Screener Girl Checks Out The New Seasons Of Weeds And Secret Diary Of A Call Girl

 

 

I have to tell you that I fell a little bit out of love with Weeds in the meandering, Mary-Kate Olsen infused Season 3.  The writers let everything get a little bit out of hand, they tried a bit too hard to get every cast member involved with each other, and by the end of the season when Nancy burned down her house, and rode away on a Segway, I wasn’t filled with anticipation for new episodes.

After seeing the first three episodes of Season 4, I’m officially a diehard fan again.  The Botwins take their screwed up family down further south to the home of Judah and Andy’s grandmother Bubby on the border of Mexico.  There they find the eldest Mr. Botwin, Andy’s dad Lenny (played brilliantly by Albert Brooks).  Lenny hates Nancy and she knows it, and accepts it, and is just awesome about it.  Lenny calls her “Not-Francie” because Judah should have married his perfect girlfriend Francie, and not our favorite pot dealer; she calls him Len against his wishes.  Mary Louise Parker is wicked good this season.  She is taking control of her ridiculously crazy life.  Her new role in Guillermo’s drug cartel involves some sketchy trips down Mexico Way.  Silas, Shane, and Andy are great as they interact with the dying Bubby and Lenny.  It brings a whole new dynamic to the family.  Also great?  The story of our favorite Agrestic/Majestic folks Doug, Dean, Celia, Sanjay, and Isabelle.  Long story short, thanks to Doug, Dean, Sanjay, and Isabelle, Celia is in jail and she gets a makeover that is to die for.  I like this Celia much better than Celia of seasons past.  If there is one thing I must gripe about it’s the fact that they have forgone the usual “indie stars and awesome musicians cover Little Boxes.”  Other than that, Weeds is back and better than ever!

 

Premiering Monday night after Weeds is the new series from across the pond – Secret Diary of a Call Girl.  Billie Piper (Rose from Doctor Who) stars as Hannah/Belle, the “Call Girl” in question.  She tells us about her life, both professional (where she’s Belle) and private (where she’s Hannah), down to the smallest detail.  In her private life, she is Hannah, a nighttime legal secretary.  She’s Daddy’s little girl, her best friend Ben is one of her ex-boyfriends (my newest crush Iddo Goldberg), and she doesn’t do anything that would make her mother blush.  Behind closed doors, her name is Belle Du Jour and she’s a high class prostitute.  The show has taken some heat for “glamorizing prostitution” but I don’t think it’s like that at all.  It doesn’t set out to make people think “man, prostitution is awesome” or anything like that.  In the way that a show about a writer might show the person writing but doesn’t preach “be a writer”, a show about a sex-worker shows the person sex-working but doesn’t preach “sleep with people for money!”  It explains a side of Hannah/Belle’s life that maybe most people wouldn’t normally get to see.  Once I started watching episode 1, I couldn’t stop watching until I finished episode 8.  The show is smart, witty, and entertaining.  Billie Piper is fabulous.  She’s vulnerable, lovable, despicable, sweet, every feeling or emotion you can imagine!  If you’re not a fan of nudity and crass language, maybe you should stay away, because they don’t skimp on the sex.  That said, don’t let the idea that it’s all about a sex-worker detract you from watching what could very well be your next guilty pleasure.