In a summer filled with reality television, the re-emergence of one of TV's funniest shows is something to celebrate. Weeds, the clever marijuana comedy, returns with the premiere of its fourth season tonight at 10pm on Showtime. The series returns after a major change in last season's finale: the central town of Agrestic was set ablaze, as was protagonist Nancy Botwin's house.

How does Weeds move on from such a massive overhaul? By heading full-steam ahead in a bold new direction. The Botwin clan is on the run and wind up in a beachside town on the California-Mexico border

Moving Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) to a completely new town is only the first of many wonderful changes for season 4, which is as fast-paced and charming as ever. Albert Brooks joins the cast as Lenny, Nancy's father-in-law. The veteran comedian is smart enough not to overplay the character, which is often the secret to the show's success. The situations and dialogue on this show are so rich that overacting is not needed – Brooks plays it straight. The addition also gives a much-needed storyline to Andy (Justin Kirk), Lenny's hapless son who was never as good in his father's eyes as his older brother.

If you're wondering if this change means the rest of this brilliant supporting cast is out of a job, you're wrong. The fallout from the Agrestic wildfire is followed as Doug (Kevin Nealon, in the role of a lifetime) and his buddies attempt to cover up the police's discovery of their grow house. Celia gets entwined in this scheme, and as is so often the case, Elizabeth Perkins shines in the woefully small role she is given.

The cast is not entirely without loss, as Conrad (Romany Malco) and Heylia (Tonye Patano) are nowhere to be found. It won't be the same without them, but it's the right move from a storytelling perspective. These two have been in the drug game long enough to understand that when the heat is on (figuratively and literally), a smart drug dealer vanishes.

What happens to Nancy on the border and Celia in Agrestic are two twists better left for the viewer to discover himself, but needless to say, Weeds remains as dense and intricate as ever. Not a single scene is wasted, every moment and line is moving the plot forward, and, somehow, nearly every episode ends with a show-changing moment that leaves you desperately wanting to see the next one. The first two episodes back deliver on that front, making every episode some of the funniest, best and fastest 30 minutes on TV.


-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of Showtime)