“He had it figured out; only thing that was important to him was the happiness of the people he loved. And he had a mini-fridge — he was a visionary. Or a possible diabetic.”
— Andy
I said last week that Weeds would likely leave us with a cliffhanger in order to make a run for an eighth season – well, I was right, and it was damn good! Even though they may have taken some underwhelming shortcuts to get there, Weeds leaves us with a finale that works well for both the season, and the series. There’s no point in belaboring the build-up; the rest of the episode pales in comparison, and – let’s be honest – I know that there’s only one thing you want to know: “How does it end?”
Nancy. Crosshairs. Fade-out. Gunshot.
We only just catch a glimpse of the man behind the scope and barrel, but it’s anybody’s guess as to who this mystery assassin is. There are now seven seasons’ worth of characters whose lives Nancy has imposed upon – many of whom are worse off from the encounter. If Weeds doesn’t get renewed, we can have fun arguing over who we think did it – people will write pages upon pages of speculation, giving us the chance to fill in the blanks ourselves. If it does get renewed, however, sure we’ll get closure, but we may come to find out that Nancy was only injured, or that the guy in the grassy knoll didn’t settle his sights on Nancy after all.
So who else does that leave? Well, by the end of the episode, just about everyone in the immediate and extended Botwin family. Even though Silas tells Jill about all of Nancy’s illegal activities, jeopardizing his mother’s custody battle over Stevie, he is immediately remorseful, unable to justify his extreme actions. Instead of going back on the offensive – her mind changed by both Heylia’s speech and Silas’ apology – Nancy finally makes amends with her son, eventually buying him his own grow operation in the new Botwin-Price-Grey family compound.
Silas isn’t the only one to reconcile with Nancy, either. After hounding her sister for a day and getting a taste for the life beyond domestic motherhood, Jill concedes to a compromise – well, several compromises – as orchestrated by Andy. Enlightened by the late Charles’ vigor for life and his pursuit of his family’s happiness, Andy seems to have finally matured into the role that he originally sought to fill way back in season one – though perhaps slightly atypically. He may not be the macho protector and father-figure of the family that his brother was, but Andy – ever the visionary – is the unconventional, long-drying glue that holds the family together. He recognizes that Stevie represents more than just a beloved son to both Jill and Nancy – Stevie has become the hope for a second chance: the chance for Nancy to do things right, and for Jill to live out the excitement that she has idealized from her suburban-and-bourbon seclusion.
The new life that Andy has envisioned is ultimately funded by none other than Mr. Doug Wilson, who has apparently dodged the bullet that I thought he was being set up for, and now pretty much runs an extremely influential Wall Street firm. Which probably isn’t far from the truth. I’m certain, however, that Andy’s vision didn’t include Shane being a NYPD cadet under the thumb of Detective Ouellette, who threatens to undermine everything that has progressed during the cut to “two months later.” Maybe there was something in Silas’ calling him a “rat,” after all.
I’m sure I’ll end up watching an eighth season of Weeds if it ever comes around, if only because I’ve already committed seven seasons to the Botwins and their escapades. I’m not one to leave a story unresolved, no matter how atrocious it might turn out to be. It would be kind of nice to get more closure – though another season may be pushing it, perhaps we could get “University of Andy”-length webisodes styled in the same way as the interrogation scenes last season. That way, we’re not left completely up in the air if this turns out to be the end.
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.