'Weeds' Recap: Episode 8.01 "Messy"

The season began with the confirmation that Nancy Botwin indeed got shot. On a lighter note though, the theme song “Little Boxes” is back along with a cute intro! Weeds fans can rejoice that their beloved them song is once again here giving the show the quirky opening it needed. Lets get back to the shooting.

Nancy falls back, blood all over her face, still thinking about the toast she was just about to make. At this moment in time I was still shocked to see that red dot from the gun’s lazer being pointed at her head. However, this episode made me realize I’m actually more shocked this hadn’t happened sooner. Nancy Botwin has pissed so many people off and has been on the run for years. Now that she’s started getting her messed up life back together, it only makes sense that someone is still after her.

After the gun went off and Nancy fell to the ground, Shane went running after whoever shot her. He’s secretly signed up for the police academy in the past season, so it seems fitting that Shane once again feels the need to protect his family. Shane doesn’t end up catching the shooter, but we do get a glimpse of him driving off. He looks just like Silas (it’s not) from the back (we don’t see his face).

Minutes later, Nancy is rushed to a hospital where she is put in an induced coma. Shane, Silas, Andy, Doug and Nancy’s sister are soon after approached by a hospital worker trying to get their insurance or a form of payment from them. If I was in the Botwin family I’d be nervous as hell in that moment. Clearly this drug dealing family does not have insurance. They only thing they do have going for them is the timing. Nancy has served her time and is no longer on the run, well at least for now. This means they don’t have to be off the grid anymore and don’t have to worry about the hospital turning them in to the FBI.

After some waiting they are finally able to go in and visit Nancy, and leave it up to Doug to be the first one kicked out of the hospital for stealing food out of the neighbors gift baskets. We don’t know if Nancy is mentally aware or not, but if she is she’d know that during her hospital stay she got felt up by Doug, found out that Shane joined the police academy, and know that Andy screwed her sister  (in her hospital room. Of course).

Panic finally strikes Andy when he is sitting in the hospital cafeteria talking to a chaplain/Rabi. Andy finally realizes that he needs Nancy in his life. He needs her to be there and aware and conscious of everything going on. The family would not run with out Nancy Botwin. Take her down, and who knows what will happen to the rest of the family.

As the episode comes to an end we find out the identity of the shooter: Nancy’s second ex-husband’s son. Basically he shot Nancy to feel better about himself. Nancy Botwin has the power to make or break a person, and while she was making her family, she clearly broke this guy.

One things for sure, this family needs Nancy to survive. Take her down and the whole family is going down with  her. I think that is going to be the running theme of this season. After all the crap she has been through, it all comes back to her and her family, a perfect circle for the ending of this show!