Why take the big risk of rebooting the show?
Jenji Kohan, Weeds creator and executive producer: “There’s a wisdom in television that you find what you’re doing right and then do it over and over again until you die. That wasn’t enough for us. We have such a great opportunity on Showtime to break the rules and follow the show where we want to see it go. And my writers were getting a little burnt out with suburbia. I said, ‘What can I do to keep you engaged and make it fresh again, not only to watch but to write?’ We were all excited to tackle some new issues and stomp on some new turf.”
Executive producer Roberto Benabib: “For us, the bigger risk would’ve been to stay in Agrestic and really start repeating ourselves. In the end, I think that scared us more than ripping up the sign and moving it somewhere else.”
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Did the move to the border require any interesting research?
Kohan: “We decided to take a ride along with the border patrol, which was fascinating. We met a border guard behind a McDonald’s somewhere, hopped in a van and drove around and asked questions. We just came back from that trip saying, ‘We have gas in the tank. This is an area where all sorts of drama is playing out and there are so many stories that can come out of this. We have to take advantage of it.’”
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Why do you think it took four seasons to nab a Best Comedy nod?
Benabib: “The Emmys aren’t like the Globes, which are very current and hip. I think with the Emmys, you kind of have to prove your mettle a little more. They’re not always looking for the next cool and interesting thing. I also think being on pay cable, it just takes awhile for everyone to be exposed to the show. We’re still hearing people say, ‘I just finally started watching Weeds, and I’m hooked,’ and we just finished our fifth year.”
Kohan: “I was really proud of Season 4. I don’t know if the move [to Ren Mar] made the difference, but it’s great to be recognized after such a big change in the show. [It feels like] people really accepted the change.”
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Were you worried about viewers accepting Nancy’s evolution from suburban pot dealer to border-crossing drug trafficker?
Benabib: “Our feeling is that she was always really that character. Where you joined her in Season 1 was in a fairly abnormal setting for her—trying to live a normal, middle-class suburban existence, and it just didn’t work for her. If you go back through the seasons, you’ll see a lot of references to a rebellious childhood and adolescence that laid the groundwork for someone who’s kind of an adrenaline junkie and very used to danger. She finally just became who she was always going to—and wanted to—become. The other thing is, we try not to shy away from the consequences of everything Nancy does. We try not to say, ‘Oh, we’ll lose the audience if we involve heroin.’ We know if we just tell the truth and Nancy reacts as anyone else would in that situation, you’ll still be able to keep audience sympathy.”
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Mary-Louise Parker earned her another nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy. What did she bring to the role of Nancy this season?
Benabib: “I think she brought the soul of the show with her. If you talk to people, they’ll say even though the show was different, it was still Weeds. And I think you can pretty much credit Mary-Louise with that.”
Were you surprised when she criticized how much nudity was shown in the season-finale bathtub scene?
Kohan: “I think that was all just a lot of hubbub. Mary-Louise is very comfortable with her body. She shows it off a lot, and if I looked like that, I’d do it, too. I don’t know where all that came from but frankly, it was right for the scene so no apologies here. It wasn’t about ‘hey, look at my tits.’ It was about being vulnerable and [emotionally] exposed.”
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What do you consider the most surprising development of the season?
Kohan: “Certainly the baby was the biggest surprise for the audience. During the course of the season, we decided to have Nancy get pregnant and it was the [finale’s] big twist: A new life saves an old life.”
Benabib: “Everyone was convinced that she was gonna lose the baby or get an abortion [in Season 5] because they couldn’t picture how we would have a pregnant Nancy and deal with a baby. Losing it would’ve been so much easier for the writers. But we’re very cognizant of the fact that the audience is not really happy when what they think is going to happen, happens. They feel let down. So it’s always fun to try and subvert those expectations.”
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What did Elizabeth Perkins bring to Celia this season?
Kohan: “Her little Franken-cha-cha [jail makeover] alone was outstanding! She’s a fantastic comedic actress but she also just breaks your heart. We put her through so much that season and she was just such a trooper.”
Benabib: “Elizabeth is so game for anything we throw at her and she makes it play so beautifully. She gives you what you envisioned and more as a writer. She’s also very important to the show because when Nancy’s stories get very dramatic, it’s nice to be able to cut to Celia and have her be very broadly comic.”
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Albert Brooks did a four-episode guest arc as Andy’s acerbic dad. How did that come about?
Kohan: “We made a wish list and he was No. 1. It’s still hard to believe we got our first choice. He’s indomitable. And he was so respectful of the writing. We were a little nervous because he’s a writer/director and we’re very protective of our words, but he was just there to act. It was a pleasure and an honor working with him. We’d certainly welcome him back anytime. I’m truly shocked he wasn’t nominated. That was really an oversight.”
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What are you looking forward to about attending the Emmys?
Kohan: “I have a hard time with these things, just the dress stress and all that stuff. I guess I’ve gotta grow in my leg hair so I can wax it. But I love the people watching. I get starstruck. It’s all these beautiful people in beautiful dresses right next to you, and it’s exciting. It’s almost like the tourist experience for me. I used to have a line or two in mind [for an acceptance speech] before I went to these things, just to be prepared like the good little Girl Scout I am. But I don’t know if I’m gonna do that this year, just because I don’t think we’re gonna win. I guess if we do, I’ll be up there gulping and saying, ‘Uhhhhh….’ But it would be nice to have the opportunity to make a fool out of myself.”
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