(S04E04) Nobody mourns like the Botwins. I can't decide whose behavior was the least appropriate; there certainly were a lot of contenders. Lenny's countdown was extremely insensitive, and his actions throughout the episode didn't do him any favors, either. I'll save the specifics for after the jump, but he made Nancy's Andy-ditching look like an act of kindness. Not cool, BotWinBig, not cool.
I've really soured on Lenny now that he's taken off with Nancy's cash. Before the season began, the buzz was that Albert Brooks would appear on at least four episodes. After Lenny's last exchange with Shane, I'm not sure if I want him to return. I wanted Lenny to be more than just a mean old man, but perhaps Shane was right: the lesson here is that Lenny's an a**hole, nothing more. If that's true, then Nancy had better not meet his demands. Ten thousand dollars a month is pretty steep for rent/blackmail.
So, Andy may or may not be on his way to Iowa. I hope this isn't going where I think it's going. The "Andy joins the Army" supblot was one of my least favorite parts of season three. Andy's funnier when he's mixing it up with the family. Why is there always a situation that separates him from the rest of the Botwins? I've always liked Andy as a partner in crime for Nancy, but the writers seem determined to give Andy his own subplots apart from the drug operation. If the previews for next week are any indication, Celia will be taking over the sidekick role for a while. Who else loved Nancy and Andy's make-out moment, by the way?
No one, including Celia, could possibly have been surprised when Celia got caught. Till's interest in Celia borders on creepy, and Ms. Hodes could be looking for a way out of their arrangement. I'm curious to see if she can get out of her situation without sticking it to Nancy.
The sitting shiva sequence is tied with Andy's "blah" speech for funniest moment of the season. So many small details made those scenes great: the competing realtors, Rad, Guillermo's hideous floral arrangement, and, of course, Doug. So far it seems like this season of Weeds has had a lot of great little moments. I wish that I had a better sense of the big picture, though. The writing is still clever in terms of dialogue and individual scenes, but I'm waiting for the storytelling to pick up.
We've had a few different versions of the opening credits, so now is the perfect time to share our thoughts about them. Does the "image of the week" work for you, or is it an indication that Weeds still hasn't found its new identity? Last week, a few of you expressed disappointment with the new season. How much longer can the show's transitional period continue before you lose patience? I'm anxious for the Botwin family to settle into some kind of a routine, and for Silas and Shane to have lives beyond Bubbie's house. Silas' trip to the impound lot was his first scene away from the house or the van. What would you like to see?
My favorite lines of the night:
- "OK, let's take off our shoes and sit and pay respect to a courageous woman who escaped the clutches of Adolf Hitler to live a long, productive life, only to be snuffed out by a hypoallergenic pillow from Bed Bath & Beyond." --Lenny
- "Hey man, they're obviously lucky; she survived." --Doug, on Lenny's use of Bubbie's Holocaust numbers.
- "Fine, it'll add to the value of the house. Three bedrooms, two baths, and a little boy. I can sell it to a priest." --Lenny
Next week--Nancy covers for Celia, and the ladies run a maternity store as a front.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-08-2008 @ 1:32AM
Oreo said...
I don't think Lenny is coming back this season, if ever.
Nancy should want Celia dead, remember the episode where Nancy as a knife to her throat?
And you missed a big part for me, Doug talked about his gay son! Remember the son he had in the pilot and was never mentioned again for more than three whole season? They finally said something about him. Now Celia's older daughter needs to be mentioned and we will be all set.
And I have been enjoying this season, I would enjoy it more if it had a few more looks to the side characters, but oh well. I like the first few episodes a lot more this season than last.
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7-08-2008 @ 3:47AM
Monkeydog said...
I totally loved the mention of Josh. Made the episode for me.
Am I the only one disappointed that there was not even one Finding Nemo reference between Lenny and Shane throughout the four episodes?
Glad to have Doug back as a more active character.
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7-08-2008 @ 5:56AM
collin said...
- I never knew that Alexander Gould (Shane) was the voice of Nemo. That was a surprise, but I agree with @Monkeydog that there should have been something written into the script that brought back Albert Brooks and Alexander. Perhaps Shane will go off searching for Lenny?
- I wonder if Josh is coming back? Wouldn't it be funny if he and his dad Doug team up to deal weed? Anything would be funnier than Doug asking "that question" to Silas repeatedly.
- I have to admit that this episode was actually pretty good. It wasn't as boring as all of the previous episodes so far this season. But I am glad that Albert Brooks is history (I hope), because there was something missing about his performance.
- Jenji Kohan really should plan her storylines better, if she expects a season 5. Sending Andy off into the desert (to Iowa?!?!?!?) isn't imaginative nor amusing. But Doug stumbling into their house while on the run was a funny surprise.
