here is where we start and where we end
Nov. 5th, 2011 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hardparadeSooo, this is the end of my Weeds season 7 meta. It took me a while to get it written and posted for some reason.
As usual, the focus is on the Botwins and their feelings about each other, making these posts less like recaps and more like...well, me rambling about things I enjoy. Which I guess is what I use my entire journal for, come to think of it.
7x10: System Overhead
Everyone is talking over each other in the first scene (mostly hilariously, though in a kind of sad way) so I can't work out exactly what Silas is saying at this one point, but it sounds like "...tried to tell you...you were on a date...getting a pot delivery...[something something] prison lover." Which is amazing. And when Silas says he never told Emma the combination for the safe, Nancy says "Ah, that must be second date material." Before seeing the finale, I would have said something here like PLEASE BITCH AT EACH OTHER FOREVER. And now I know that I didn't really want that. But it's still awesome. Ugh, and when Silas is like "I'm gonna take care of it!" but Nancy gets a message from Demetri and is like "whatevs" and Silas is like LISTEN TO ME I'M TAKING RESPONSIBILITYYY.
"Silas and Nancy's more important drug business. Press 1 for an eighth of arrogance. Press 2 for an ounce of misplaced hope. And press 3 for a kilo of unending blind futility. Beeeeeeep." Hee. Agh, I feel so bad for Andy though. This whole episode, he just broke my heart. I hate it when Andy is sad!
Ughhh and Shane being in jail and Nancy's whole speech about how she just did THREE YEARS in jail so that he wouldn't have to and now here he is. And Shane does the whole "I can handle it!" thing too, and then Shane's FACE when Nancy says he and Silas are exactly alike. "I said I'm sorry, jeez!" Ohhh, and then Shane asking about Nancy's time in prison and if she got bored and how she passed the time and if she fought. And when she says "only in self-defense" he looks so kind of...in awe of her, and she chooses that moment to remind him that all she wants in the world is for him to be normal and go to college etc. And he says "Why don't you save that dream for Stevie?" and the thing is, it really is a dream at this point, but she just refuses to see that, and it's so heartbreaking.
Things that were awesome: Nancy's showdown with Emma and Emma's resulting "Credit to you guys. You might be the most fucked-up family I've ever come across. And I went to private school." And Silas asking if they have a bodycount, 'cause the Botwins do. The Botwins are such badasses.
***
7x11: Une Mère que j'aimerais baiser
Guhhh the beginning of this episode. SILAS. SILAS AND HIS MOMMY ISSUES. I love them so much. The way he looks at her, because he so desperately wants her approval, and he's just like silently pleading with his eyes—and then as soon as she shuts him down he's like "WELL IT'S NOT LIKE I'M ASKING FOR PERMISSION, I'M DOING IT ANYWAY." And the thing is, is it actually SUCH a terrible idea? I mean, I have no idea really, but it doesn't sound as stupid as Nancy is making it out to be, and I'm sure it's partly her control issues but it definitely has something to do with Emma specifically, too. When she leaves and Silas calls after her, and Nancy's just like, "god, let her go," like she's so grossed out by the idea of Silas needing someone else the same way he needs her.
AND SILAS IS SO ANGRY. I feel like his rage has been sort of simmering away for a little while so it was kind of nice to see it come out again. It's amazing, though, how Nancy just doesn't get it at all. "Where's all this macho bullshit coming from? You used to be so sweet." I feel like, in her head, she still sees her sons as they were back in like season 1, where there's still potential for things to be normal and okay. She's just completely in denial about how much she's fucked them over. She literally can't understand how Silas has gone from sweet to angry, even though it's been like...many years.
They just don't see eye-to-eye at all. It's weirdly fascinating, to see how each of them interpret what the other's saying. Like how Silas thinks she's calling him stupid. Because that's like a constant insecurity of his, and he ties it into Lars because that's another one—a secret fear that the rest of the family look down on him because he's not a true Botwin. And like, that is not what Nancy meant at all, she's just missing the Silas who was nice to her. But all he can see is condescension and smugness and Nancy does NOT help—she corrects the usage of one of his words, trying to make it lighthearted, but like DUH NANCY, way to make him even more insecure about his intelligence! And then she says he's a very bright kid, which of course she intends as a compliment, but she's calling him a kid, talking down to him again.
