I know I’ve often complained about the purpose and direction of this season of Weeds in these recaps, but I have to admit in the end that it turned out to be a good one, definitely the show’s best since it left Agrestic. I still enjoyed the last couple seasons that focused on Mexico even when others were abandoning it, so I think my frustrations were mostly based on the sheer amount of the show that exists to this point. Six seasons is a pretty long time, and my expectations are a lot higher than for other comedies because it’s so story driven and was so great early on. But in the end they really did a pretty good job giving the show a new sense of vigor, and while I still don’t really know what the endgame is going to be, they showed that they’re still capable of surprising me every step of the way.
Although last week Doug returned to California specifically for his passport, he’s nowhere to be seen in this episode as the Botwins prepare to leave for Europe. Or at least that’s the idea, but it doesn’t exactly go according to plan. Last week Nancy was trapped in a hotel room by Guillermo and Esteban, and they begin this episode by chloroforming her and sticking her in the trunk of a car with the corpse of the journalist. I guess he really wasn’t on Esteban’s payroll after all. He’s keeping her alive for the moment, but only because he wants to get Stevie back. After that, there’s no real reason to keep alive the woman who stole his child.
Elsewhere Andy, Shane, and Warren (Richard Dreyfuss’ character) are getting ready to go to the airport. Silas announces that he’s not coming. I’m not sure if he wants to get to know his real father that badly or if he’s just mad at his mom for lying, but either way it’s a sad farewell as he trades a few more reluctant barbs with Shane and hugs his quasi-uncle. Then they reach the airport, the location of one of the show’s best and most tense set pieces. After making it through security with a faked maternal permission slip for Stevie, they wait for Nancy near the boarding area.
But she can’t exactly get to them, as Esteban still has her captive at the airport. She manages to get to a bathroom to clean up a bloody nose, and after an airport employee kicks Guillermo out of the lady’s room and lends her a cell phone, she calls Andy and initiates “plan C”. Andy protests, but it’s not up for discussion. She gets another break though when Esteban tries to buy tickets for her flight to Paris, and finding that it’s booked, just asks for any flight available. This is apparently a warning flag, and Nancy is able to use the attention from security to get her passport and ticket from Guillermo and meet Andy outside the gate. Her escape is cut short when she finds out Silas stayed behind, though.
She knows he’ll be in danger if he stays, so she leaves and runs into Esteban with Silas in tow, unfortunately having reconsidered his decision and come to the airport on his own. She trades him for herself and Stevie. On the plane her sons struggle with the fact that their mother is staying behind while they’re off to Paris, and Warren gets pulled off the plane by the police for robbing the ticket money last week, but not before hinting to Shane that his sleep wedge is full of cash. Warren manages to tell Nancy he still loves her as he’s carted off, while she gets escorted herself towards the exit.
It’s a great scene as the three slowly walk through the terminal, Nancy basically begging for her life to no avail. But as they leave the building plan C reveals itself; she’s called the authorities, and she confesses to Pilar’s murder to get her arrested and away from Esteban. It’s another great finale for the show, and points to multiple possibilities for the future. I like the potential of the Botwin men in Europe, though I imagine it’s not that long before they return to America to help Nancy. Then again, I’ve proved repeatedly the futility of trying to predict Weeds, so maybe next time I’ll just enjoy the series and let what happens happen. Seriously though, seven seasons is enough, right?