- And someone shoot Guillermo, the leader of the gang. Just do it already.
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7-08-2008 @ 7:52AM
bruce said...
Alexander Gould plays Celia's husband, not Shane. Hunter Parrish plays Shane.
Anyway, I don't like the change of scenery and loss of half the cast. I just don't like it. Agrestic was just as much a character of the show as the Botwins themselves. Getting rid of the "little boxes on the hillside" (made of ticky-tacky) is a horrible move for the show, IMO. It was central to the whole concept. I wasn't hot about the whole "Majestic" thing but that was certainly as far away from Agrestic as we should have ever been.
Dumping half the cast is also asinine. They have nowhere to go and have no clue where they're going. Why do creative people always insist on ruining a good thing?
The show is still funny and well-written, but it doesn't seem to have much point now. I do like Albert Brooks' character though - he plays a great asshole.
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7-08-2008 @ 1:22PM
Dan said...
Umm, no, he doesn't. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1071252/
Alexander Gould is Shane, Hunter Parrish is Silas.
Great episode last night, looking forward to next week...but Celia should have just been left for dead.
7-08-2008 @ 1:54PM
collin said...
I agree 100% with your comments on the casting changes and the change of locale. I don't know what the hell Jenji Kohan was thinking but her decisions were flawed (and we have to watch the results).
The idea of a somewhat clueless suburbanite dealing weed to other clueless suburbanites and dealing with the dangers of the business was hilarious. Having Heylia and Conrad to advise/humiliate her was the best part of the show because the characters' dialog and development was excellent.
Then Jenji decided to make a change after a terrible Season 3. Why do TV people think they know better than their audiences and then wonder why their shows fail?
Anyhow, this show is terrible. Good episode, but terrible season. If the show jumped the shark in Season 3, then it's nearly over now.
Or did it jump the shark when Nancy married the DEA guy?
7-08-2008 @ 8:53AM
ellen frasier said...
I thought Albert Brooks was brilliant. The acting was so real I never looked at him as an actor, only Lenny Botwin, which doesn't happen to me with the other characters. I am always aware I am watching Mary Louise Parker, even though I love her and love watching her, but Brooks brought this bitter, cranky, man to life. Bravo.
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7-08-2008 @ 8:54AM
matesofkate said...
Hunter Parrish plays Silas, Alexander Gould plays Shane.
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7-08-2008 @ 9:34AM
MacGuffin said...
This was one of the best episodes of the entire series.
Albert Brooks was absolute genius last night. His line about the Bed, Bath & Beyond pillow was great--especially after Nancy's line about "get the pillow" last week.
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7-16-2008 @ 12:17AM
sarah said...
I thought Albert Brooks was the best new character on this show since the beginning. He allowed the family side of these people to start to be developed, which to me is more interesting than the drug side. I wish he were in every episode. I think he is a brilliant actor.
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7-08-2008 @ 10:18AM
Torgo said...
@bruce - Actually, Andy Milder plays Dean Hodes. Hunter Parrish plays Silas Botwin (the older brother) and Alexander Gould does, indeed, play Shane.
Of course, if Celia was married to a 14 year old, I think the show would get a whole lot more attention. Most likely not the right kind...but it's still attention.
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7-08-2008 @ 6:05PM
bruce said...
Ok, never mind re: the cast names. Dunno why I had that in my head. I actually meant to say "hunter parish plays silas" (not shane) but I thought Gould was Celia's husband (well, ex).
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7-09-2008 @ 11:07AM
Robin Diane Goldstein said...
"ah... but no juice box!"
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7-10-2008 @ 9:34AM
Alex said...
I really liked this episode.
Sure, the series has gone slightly downhill since Season 3, when all that "gangsta" stuff happened, but this last episode's cliffhanger shows that the rest of the season has some potential. I think the season is very well planned out, so there is nothing to worry in case of a series of 2-3 filler episodes. It will lead to something great.
But I wanna see more of life in the burnt down Agrestic. How are the restoration proceedings going? What about Isabelle and Dean?
I also liked the fact that Andy followed the illegal refugees. I don't think he will go to Iowa. He will probably carpool somewhere in the middle of the trip to go to Ren Mar (or where the Botwin house is, I don't remember the place). He just didn't want to be alone in the desert.
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7-27-2008 @ 12:18AM
tate10dt said...
Does anyone know who that redheaded chick was? (in real life i mean.)
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7-27-2008 @ 11:04AM
Erin Martell said...
tate10dt--The real estate agent (I think that's who you mean) was played by Lisa Thornhill. If you're a Veronica Mars fan, you might remember her as Celeste Kane.