Ohhhh and Silas's "I'm a grown man," in that desperate voice and the look on his face and he's just like whyyy can't you see that. Nancy absolutely has a point, that he and Shane will always be kids to her because they're HER kids, and I'm sure most mothers feel that way, but in her case I think she uses it as an excuse to treat them the way she does? Or a way to further fool herself that there's still a chance for her to raise them properly, or something? It's just really sad. Like, it might actually be BETTER for all of them if she starts seeing them as men, and even if she stops seeing them as her kids, because they no longer see her as their mother and I think the clashes come from that, the fact that they're trying to approach everything from completely different viewpoints. Does that make sense? Idk.
And of course I'm going to talk about the fact that he leaves this argument to go rant about her to Emma, and then to FUCK EMMA. Which is like the most obvious thing in the world, I mean, that his frustration towards Nancy is at least partly sexual? I mean, it's not even subtle. He leaves Nancy before the argument's really over, like he just has to get out, and goes to Emma, and then he's all "Nancy's a control freak, Nancy doesn't appreciate me, Nancy thinks I'm stupid, Nancy won't see me as a grown-up—I'm going to fuck you now, k?" WEEDS, ILU.
There was another Silas and Shane scene this episode too, but it was just kind of...blah. Like, I don't know. I feel like their antagonism towards each other makes sense on some levels, but when those levels aren't immediately obvious, the scenes don't really work? It seems like Shane is smug about the drug bust JUST BECAUSE, like he just wants to see Silas get pissed—which admittedly does make some sense on its own, Shane being Shane. But I guess it's more that, on some level, he knows that this might be the last straw for Silas, and then Silas might just quit, and he'll have Nancy all to himself? I really don't know. Shane is so hard to figure out.
I just had a weird thought though about Shane's Oedipus complex—seeing as his Dad is already dead, it's almost like SILAS takes the form of the Dad in that scenario now. That sounds crazy, but think about it. The Oedipus complex is basically centred around the son feeling that he's competing with the father for possession of the mother, and that's baaasically what Silas and Shane's relationship has become over the years. Shane is basically still in the conflict stage of wanting to "kill his father"/get rid of Silas in order to have Nancy for himself, whereas Silas has clearly repressed all his urges and ended up in denial, leaving the conflict unsolved. Apparently this can result in 'becoming an aggressive, over-ambitious, vain man'...which kiiind of does describe Silas. I mean, I know it's Freud and so we should take it all with a grain of salt, but it'd be cool if the writers have taken this into consideration.
ANYWAY, what else happened this episode? Andy got drunk and gross and it was sad and gross. I did like that he used Bill Sussman as his alter-ego though (shoutout to season 3!) and that he called Nancy a sociopath (because that's becoming canon, I think.)
It's really sad that even though Nancy steps up and apologises, Silas still leaves. I mean, obviously that's fair enough, but...I don't know, Nancy seemed so genuine. And she offered to let him make more decisions. Man, I would so end up like Shane or Andy if I were a member of this family, I'd forgive Nancy EVERY TIME. I do like how it becomes Nancy-and-Shane vs. Silas, though, because that's sort of how we knew it would go, if it ever came to that. And in a way that's what Shane wants, to have Silas out of the picture and to be a team with Nancy.
***
7x12: Qualitative Spacial Reasoning
AUGH they are so petty. SO PETTY. The whole actual competition, when put into practice, just comes across so RIDICULOUS, right? Like, grow up and have a proper conversation like adults. (Or have sex and get it out of your systems WHAT WHO SAID THAT.)
It was fun seeing Shane going all psycho and threatening someone, it's been a while. I also enjoyed that whole "Yes, mother" thing. "Don't say it like that, it's creepy."
I love that Andy goes from Silas to Nancy trying to figure out which side will benefit him the most. And LOL that conversation with Demetri. I just want to touch your bicep and I would totally fuck your sister! Oh, Andy.
Oh my god, Silas calling Jill was low. (But I kind of love Jill, so it's all good.) Like, Nancy didn't actually REALISE what she was doing, but Silas knows. He does seem to regret it pretty damn fast, though. Huh, not much to say about this episode—it was mostly moving things along for the finale, I think.
***
7x13: Do Her/Don't Do Her
Man, I love watching Nancy and Jill interact. It's sort of hilarious. They're so great! I loved Andy and Silas's scenes together in this episode, too. The bit where they were sitting side-by-side reminded me of the scene in season 6 where they're sitting on the curb together talking about Lars. I really love what Andy is to Silas.
