"Weeds": still rolling with more to come

In a somewhat ironically timed announcement, one of the best-written shows on television has been renewed for a fourth season.

Weeds, Showtime's most popular original show, is due to start production in April for a summer 2008 premiere. If the writers strike isn't settled fairly quickly, that schedule will, of course, change. (Hey, producer/mogul types, just give the writers their fair share of DVD and new media sales, mm-kay?) But whenever the next season is, I'm happy we'll be seeing more of the ever-hot Mary-Louise Parker, who plays pot-selling mom Nancy Botwin, and Elizabeth Perkins as her frustrated foil, Celia Hodes.

Weeds' third season has managed to stay original and funny, with enough twists to keep me hooked. (No way to say that without a drug pun.) It's a bit darker than seasons one and two, but still full of the edgy humor that makes the show so brilliant. I think Matthew Modine is a strong addition to the cast as the sleazy developer of Majestic, a Christian community next to Agrestic. I could live without his continual boinking of Nancy and Celia, but I like the fact that he is so blatant about using bribery and manipulation to bring "family values" to the area.

Brooke Smith has been wonderful, as always. I loved her character Valerie's interaction with Nancy (despite its irritating heterosexuality) and hate to see Smith's guest stint end.

The jury is still out on Mary-Kate Olsen, as far as I'm concerned. Her character, Tara, is supposed to be an interesting contradiction as a Christian, pot-smoking and -dealing, virgin vixen. But I have no interest in Tara at all. I'm not sure if it's her lack of chemistry with Hunter Parrish's Silas or just bad acting, but, well, who cares? On the other hand, Sprague Grayden has joined the cast as Denise, and I'm already invested in her on the basis of hotness alone.

I'm sure you're keeping up with Weeds through Jen and Emma's vlog, Lesbian Weeds Watching, so I'll leave the nuances of plot to them. But let me know what you think of season three. Are you still watching? Are you happy with the way the story lines are going? What would you like to see happen in the closing weeks of season three? And may I show you just one more hot picture of Mary-Louise?