Sunday, February 24, 2013

Last night, N. and I finally finished the series finale of Weeds. Yes, this is out of date, I mean, it ended awhile ago. But we started this show awhile ago, and then we stopped watching for awhile and finally started to finish it up. Naturally, after it was all concluded we weighed in and surprise, found out that we had opposite opinions. Well, somewhat opposite. Nick is always a fan of the not-so-happy, dark endings. I am a fan of the happy, not-so-dark endings. With this show though, with its dark humor and subject matter I wasn't expecting a happy ending. I did expect some loose ends to be tied up. And as always, I felt sad because I always feel sad when a favorite show is done. But I didn't expect the ending we got. WTH?!

First off, it seemed like the people who wrote this episode knew NOTHING about the characters. I wasn't expecting bluebirds and rainbows and everything is perfect. But I kept waiting for the bonds that they'd all made to each other - the ones that kept the Botwins together for 8 seasons to show up. Andy had completely cut Nancy out of his life? Uh-uh. Silas was married to a total B***ch (even though it was his first love - and I did LIKE her character) and didn't feel the need to at least be a mediator. No way - he's too sweet for that. Shane was a mess. Totally nailed that. Doug a cult leader - was awesome. That was hilarious and silly and insanely believable.

Nancy: is a widow again. Yep, that was just a given. She's finally successful and wealthy and legitimate. And that's great. That part was pretty cool.  She and Andy being a romantic couple. Nope. I am usually the big fan of the two leads getting together. But Andy and Nancy are the ultimate partnership and they didn't need to be romantically entwined for that. They were friends, partners, confidantes, etc. Yes, I know Andy was supposedly in love with Nancy. I didn't really buy it, but okay. And yes, the scene where they finally have sex was heartwrenching because she was only doing it to make sure he didn't leave. But then suddenly, it's like - what happened? Andy leaves and never speaks to her again, because she's "bad for him." Maybe, but he's a grown up. And they had such a strong bond I never ever got this. I was happy for his life. I didn't want that to change - he finally got to own a restaurant and have a kid. But to not be at all connected to Nancy or Shane or Stevie? Nope, no way. After all they'd been through, Nancy and Andy would have still kept in touch. They wouldn't have got together. He'd still need to be far away. But they would still have each others backs. And that, right there, was the problem with the whole episode.

Shane: ohmygod. Totally nailed this. He was a troubled kid at the beginning of the series and just got worse. Becoming a cop with alcohol problems. Okay. Trashy? Maybe not so much, but I was willing to suspend disbelief. HE was the brother whose childhood Nancy screwed up. Heck, it was screwed up before all of the drugs and running and him murdering someone. He was there when his father died. So yes, he had every reason to be bitter and angry and destructive and resentful toward his mother. But he's not. He's the one that wants to help her all the time. He's the one that still has some growing up to do. He still needs her and at the end let's her help him. No, he's not angry or resentful. Instead...it's

Silas: who has major cause to be angry at his mother, but at the ending, finally having a child well...surely the resentfulness from being lied to about his father should have mellowed. And it did - only to be taken up by his wife. Who, I'm sorry, was a major B***ch. If your husband can forgive his mother for her craziness and for supposedly ruining your childhood (what childhood exactly? His father Judah, who raised him, died when he was a teenager so it's not like her dealing drugs affected him like it affected Shane who really WAS a child at the beginning) and for lying to him, then your wife needs to get on board with that. That was just freaking annoying. And Silas, for all of his resentfulness ended up forgiving her when they went into a partnership together to sell legalized marijuana at cool cafes. The marijuana that he loves to grow - so really, his mother was the gateway to finding what he loved to do. And somehow, she ruined his childhood with this. This was so uneven - he's angry, then he's not. And I kept wanting to be like "Silas, let your mother hold her granddaughter and tell your wife to stop it. Or at least let her know that she had to be somewhat nice to his mother." I got where they were going - Silas was a grown-up, not beholden to Nancy, a husband and father. But still - after everything, with many chances for Silas to stay somewhere - go to college, stay with his biological father, etc. He always CHOSE to go with his mom. There was a bond there. It was strong. So yeah let's stop talking about how your childhood was supposedly ruined, when you were a teenager when Judah died (or pretty close) and had all of the good stuff as an actual child than Shane did. And maybe get some perspective - Nancy wasn't sure how Judah would TAKE knowing he wasn't biologically related to you - what was she supposed to do, exactly?

Andy: Oh, Andy. All those years being separated from Nancy emotionally....not likely. You two were a team. I get why you had to leave her, physically. But not contact? She knows nothing about your life? There's just no way. The life he made in Renmar after leaving -totally bought that. Owning a restaurant and becoming a dad. Yep. I loved that. But to completely cut her off - I never bought that. It just wasn't true to either of the characters.

So yeah. I didn't want some happy ending, Nancy/Andy wedding to be the finale. But what WAS the finale could have been so much better. Andy would have gone back to Renmar yes and Nancy would be alone to find out what she wants to do. But she'd have her family - which was the whole point. And it just didn't feel that way. It felt like they were abandoning her. Not going off to live their own lives, which I think is what the writers were trying for - but abandoning her. Because somehow, she wasn't worth their love or whatever. It was ridiculous.

So I'm with other reviewers in calling for a movie. Maybe five years later than the finale. For Nancy's wedding. Or Shane's. Or for Stevie's graduation. Something. And Andy and Nancy are best friends again - she's a great aunt to his daughter. Megan isn't so bitter and mean. Shane is doing better (not perfect, but better). It doesn't have to be a perfect present. But really, wrap it up with them being as close as they were, in a screwed up way, to really end the series. Because that's really what it was about - they were all there for each other, absorbing others into their family (like Doug and I'd hope Megan) but always together as the Botwins.