You know that things are going to shit in Weeds when Andy and Doug seem like the sanest, most pulled-together guys in the bunch. Sure, their coyote operation may have hit a snag during its maiden voyage–Andy forgot to get payment–but for a couple of guys whose biggest passions in life used to be bong rips and porn, the ease with which they were able to sneak a baseball team's worth of illegals across the border is pretty admirable. Granted, their newest passion may be equally morally sketchy and self-serving (Andy's in it for the money and his apparent Moses complex, Doug's in it for his Mermex), but they're actually getting shit done.
The same can't really be said for Nancy, whose biggest accomplishment this episode was finding the shortest skirt in North America for her "date" with Esteban. If there were any doubts that Nancy's habit of finding herself in dangerous situations is anything other than a fetishistic desire, this episode laid them to rest. Discovering that Guillermo had put out a hit on her (only to be overruled by Esteban), surviving a shower of gunfire at a restaurant, and observing feeding time for her newest suitor's pet lion: Any of these events would probably cause a sane person to head screaming back over the border. But her day with Esteban seemingly pushed all of Nancy's buttons just right, judging by the way in which they chose to wrap up the date. (And if that didn't do it, her "I don't like the calm" comments should settle the issue.)
I know Nancy's supposed to be the heart of this show, but she's become a more and more despicable, selfish character as this season has gone on. Everything she does is in the name of keeping her family afloat, yet almost everyone she knows is floundering, particularly her youngest son and the closest thing she has to a female friend. While a part of me loved Shane asserting himself at his new school by bashing the King of the School in the face with a lunch tray, it's just another bullet point in the list of reasons why the kid should probably be institutionalized, or at least monitored by licensed professionals. And left to her own devices, Celia has made her way down the steepest, fastest downward spiral I've ever seen into the realm of a coked-out crazy (from booze to pills to speed in only a few short episodes!). Silas is doing okay in his own way, though I think it's only because of the competition that his mom-fucking, pot-growing behavior (at age 17, keep in mind) seems tame. The very thing that Nancy keeps claiming is her foundation, her family, is crumbling, yet she seems to take little notice. Her feeble protest that she had to drop her son off for his first day of school when Cesar arrived to collect her for a meeting with Esteban seemed born more of the desire to avoid the meeting than protecting her youngest son from yet another scarring, which he gets anyway. ("Can't I do drug things with you guys?") Not to mention her betrayal of Guillermo, who, like him or not, did provide her with an escape from Agrestic and a means of survival–hell, prosperity–in Ren Mar. But she's seemingly too caught up in finding her next adrenaline rush to notice the people she's screwing over.
That said, I liked this episode despite Nancy's behavior. Though it seems to be a little rushed, we're getting some interesting character development on all fronts this season. And now that Cheese Lady has offered up her back room for horticultural purposes, it seems like Silas and his growing operation might turn into something more than a footnote on this show–though maybe not until next season. (Seems like the show's creators have taken notice of Hunter Parrish's heartthrob potential.) Then there's the big, limping problem coming Andy's way in the form of the coyote he shot a few episodes back. And what about Isabelle? She might soon start regretting her decision to live with Celia–speed freaks make bad roommates, what with all the teeth grinding and nosebleeds. Sure, Nancy's carelessness may have damaged the people around her, but it's also made them a lot more interesting.
Grade: B+
Stray observations
–And Doug's back with the zingers! His radio chatter during his fake border-patrol shift: "Not a bean on the tortilla. No spic, just span."
–Hey, it's Davenport! And he's finally going to Davenport (Lake, Florida)! Good for him. Can we get a Marzipan update, por favor?
–Okay, I know I'm ragging on Nancy a lot this week, but her doe-eyed flightiness has started to get a bit of a stench of trashiness to it. Her repeated use of the phrase "I have to pee," showing off her purse full of Twizzlers and tampons, chugging a bottle of beer–these are the behaviors of a ditzy teenage girl, not a grown woman, much less one that a successful mayor-type like Esteban would fall for. A little decorum, please, Nancy.
–What was the significance of Nancy drawing the mustache on the poster of Esteban in the bathroom? Just another example of her recklessness–he is the mayor, after all–or is she purposely disrespecting him?
–And of course: boobs! Was that the first time MLP has gone topless in this show? I'm sure someone out there is keeping track of such things.