MUFFApproved: Mary + Jane
Just two girls changing their lives, one blunt at a time.
Writer, Director, Executive Producer, Co-creator: Deborah Kaplan
From the amazing minds of Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont (the wonderful writing/directing duo behind Josie and The Pussycats), comes their new hit series about two lady weed dealers (and best friends) who are facing the world and empowering themselves… one blunt at a time. Mary + Jane wants us to know that, “Hey, girls can be weed dealers too.” In fact, it shows us that sometimes they are also better at it then their rival male counterparts. These girls built their marijuana business with just hopes and dreams, but now they thrive on top.
Mary + Jane is as if Broad City met Half Baked. You root for these girls to succeed, even in their most illegal business endeavours. It is way more than just two pretty girls selling dope. It’s clever and witty. This show encourages women to be women and to love themselves. Mary + Jane isn’t afraid to show how women truly think and feel.
For starters, Jordan (Scout Durwood) will cry over something that to most would seem insignificant, but to her is everything (like losing a chance at a 13-hand massage — I would cry too if I lost that). She isn’t afraid of her sexuality. She embraces it. She isn’t afraid to have casual sex. For Jordan, her true love is her job and she only needs a man when she feels like knocking boots. She creates her own happiness and can always see the opportunity in everything (like grabbing a massive wheel of brie before jumping the gates of a rehab clinic which she lied to get into so she could use their pool). See? Opportunity is everywhere.
Paige (Jessica Rothe), on the other hand, isn’t afraid to be vulnerable. She shows that just because you run a successful business, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a meaningful relationship with someone. The right someone, of course. For the majority of the first season, we see her pine over her ex, #softs3rve (Ravi Gavron), a famous street artist who she dated prior to his major success. Once reunited, however, she finds out (at a 1990’s themed birthday party) that he was just using her to hook up again and she takes a stand. (A brilliant one, I might add, and one we all wish we could do to our exes.) She fires up that ’90s karaoke machine, belts out “No Scrubs”, and somehow also manages to gets back up dancers. Legit, it is the perfect ‘drop the mic’ moment.
Through it all, these girls stick together and make the best of whatever happens. When all of L.A. disappears for Coachella and they are left all alone, do they sulk about missing the hottest show? Nope! They take their tops off and roam around the main streets! They steal a wax figure of Johnny Depp (or possibly Steven Tyler — it melts in the L.A. heat, so no one is sure)! They finally get a table at Little Plate, Big Spoon (another trendy hipster place)! They build themselves up on their own rights.
These two ganja-peneurs (like entrepreneurs but with weed) will win you over before Episode One is even completed. My favorite though is Episode 3, where—after using a bit too much marijuana-laced lube—the girls are able to talk openly with their lady parts. It will make you want to reconnect with yourself. Guaranteed.
Oh, by the way: Mary + Jane is executive produced by Snoop Dogg — California’s finest. Spoiler alert: there might be a musical number and he might be in it.
