Most critics like Weeds, and the praise clusters on Mary-Louise Parker. Her widowed suburban mother turned dealer is called tough, witty and believable, and several reviews credit her with keeping the show grounded. The satire of suburbia is the other point of agreement: a witty script that lets real distress show through without turning sentimental, and a refusal to moralise about the drugs. Elizabeth Perkins is singled out alongside Parker, and the roles it writes for women in their forties are noted approvingly.
The reservations are about tone. Variety finds it leans towards drama rather than comedy and takes time to find its footing, while The Hollywood Reporter calls it bleaker and less hopeful than its obvious suburban-secrets comparison. The AV Club notes early production values below HBO’s. No review is negative; the spread runs from lukewarm to warm, and the later reviews, written with several series to judge, are the more enthusiastic.