OhHay there, eWorld.
Sorry I missed the Weeds recap last week, I was working hard for those summer funds. Hopefully my recap of the season premiere was so moving that you’ll be able to forgive me. But alas, I am here now with two weeks worth of Weeds.
So, I’m gonna start this off by saying the following: I love Weeds. I have loved every season of Weeds thus far. But it’s time to end this series. This storyline has been stretched as far as it will go. I like season 8 so far, but it’s not the same show anymore. It’s taken a turn toward becoming more of a sitcom than the dramatic television show that it was in seasons past. So Jenji Kohan, if you’re out there, listen up: this time, stick to your guns when you say that this is the last season.
That out of the way, judging the show as a sitcom with hints of seriousness, I really like these past two episodes. Taking them as episodes of Weeds, a show about a badass mother selling drugs, they were kind of disappointing. You want to feel happy for Nancy, now that she’s finally gotten her act together and decided to not be so selfish, and to be a better mother, but at the same time, that’s kind of the driving force of the show. Without that element, the story just seems forced. The writers don’t take any of the characters seriously anymore it seems, and that makes for a flimsy show. Nancy essentially being the head cheerleader of the hospital was cute and everything, but come on, give us some plot. By the third episode, we should have some sort of conflict to work with. The only thing that’s happened so far is That sad excuse for a story arc with her loser ex-stepson and some baby daddy drama with Jill.
And on the subject of Jill and her ex-hubby, how desperate for the touch of a man is she that she would settle for Andy? He is the textbook definition of a loser. He is a useless, weasel-faced, unfunny, irresponsible, scrawny little twerp. He takes nothing seriously, and ruins just about every scene he’s in. And really, showing up at the restaurant when Jill and Scott? He couldn’t have waited the couple of hours it would have taken for Jill to get back? He HAD to have sex with her in the bathroom of a restaurant while her husband was trying to make amends? The man has the maturity of a toddler, it’s infuriating. And I hope to God that the writers aren’t going to keep shoving those creepy little twins in our faces. They’re irrelevant. Accept that.
In the midst of all this fluff, I have to cling to the small hope that Nancy’s interaction with the clown was a foreshadow of her demeanor to come in the later episodes of this season. I think taking the angle of “she’s decided to be out of the game, but she’s still holding on to a few of her old ways” would be a great way to end the series. And my instincts as it relates to Weeds is spot on; remember when I said that Silas should be largely seen and not heard? Well, look at how little he’s had to do with the story thus far. And look at how much more bearable he is as a character.
I’m a genius.
While I’m on the Botwin boys, Shane (still my favorite, psycho killer though he may be) being in the police academy has the potential to create a good storyline. I mean, between him being a murderer, Nancy working every position in a cartel, and Silas being a dedicated marijuana botanist, the Botwin family has more than enough to want to keep from the police. It’ll be interesting to see how his ethics come into play. But then, that’s operating under the assumption that Shane has the capacity for ethical thought. At this point, he may just be looking to be legally able to carry a gun.
All in all, I enjoy watching the show. I just think that the Weeds that I’ve come to love has come to a close, and is now running on fumes. I think season 7′s finale would have been a perfectly suitable series finale, but what do I know. Maybe they thought it would be better to end on a more cartoonish note. Oh well.
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