I also love that Silas DOES NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT HIS ARGUMENT IS. And also Andy and his wonderful wisdom—"We fuck up, and then we try to fix it, and then we fuck up some more. And we do it the most with our family, because that's the safest place to practice." ♥ I just love Andy in general.
That scene with Shane and Oullette was intense. ALSO SLIGHTLY CONFUSING. What exactly does Shane have that Oullette wants? Are we supposed to know? Am I just being really dense?? At first I was terrified that he meant Nancy, and that he's somehow involved in getting her killed, but—that makes no sense, because he's bargaining to save her from jail, right? Does he just mean himself? I don't know, the whole thing with him joining the police academy and keeping it a secret, it really gives me a bad feeling and I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean.
Anyway, I'm not terribly happy with that, but I am happy with Silas and Nancy's making up scene. Agh, my heart. His apology is so simple and she just says she understands—it's so nice that they don't need to go into it, because it's sort of realistic that way, like they've realised that whenever they try to talk it out they end up further away than where they started, and so maybe it's best to just accept it. It's almost like a truce. I definitely don't believe that all their issues are over, but Nancy is making an effort, and it's something. Giving him a space in the house and equipment to grow and, most importantly, letting him choose whether or not he stays—SUCH PROGRESS. Love, love, love.
I also love the idea of everyone moving into a big house together, I love that THAT was the conclusion and that Andy thought of it probably partly because of the whole polyamory thing. When he talks to Maxine's therapist (lol) at the funeral about different definitions of 'family', you can see the cogs turning already. I really, really hope that there is going to be another season—like, obviously, but I really want to see more of that living situation. I miss the Botwins all living together and actually spending time together.
And, yeah, I don't believe that Nancy is dead. They can't really do another season with her dead, can they? So I'm pretty sure—if there is another season—there'll be some kind of twist and it'll turn out okay. I'm not really freaking out. I will be pissed iff it's the end now, though, because that is NOT CLOSURE, DAMMIT. And I hate that it happened when everything seemed reasonably happy for once, though I guess that's to be expected.
As usual, the focus is on the Botwins and their feelings about each other, making these posts less like recaps and more like...well, me rambling about things I enjoy. Which I guess is what I use my entire journal for, come to think of it.
Everyone is talking over each other in the first scene (mostly hilariously, though in a kind of sad way) so I can't work out exactly what Silas is saying at this one point, but it sounds like "...tried to tell you...you were on a date...getting a pot delivery...[something something] prison lover." Which is amazing. And when Silas says he never told Emma the combination for the safe, Nancy says "Ah, that must be second date material." Before seeing the finale, I would have said something here like PLEASE BITCH AT EACH OTHER FOREVER. And now I know that I didn't really want that. But it's still awesome. Ugh, and when Silas is like "I'm gonna take care of it!" but Nancy gets a message from Demetri and is like "whatevs" and Silas is like LISTEN TO ME I'M TAKING RESPONSIBILITYYY.
"Silas and Nancy's more important drug business. Press 1 for an eighth of arrogance. Press 2 for an ounce of misplaced hope. And press 3 for a kilo of unending blind futility. Beeeeeeep." Hee. Agh, I feel so bad for Andy though. This whole episode, he just broke my heart. I hate it when Andy is sad!
Ughhh and Shane being in jail and Nancy's whole speech about how she just did THREE YEARS in jail so that he wouldn't have to and now here he is. And Shane does the whole "I can handle it!" thing too, and then Shane's FACE when Nancy says he and Silas are exactly alike. "I said I'm sorry, jeez!" Ohhh, and then Shane asking about Nancy's time in prison and if she got bored and how she passed the time and if she fought. And when she says "only in self-defense" he looks so kind of...in awe of her, and she chooses that moment to remind him that all she wants in the world is for him to be normal and go to college etc. And he says "Why don't you save that dream for Stevie?" and the thing is, it really is a dream at this point, but she just refuses to see that, and it's so heartbreaking.
Things that were awesome: Nancy's showdown with Emma and Emma's resulting "Credit to you guys. You might be the most fucked-up family I've ever come across. And I went to private school." And Silas asking if they have a bodycount, 'cause the Botwins do. The Botwins are such badasses.
