Weeds: Season One Review

If Showtime didn't know exactly what it had on its hands when the pilot episode of "Weeds" first reached the eyes of their network executives, there is no doubt that they are fully aware of the gem they're holding onto now. Created by Jenji Kohan, who has also done work for "Sex and the City", "Will & Grace" and more. "Weeds" first made its debut in August 2005 and would be the highest rated series for the network that year.

Dubbed 'Desperate Housewives on Marijuana', Weeds has continued to rise in popularity, and has just ended its fourth successful season. On July 18, 2008, it was announced that that production on the series will continue with two more seasons, each with thirteen episodes. But let's take a look back at how this all started with a review of Weeds: Season One.

The series picks up shortly after the death of Judah Botwin, husband of Nancy Botwin (played by Mary Louise-Parker) and breadwinner of the family that also includes two children; Silas (played by Hunter Parrish) and his younger brother, Shane (Alexander Gould). As a homemaker Nancy is left clueless as how to raise her two children as a single mother, and she finds that she can make ends meet rather easily by selling marijuana.

Before long Nancy starts to develop a pretty big business and a lucrative customer base; including amongst others her personal CPA Doug Wilson, who is played by Kevin Nealon of Saturday Night Live Fame and a lawyer, Dean Hodes (played by Andy Milder). Dean is having marital problems with his Wife Celia (Elizabeth Perkins) - and as a result of Celia tormenting their pre-pubescent daughter on account of her weight, Isabelle Hodes (played by Allie Grant) is taking the side of her father.

Nancy's brother-in-law Andy Botwin, played by Justin Kirk, shows up unannounced and invites himself to move in. He quickly finds himself unexpectedly joining Nancy in her new business when he picks up one of her packages from his old friend, Conrad, who is played by Romany Malco.

But of course there are plenty of hazards and dangers associated with selling drugs, as she soon finds out. For starters, her main dealer, Heylia James (played by Tonye Patano) lives with her nephew Conrad in a crime-ridden ghetto; complete with drive-bys, rival drug dealers and gangbangers. After a visit one day, Nancy is shaken down by campus security at the local college, who takes her entire supply.

Unbeknownst to anybody, Conrad tracks down the security guard, roughs him up and returns the drugs back to Nancy. Heylia doesn't approve of this at all, and tensions begin to rise between Nancy and her dealers. At the same time her oldest son Silas is becoming sexually active, and her youngest, Shane is starting to act out by writing gangster raps in school and biting and kicking kids in the groin during karate class; all of this comes to a head when Silas' girlfriend is forced to have an abortion by her parents and Shane starts a fire in his school gymnasium.

Nancy eventually starts a bakery as a cover business for all the cash that is suddenly coming in. But in the season finale of the first season of Weeds, she finds her whole world turned upside down once again when she realizes that the guy she has been dating, Peter Scottson (played by Martin Donovan) works for the DEA.