Weeds, Season 4, Episode 1, "Mother Thinks the Birds Are After Her."

The popularity of Albert Brooks during the eighties has always been one of those unexplained mysteries, like the Bermuda Triangle or Stonehenge. Maybe the Stonecutters are involved somehow. I've never understood why he gets cast as the leading man in any production.

I'd heard that Brooks would be guest starring in season four, and I didn't think anything of it at the time. After watching the season premiere of Weeds, I think I might put some of his earlier comedies on my Netflix queue.

While I don't think his character, Lenny, is quite as interesting as Sullivan Groff (played by Matthew Modine in season three), Brooks does upstage Justin Kirk and Mary Louise Parker whenever he is in a scene with them.

The "A" storyline, involving Andy, Nancy, Silas, and Shane's family reunion with Lenny was a little dull, but Brooks managed to liven things up with his strangely casual, almost offhand performance.

Brooks is usually quite manic, and playing Lenny as such a laidback character was definitely playing against type, but the gambit paid off. With the addition of Albert Brooks to the cast, season four has gotten off to a quiet, albeit promising start.