Here's a question: Was Nancy always sort of a moron, or has she just been hypnotized by the sound of the ocean? It's been a couple of years since I saw the first season of Weeds, but I seem to recall her being fairly savvy for a first-time dealer. Sure, she bumbled a bit, but she seemed to approach the whole endeavor with an appropriate air of caution, at least. In tonight's episode, however, she seemed pretty wide-eyed and trusting for a woman who's been in the drug trade for a good stretch of time and has come face to face with its scary side more than once. Has she just accepted her new role as a pretty white lady in a short skirt, giving herself up to fate after facing a series of traumatic blunders last season? Or does she actually think she's gonna be able to doe-eye her way through customs on a regular basis when she can't even remember to bring a passport with her to Mexico?
Granted, it turns out Nancy's first trip over the border was a dry run, with Guillermo filming her for evaluation purposes. While that explains how she was able to evade drug-sniffing dogs and several border patrolmen who didn't seem to take to her flighty suburban lady routine, it doesn't bode well for her future as a mule. Nor does the fact that Creepy DEA Agent Man is already on her tail, revealed in an excellent final scene where he shows an imprisoned Celia a photo of the fugitive Botwin and her Mexican benefactor.
Of course, that doesn't mean it wasn't entertaining to watch Nancy squirm her way through customs–Mary Louise Parker can play adorable like no fortysomething woman should be able to. But I'd really like to see Nancy relying on quick thinking and pluck again, rather than on a series of lucky breaks and flashing her gams over and over. Hopefully Guillermo–who seems to be ever so slowly adding a little more dimension to his flat gangbanger personality–has plans for her outside of flirting her way through customs every week. Judging by how quickly shit seems to be hitting the fan with the DEA investigation, I think there's a good chance that'll be the case.
Back to that investigation–poor Celia! Perhaps because she's so bitchy and brash most of the time, it's especially moving when Celia is genuinely vulnerable and terrified (see also, her breast cancer storyline). While it's always nice to see a villain get her due, the schaednefruede has worn off and Celia's plight is starting to see genuinely pathetic. Even Isabelle–who, if you recall, just last week encouraged Doug, Dean, and Sanjay to point the finger at her mom–seems remorseful. Of course, Doug and Dean continue to blissfully wallow in her misery like pigs in shit, but it's a little tougher to jump in on the joking when a bruised Celia–who's apparently been inducted into a gang of Cholas against her will–is whimpering on the other side of the glass. Of course, I have no doubt that once she's vindicated–and she will be, because it's Celia–her quest for payback will win back her Queen Bitch title. I've gotta give it up for Elizabeth Perkins for playing both sides of that coin so convincingly.
There wasn't a whole lot of excitement within the Ren Mar contingent tonight, as Andy, Silas, and Shane remain essentially house-bound while Lenny jets off to the track. While we learned more about the tension between Andy and his father–a young Andy failed to place a winning bet at the track for ol' deadbeat dad–and got some truly pathetic scenes of young Shane taking care of his bedridden Bubbee, almost all of the action focused on Nancy tonight. That was fine this time–that border crossing was about all the tension I could handle–but I'm hoping things develop more on the home front. Silas and Andy's Van Full O' Pot suggests the family business might soon become a true family business once again. And more Albert Brooks, always more Albert Brooks.
Grade: B
Stray Observations
–Very little Doug tonight. Too bad.
–So long, "Little Boxes." Hello, boring-ass title-card.
–Judging by last week's comments, y'all seem to know a lot more about smuggling drugs than I do, so here's another question: Would Nancy have made it over the border if she had had drugs in her car this time? She seemed to be under a hell of a lot of scrutiny for someone who was supposedly tapped for how inconspicuous she is.
–On that note, is that what the inhalers were for? A decoy? Or does Guillermo have asthma?
–Man, you commenters really don't like Guillermo. I thought he showed some improvement tonight, though. He's still not on the level of Heylia as far as Nancy's mentors go, but at least he has more of a sense of humor than U-Turn.
–Nancy, it's time to learn Spanish already.
–Oh yeah, Bubbee woke up long enough to say she wants to die. Ho hum.