IN AMERICA. Parker also had a big part in ANGELS IN AMERICA. That show walked off with just about all the Emmys the year it came out. It was the poetic masterpiece about America in the time of AIDS.

Celia (Elizabeth Perkins) remains the most witchy, caustic, non-mom, non-wife, non-worker in the show. If everyone seems to fall in love with Nancy, they fall in hate with Celia. She is the Nancy antidote.

Shane as the bright kid who has to grow up in this bizarre environment, remains strong on the show. As usual, he seems more like the parent to Nancy than the child.

The other, usual characters from prior seasons seem more peripheral this time around. They seem to be just along for the ride and it might be better to just jettison them all together.

I've always liked Parker, Kirk and Perkins as actors. I viewed all their other work as more substantive than this but there must be some reason I keep watching this show. Maybe it is just that I like seeing three very talented actors from stage and screen slugging it out in one outrageous situation after another week after week.

Everything that was enjoyable about the first season is pretty much changed and gone with this season. Her interaction with Helia and family - Gone. The soccer mom turned drug dealer - gone. The chicanery of the neighbors in the burbs is gone as well. Andy is no longer funny, as he used to be. Shane is no longer cute. Doug used to be hilarious. No more.

Had this been season 1, I wouldn't have watched Season 2. However, I'm still hooked and have to continue to see how things play out, so I'll be watching more. But by this season, the only characters I don't dislike are Conrad and Celia.

Albert Brooks? Not funny at all. Not even a little.
I miss the gut busting laughs and I keep watching in hopes that they get that back.

Weeds season 4 is a rather interesting beast in how dramatic a change the show has undergone. No longer does the show revolve around the suburban mockings of a pot dealing soccer mom, but instead revolves around drug (among other things) trafficking. While this season did feel fresh (let's be honest the idea was starting to get stale), it also kind of left me hating the main character. While she has always been on the border of moral person trying to help her family, and immoral thrill seeker, this season really pushed her far beyond someone I care about. Sure there's a few moments of morality, but the reality is they were forced. Frankly, at this point, Nancy has consistently ignore her children, put them in danger, and raised a teenager who wants to do nothing but grow pot, with a young barely teenager having threesomes.

So, with all of my complaints, why am I giving this a four stars? Well, the show is still pretty funny, though I'm far more interested in Andy and Kevin Nealon's character than the botwin clan. I liked where most of the stories went, but can't deny that I just don't feel for Nancy anymore. Almost everytime she gets in trouble, its her fault. She could've been out of the game time and time again, but she stays with it, not to help her family, but for her own thrills. So if you can get past the complete lack of sympathy, they shows very entertaining.

Oh yeah, and the blu ray looks great.