Guhhh the beginning of this episode. SILAS. SILAS AND HIS MOMMY ISSUES. I love them so much. The way he looks at her, because he so desperately wants her approval, and he's just like silently pleading with his eyes—and then as soon as she shuts him down he's like "WELL IT'S NOT LIKE I'M ASKING FOR PERMISSION, I'M DOING IT ANYWAY." And the thing is, is it actually SUCH a terrible idea? I mean, I have no idea really, but it doesn't sound as stupid as Nancy is making it out to be, and I'm sure it's partly her control issues but it definitely has something to do with Emma specifically, too. When she leaves and Silas calls after her, and Nancy's just like, "god, let her go," like she's so grossed out by the idea of Silas needing someone else the same way he needs her.
AND SILAS IS SO ANGRY. I feel like his rage has been sort of simmering away for a little while so it was kind of nice to see it come out again. It's amazing, though, how Nancy just doesn't get it at all. "Where's all this macho bullshit coming from? You used to be so sweet." I feel like, in her head, she still sees her sons as they were back in like season 1, where there's still potential for things to be normal and okay. She's just completely in denial about how much she's fucked them over. She literally can't understand how Silas has gone from sweet to angry, even though it's been like...many years.
They just don't see eye-to-eye at all. It's weirdly fascinating, to see how each of them interpret what the other's saying. Like how Silas thinks she's calling him stupid. Because that's like a constant insecurity of his, and he ties it into Lars because that's another one—a secret fear that the rest of the family look down on him because he's not a true Botwin. And like, that is not what Nancy meant at all, she's just missing the Silas who was nice to her. But all he can see is condescension and smugness and Nancy does NOT help—she corrects the usage of one of his words, trying to make it lighthearted, but like DUH NANCY, way to make him even more insecure about his intelligence! And then she says he's a very bright kid, which of course she intends as a compliment, but she's calling him a kid, talking down to him again.
Ohhhh and Silas's "I'm a grown man," in that desperate voice and the look on his face and he's just like whyyy can't you see that. Nancy absolutely has a point, that he and Shane will always be kids to her because they're HER kids, and I'm sure most mothers feel that way, but in her case I think she uses it as an excuse to treat them the way she does? Or a way to further fool herself that there's still a chance for her to raise them properly, or something? It's just really sad. Like, it might actually be BETTER for all of them if she starts seeing them as men, and even if she stops seeing them as her kids, because they no longer see her as their mother and I think the clashes come from that, the fact that they're trying to approach everything from completely different viewpoints. Does that make sense? Idk.
And of course I'm going to talk about the fact that he leaves this argument to go rant about her to Emma, and then to FUCK EMMA. Which is like the most obvious thing in the world, I mean, that his frustration towards Nancy is at least partly sexual? I mean, it's not even subtle. He leaves Nancy before the argument's really over, like he just has to get out, and goes to Emma, and then he's all "Nancy's a control freak, Nancy doesn't appreciate me, Nancy thinks I'm stupid, Nancy won't see me as a grown-up—I'm going to fuck you now, k?" WEEDS, ILU.
There was another Silas and Shane scene this episode too, but it was just kind of...blah. Like, I don't know. I feel like their antagonism towards each other makes sense on some levels, but when those levels aren't immediately obvious, the scenes don't really work? It seems like Shane is smug about the drug bust JUST BECAUSE, like he just wants to see Silas get pissed—which admittedly does make some sense on its own, Shane being Shane. But I guess it's more that, on some level, he knows that this might be the last straw for Silas, and then Silas might just quit, and he'll have Nancy all to himself? I really don't know. Shane is so hard to figure out.
I just had a weird thought though about Shane's Oedipus complex—seeing as his Dad is already dead, it's almost like SILAS takes the form of the Dad in that scenario now. That sounds crazy, but think about it. The Oedipus complex is basically centred around the son feeling that he's competing with the father for possession of the mother, and that's baaasically what Silas and Shane's relationship has become over the years. Shane is basically still in the conflict stage of wanting to "kill his father"/get rid of Silas in order to have Nancy for himself, whereas Silas has clearly repressed all his urges and ended up in denial, leaving the conflict unsolved. Apparently this can result in 'becoming an aggressive, over-ambitious, vain man'...which kiiind of does describe Silas. I mean, I know it's Freud and so we should take it all with a grain of salt, but it'd be cool if the writers have taken this into consideration.
