The Show
Weeds is one of those great arch, subversive shows we only find on Showtime and its premium-channel ilk, a sympathetic soap opera of sorts about a single mom (a brilliantly cast Mary-Louise Parker) who turns to selling marijuana in her idyllic suburban community in order to get by. Every season represents change, but in Season Four the most drastic was the shift in the setting, as the characters picked up and moved to/near Mexico, eventually getting in bed with the Mexican drug cartel. I was all set to call Weeds a "dramedy" until I was reminded how the writing sparkles with wit first and foremost, as even the darker plot elements are given an ironic, amusing touch. If you're not easily offended, Weeds is top-notch entertainment in easy-to-digest half-hour buds.
The Picture
Detail and color in the 1.78:1 presentation are excellent, right down to the actors' pores, or a tiny bit of sparkle in someone's eye shadow, or the fine textures of clothing. Noise is very faint in some places, but unfortunately heavy in others, so overall the look can be somewhat inconsistent. The show is shot digitally which generally serves the image well, with a very crisp, pleasing look most of the time.
The Sound
Top-of-the-line DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound is very ambitious for a weekly TV series soundtrack, and frankly it is overkill for Weeds. The mix is appropriate to the content; that is, most of the time it is pretty tame and front-heavy, so we don't miss any of the snappy dialogue; and when there is any action other than people standing around talking, the other speakers finally come to life. There's the occasional exaggerated sound effect like a prison door slamming, and when a smartly chosen song is used, it's a very full and enjoyable multichannel remix. A pretty serious firefight breaks out in Episode 12, but the artistic decision was made to execute it without the sound of any gunshots whatsoever.
The Extras
This is an extremely well-produced Blu-ray set, with generous quantity, quality, and sophistication of bonus features. Seven of the 13 episodes carry commentary tracks, some representing the first-ever by the talented cast and crew. Participants include series creator Jenji Kohan, executive producer Roberto Benabib, and actors Elizabeth Perkins, Allie Grant, Hunter Parrish, Kevin Nealon and Justin Kirk. In addition, Kevin and Justin can be seen on "Coyote BonusView" Picture-In-Picture, together in the recording booth.
Featurettes abound as well, all of them in high-definition. "The Real Hunter Parrish" (six minutes) takes us up-close with the young heartthrob, while the set decorator gives us the "Tour of Bubbie's House," a frequently-used new set (about eight minutes). "One Stop Chop Shop" explains the quest for authenticity in recreating Tijuana (five-and-a-half minutes) and "The Weed Wranglers" goes on for six minutes about the fake but convincing prop pot. "Burbs to Beach" is a further discussion of the radical locale change, sharing more of the thinking behind it (six-and-a-half minutes), as "Little Titles" chronicles the artistic changes made to the beloved opening titles (five-and-a-half minutes). "Moving Weight" 9.5 reveals the character Guillermo's shady specialty, with the unusual bonus of a real lawyer's perspective on drug enforcement, and "I'm a Big Kid Now" introduces us to the child co-stars (nine-and-a-half minutes each). Last up is an eight-and-a-half-minute gag reel.
Final Thoughts
With one of the best casts on television, Weeds is funny, endearing and (despite what you've heard about marijuana) highly addictive. The Blu-ray tech specs are amazing, and the picture and sound are likely limited only by the source material itself, while the outstanding extras put many other TV BDs to shame.
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