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Weeds is one of my favorite television shows. It's one of the only shows that actually brings me to turn the TV on and sit my butt on the couch.
Wait...let me change my tense. Was one of my favorite shows...Brought me to the couch. Because after tonight's series finale, Weeds is lost and gone forever. I was so bummed when I found out it was ending. Chris thought it was a good idea to end on a high note, because we both agreed that this was a great season. I see what he means, but I was definitely not ready for it to end. And I was especially not ready for it to end the way it ended.
WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING
If you have not yet watched the last episode of Weeds, the one and only series finale, then DO NOT read any further!!! Unless you enjoy spoiling surprises, then by all means, read on!
I love Nancy. I know she's a drug dealer and does some really crappy things. But she's looking out for her family, always. She wants to provide for them. She wants them to be happy. She went to prison for Shane! And eventually, in the last season, she was getting on track with her life. Well, as much as is possible for Nancy to get on track. Nancy is a fighter, a survivor, a driven woman. No matter what kind of trouble she gets herself into, she claws her way back to the top. Are her kids screwed up? Sure they are! Aren't all kids? Okay, maybe not all kids murder people and peddle pot, but you get my drift. They make mistakes. She tries to fix them. Sometimes she makes bad choices. I can relate to Nancy because sometimes I make bad choices too, in spite of having the best of intentions and in spite of loving my kids more than they will ever know.
For the first third or so of the finale, I was convinced it was going to be a good one. When I realized they had skipped ahead a few years, I was happy because I thought that meant they'd be tying up loose ends and letting us know how things turn out for Nancy and co. If you watched Six Feet Under, you might have an idea of the type of ending I was hoping for. Of course not that exactly, since it was so unique to that particular show, but I was anticipating something creative and awesome like that.
I had a few laughs and things were going pretty well. Until it got sad. And I started crying, and didn't stop crying until the end. This isn't Weeds! Weeds is not depressing! Suddenly we get a moral lesson, that you can't live like Nancy, marrying drug cartels and forcing your kids to sell pot to pay the bills, without ultimately paying the piper? Nancy is Nancy! She doesn't pay the piper, she comes out (more or less) ahead! She is gloriously flawed, scraping herself out of sticky situation after sticky situation. Before this dismal episode, Nancy was widowed three times (am I missing any?). Yet the laughter outshone the sadness in each episode. Until tonight, I would have considered Weeds to be a dramatic comedy, or maybe even a dark comedy. Now it's a tragedy. Was that little scene on the deck, passing a joint around with snowflakes softy falling all around, supposed to be uplifting? It wasn't enough!
So, to recap: Nancy is now rich and successful by legal means. She's looking good and she's still sassy. But...Shane is a loser drunk. What happened to that cute girl he was dating? Silas' wife hates Nancy and won't even let her hold her granddaughter. Silas is no longer jaded, but totally stupid happy. He loves his mother and holds no grudges, but won't tell his wife to let Nancy hold the baby. Why? Why won't he do that? Stop smiling that dopey smile, Silas, and hand the baby to your mother! Stevie is a bit of a saving grace, but that pseudo bar mitzvah was crossing the corny line just a little bit. Nancy's desperation in wanting to reunite with Andy is just sad, so so sad. Especially after how the previous episode ended, with him leaving her on the sidewalk with her panties around her ankles. Doug is still crazy, but his reunion with his son falls a little flat. And what about the rabbi? Getting his story solely via some whispered comments at the very beginning was just plain disappointing.
Ending a show is tricky business. Ending an awesome, quirky, clever, darkly hilarious show is apparently even trickier. I feel utterly let down and dissatisfied. I expected so much more from the Weeds series finale. I had faith that the writers would rise to the occasion, I really did. But unfortunately, I don't feel that they did.
How do you feel about the series finale of Weeds? Do you feel like it was a total bomb, or were you happy with it? If you liked it, please try to convince me to see things your way! Because I hate hating, I really do!
4 comments:
I'm still crying :(
I have a really shitty feeling, that this is a fair finale... But, u know, I wanted happy end so badly.
I was really happy with the ending. It felt incredibly fulfilling and realistic to me. Of course their lives didnt turn out perfect. Life doesnt really work out like that.
Shane is struggling with a lot of problems, probably a lot due to his childhood and also his career choice. He has a serious problem but he is still young and isnt beyond saving. He saw his Mother truly cared for him and wanted him to move back in (partially because of her own fear of being alone, but also obvious deep concern for her beloved son). Of course he doesnt agree, but he does smile and gets some encouragement in his eyes and promises to get help.He is going to crawl out of his mess just like Nancy did so many times before. I thought that was very fitting
Silas has a wife, daughter and a job he loves. He doesnt resent Nancy for anything, but that doesnt mean that he is necessarily going to start a fight with his wife for caring about his messed up childhood experiences. Silas should be grateful for what his Mother has done for him, as she sacrificed a lot, but I think we would be lying to ourselves if we thought Nancy wasnt doing a lot of it for herself as well. It was obvious she loved the danger.
Andy is finally happy as well. He found everything he wanted in life, pretty much every one of his wishes have come true. This is especially apparent when he refuses to make any changes to it. In the past Andy would always jump at any opportunity for change to find the happiness he desired, but now he refuses to even let Nancy move to him.
Finally, Nancy. I really agree it was so sad when she begged Andy to move back. But I also dont think it was just that. Everyone she ever had to take care of and support is now gone. She has spent so much time providing for the dependents in her life that she actually also became dependent on them as well. Someone to always come home to but to also support. But Andy still loves her and reassures her that everything will always be ok. Time changes everything, but even with all the shit Nancy has been through she and they are all standing. And even though everything is changing Nancy realizes she now has the ability to be alone, and see what makes her happy as her own person, without anyone else to cater to.
I thought the final scene was HUGE and especially fitting. The whole crew sitting on the porch together. All having shared so many messed up experiences and all Feeling lost at one point, but in the end they are okay. Each of them have a future, and hope, and as they all sit there silently sharing a joint they smile, probably mostly from the weed but also a sense of togetherness and a happy future.
Now you tell me hoe thats a sad ending :P.
Thank you, i really enjoyed your review.
-Tim
Thank you, Tim, for taking the time to write that nice long comment. And for trying get me to see things your way. But I'm still annoyed!
It was perfect to me. I recently started watching weeds via netflix in may went through all 6 seasons (on netflix) in like 3-4 weeks moved and got new cable provider free shotime on demand... Blah, my point is it feels like I've been watching for years I've grown to be attached I cried there will never be any other show like it :(
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