ANYWAY, what else happened this episode? Andy got drunk and gross and it was sad and gross. I did like that he used Bill Sussman as his alter-ego though (shoutout to season 3!) and that he called Nancy a sociopath (because that's becoming canon, I think.)
It's really sad that even though Nancy steps up and apologises, Silas still leaves. I mean, obviously that's fair enough, but...I don't know, Nancy seemed so genuine. And she offered to let him make more decisions. Man, I would so end up like Shane or Andy if I were a member of this family, I'd forgive Nancy EVERY TIME. I do like how it becomes Nancy-and-Shane vs. Silas, though, because that's sort of how we knew it would go, if it ever came to that. And in a way that's what Shane wants, to have Silas out of the picture and to be a team with Nancy.
AUGH they are so petty. SO PETTY. The whole actual competition, when put into practice, just comes across so RIDICULOUS, right? Like, grow up and have a proper conversation like adults. (Or have sex and get it out of your systems WHAT WHO SAID THAT.)
It was fun seeing Shane going all psycho and threatening someone, it's been a while. I also enjoyed that whole "Yes, mother" thing. "Don't say it like that, it's creepy."
I love that Andy goes from Silas to Nancy trying to figure out which side will benefit him the most. And LOL that conversation with Demetri. I just want to touch your bicep and I would totally fuck your sister! Oh, Andy.
Oh my god, Silas calling Jill was low. (But I kind of love Jill, so it's all good.) Like, Nancy didn't actually REALISE what she was doing, but Silas knows. He does seem to regret it pretty damn fast, though. Huh, not much to say about this episode—it was mostly moving things along for the finale, I think.
Man, I love watching Nancy and Jill interact. It's sort of hilarious. They're so great! I loved Andy and Silas's scenes together in this episode, too. The bit where they were sitting side-by-side reminded me of the scene in season 6 where they're sitting on the curb together talking about Lars. I really love what Andy is to Silas.
Silas: Mom sent armed hitmen to jack my weed supply!
Andy: Silas. She's your mother.
Silas: My mother—my mother will not let me be my own person.
Andy: Why do you need her permission for that?
Silas: Because, she—no, I don't. I don't need her permission, but—she—um...
Andy: You fucked up.
Silas: FUCK. I fucked up.
I also love that Silas DOES NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT HIS ARGUMENT IS. And also Andy and his wonderful wisdom—"We fuck up, and then we try to fix it, and then we fuck up some more. And we do it the most with our family, because that's the safest place to practice." ♥ I just love Andy in general.
That scene with Shane and Oullette was intense. ALSO SLIGHTLY CONFUSING. What exactly does Shane have that Oullette wants? Are we supposed to know? Am I just being really dense?? At first I was terrified that he meant Nancy, and that he's somehow involved in getting her killed, but—that makes no sense, because he's bargaining to save her from jail, right? Does he just mean himself? I don't know, the whole thing with him joining the police academy and keeping it a secret, it really gives me a bad feeling and I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean.
Anyway, I'm not terribly happy with that, but I am happy with Silas and Nancy's making up scene. Agh, my heart. His apology is so simple and she just says she understands—it's so nice that they don't need to go into it, because it's sort of realistic that way, like they've realised that whenever they try to talk it out they end up further away than where they started, and so maybe it's best to just accept it. It's almost like a truce. I definitely don't believe that all their issues are over, but Nancy is making an effort, and it's something. Giving him a space in the house and equipment to grow and, most importantly, letting him choose whether or not he stays—SUCH PROGRESS. Love, love, love.
I also love the idea of everyone moving into a big house together, I love that THAT was the conclusion and that Andy thought of it probably partly because of the whole polyamory thing. When he talks to Maxine's therapist (lol) at the funeral about different definitions of 'family', you can see the cogs turning already. I really, really hope that there is going to be another season—like, obviously, but I really want to see more of that living situation. I miss the Botwins all living together and actually spending time together.
And, yeah, I don't believe that Nancy is dead. They can't really do another season with her dead, can they? So I'm pretty sure—if there is another season—there'll be some kind of twist and it'll turn out okay. I'm not really freaking out. I will be pissed iff it's the end now, though, because that is NOT CLOSURE, DAMMIT. And I hate that it happened when everything seemed reasonably happy for once, though I guess that's to be expected.
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Date: 2011-11-10 01:56 am (UTC)I love all your fanfic and stuff, keep it up! :)
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Date: 2011-11-13 01:51 pm (UTC)♥