By Curt Schleier

It seems everything Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) has built these last three television years of WEEDS is going up in smoke.  Literally.  And all she can say “Oy ve.”  But when you hear what happened, you’ll understand that “oy ve” is in fact the most appropriate response.

Threatened by a motorcycle club unhappy that she chose not to purchase merchandise from them, Nancy bought protection from the same Hispanic gang for which she’d done her famous Brick Dance earlier this season.  It cost her 50% of her business, but it was worth it – or so she thought.

The Crips or Bloods or whatever gang this was took action immediately.  They found out where the Hell’s Angels or Outlaws or whatever gang that was was growing its weed and set it ablaze.  Oops.  Turns out the Crips/Bloods/Whatever gang may have overdone it, starting the biggest blaze in California history.  (By the way, the producers caution that the show was written and filmed well before the recent California fires and apologize for any bad vibes this episode raises.)

But as her brother-in-law Andy notes: “That’s what happens when you make a deal with the devil.”


The wildfire quickly approaches Majestic and everyone is forced to evacuate.  To make things worse, Nancy’s youngest, Shane (Alexander Gould), has been going through a crisis.  He believes his father, Judah, has returned from the dead and insists, “I’m not leaving if he’s not leaving.” 

Meanwhile, the cops have located the cross that Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon) stole from the façade of the ATM Church (Absolute Truth Ministries); it was in what Conrad (Romany Malco) and Heylia James’ (Tonye Patano) were using as a marijuana grow house.  They question Sullivan Groff (Matthew Modine), the registered owner, who says the house isn’t his.  He was boffing Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins), let her use it and blames her for whatever the cops found.  Celia is brought in and blames Nancy for everything. 

Clearly it’s time for change.  Even Heylia claims she’s going straight.

Ironically, the most on-target reaction to the situation comes from Guillermo, the leader of the Crips/Bloods/Whatever gang.  “It’s a sign that it’s time to move on, that you don’t belong here,” he tells Nancy. 

Nancy believes him.  She lies her way past the cops to return to her home, which she douses in gasoline.  She calls out to her dead hubby “Judah, if you’re still here, I tried” and then tosses a match to it before returning to the evac center.  There she gathers her family in a van and heads off for parts unknown.


It is a perfect ending to a near-perfect season, and shows once again why WEEDS is one of the best shows on the tube.  A season that began with the threat of gunfire ends under the threat of real fire.  More to the point, it gives the creatives an opportunity to start fresh, to keep the show from getting stale.  I have no idea what they have in store for next year, but with a fresh canvas to work from the potential is limitless.