Weeds: Taking jumping the shark to a whole new level

I have been watching Weeds for a couple years now. I started around the third season and have been following ever since. When I started watching what pulled me in was the dichotomy between Nancy the housewife/drug dealer living in the picture perfect cookie cutter town. This juxtaposition is what held my attention. It is what drew in the initial audience.

So when Nancy and the rest of the Botwins moved to San Diego in the fifth season, I continued to watch because the core themes were carried over into the new setting. Then the season got out of control. Mexican drug lords, tunnels under pregnant women fashion stores, and coked up Cecilia.

When that season ended I had no idea where the series was going to go. Apparently a road trip was needed. So the Botwins took to the American roads on a Jesus mobile RV. More nonsense ensued. Nancy started growing hash in the washing machine in the RV. It was like my parents' forced motorhome roadtrips but on crack. Similar to my parents' roadtrips, their adventure ended in metro-Detroit.


I don't know if you could call what Weeds is doing "jumping the shark" but it sure is getting close. The season ended as expected, no spoiler alerts here, but the season finale didn't really open up much room for story development after the final scene.

Queue seventh season. Three years later, and now the Botwins are living in New York City, living the city life. I won't lie, I am enjoying the latest season, but much of it just seems contrived. Everything is working out way too well for the drug dealing family from Agrestic. With only a couple more episodes left, I expect shit to hit the fan real soon. There will probably be some kind of explosion, houses set on fire, something to get the Botwins so close to "jumping that inevitable shark" but hold back a little longer to make room for another ridiculous ninth season.

Top Ten Comedies...Thus said Emmy

Ok, I know the Emmy noms came out yesterday and this entry is like...3 weeks late, but I have been busy and I need to complain about the choices that the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences made for their top ten lists for dramas and comedies. To begin this little adventure, we shall start with the much loved and sometimes unexplainable comedies.

Top 10 Finalists for Best Comedy:
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
The Office
Pushing Daisies
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

To begin this rant I will start with the one show I never really understood why it has been a success since its induction into the CBS comedy hour (or is it two hours?). Why the hell do people like Two and a Half Men. Ok, I will admit when it first came on I might have let out a yelp seeing my beloved 1980's New Wave cool dude Duckie, but then I was put in my place when I then realized that Duckie had become a chiropractor. What would Andie say?

The show has its moments like other annoying shows such as scenes with Joey in them from friends and that dog on Fraiser. Other than that, the show is annoying, deals with the same issues constantly (that kid doesnt do his homework, Charlie Sheen sleeps with a lot of women, and Jon Cryer has no life). ATAS, get over this Two and a Half Men obsession and recognize good shows like Flight of the Conchords (good job, no really I am quite suprised), 30 Rock (again great decision), and It's Always Sunny in Philadeplia (I will forgive you this year).

There are even better shows in that CBS Monday line up that deserve that position more than Two and a Half Men, like The Big Bang Theory. Gotta love those theoretical physicist nerds. Or even better, How I Met Your Mother. Neil Patrick Harris is great on that show, along with Willow and Nick Andopolis, I mean Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segal. Charlie Sheen is not funny, Duckie is a sell out, and that kid (does anyone actually know his name?) I think may be getting fatter as the series continues, which I think think might take away the halfness of his manness (?).
The rest of the shows are ok, I guess. Ugly Betty stills annoys me, but its second season is nothing like its first. I wasn't expecting much though. Gotta love marijuana dealing moms on Weeds. But come on, Family Guy? Are you trying to make a statement that cartoons can be great comedies too? I mean, I don't disagree, but you chose Family Guy. Curb Your Enthusiasm is still on the air? Oh yeah! Entourage is still pulling in audiences with mediocre writing, but I still love to watch the show. Turtle makes me chuckle. Good job with Pushing Daises too. Who doesn't love pie, pie shops, and bringin' back people from the dead?