Well, looks like I wasn't the only one unimpressed by Nancy's border-run last week; apparently Guillermo didn't take to her "Technicolor slut suit" antics either. This week, after a quick lesson in how to not draw so much fucking attention to yourself, dumbass, Nancy takes second attempt at running mota–this time with actual product, not to mention a stowaway criminal, on board–to greater success. So much success, in fact, that it's barely addressed at all, the majority of tonight's episode instead focusing on Bubbee's last-minute "kill me" plea from the last episode.
So how did that little study in the ethics of euthanasia sit with everyone? Although it was a bit of a departure from typical Weeds territory, I found that I didn't mind it, mainly because it served as a jumping-off point for a couple of nice moments with Albert Brooks and an unexpectedly good speech from the normally shallow Andy ("Life is just blah…"). I wouldn't want to see it stretched out over more than one episode–and indeed, it looks like this is probably the end of Bubbee's tenure on the show–but I thought it was interesting to see the family deal with a problem that didn't stem from one of Nancy's fuck-ups. However, my friend who watched with me was less impressed, saying he missed "classic Weeds," presumably meaning the show's salad days of suburbia-bashing and Milfweed. I'll admit that this episode (and this season, so far) doesn't really resemble that show all that much; but I'd argue that you can't go home again, and despite some growing pains, I'm intrigued by how this new version of Weeds is fleshing out, focusing more on Nancy's personal and family problems (and presumably one huge-ass problem in that DEA agent who's after her) instead of the ins and outs of the small-scale suburban drug scene.
I think the big test for this season will come when the family moves out of Bubbee's home and presumably out of Len's life–Albert Brooks isn't signed on as a regular, and his departure is imminent. So far Brooks has been a little ray of sunshine in this dour new situation the family Botwin has found itself in, and I wonder where the comedy will come from once he's gone. My guess (and by guess I mean hope): Doug, who went on the lam this episode after being confronted by an angry City Council waving proof of insurance fraud. I don't think it's too far out of the realm of possibility that Doug may decide to take up with his fellow con Nancy, now that he has no ties left to Agrestic (I think…). Of course, givin the fact that Celia is out of prison and on the hunt for info to give the DEA about Nancy in exchange for their leniency in her case, this could prove to be a very bad idea indeed. It's just a theory, but I sure would like to see more Doug, whose one scene this week provided my biggest laugh of the evening, when the prudish City Council lady realizes he's at half-mast: "Must be upsetting… unless you own a horse!" Oh Doug….
Celia, meanwhile, proves herself a somewhat bumbling snoop this week, dragging along the ever-annoying Pam on her recon of Dean's hotel room and failing to get a picture of Guillermo and Nancy in the act. Perhaps she's still rattled from her stint as a Chola girlfriend in prison. I, for one, hope she doesn't get it together too soon; I'd like to see Nancy settle into her new life as a mule and reap some spoils before the shit hits the fan. Conflict is all well and good, but a throwback to that (comparably) freewheeling, "classic Weeds" feeling would be a nice treat amid all these shake-ups.
Grade: B
Stray Observations:
— About that final line, "Get Mommy a pillow"… that was just a joke, right? We're not actually supposed to think that a) Bubbee survived her unplugging and b) that Nancy was willing to go all Chief on her? I'm sure it was just a death rattle and Nancy hasn't really reached that level of moral ambiguity. Still, kinda creepy.
— Nancy is FINALLY learning Spanish. And she's already got the most important word, "chinga," down.
— Is Nancy's head really small or are visors the size of a car door the newest in soccer-mom fashion?
— Allow me to indulge in some girly-tude for a minute: Silas is looking damn fine these days. He still has the personality of two-percent milk, but at least he adds to the scenery. And what's going on with his pot van? Does Nancy know/care that her son is running a mobile growhouse? She probably will once Celia finds it…
— So it looks like we'll get a new title card every episode instead of a new rendition of "Little Boxes." Okay, I can get with that, I guess. Why not?