I remember a moment in the series finale of “Desperate Housewives” (which has been misguidedly compared to Weeds for years) where Teri Hatcher’s character said something like “They say you know you’ve hit middle age when your memories are more important to you than your future…and oh, do I have memories…”. That, in many ways was true for Weeds as well.
Jenji Kohan could have introduced new villains and threats to Nancy and her clan, only to kill somebody off in the finale. She could have also made this season a dream and have Nancy ultimately die at the end of it. I am so glad that she didn’t do either of these things. It was obvious that she didn’t just want to end this season of the show, but the entire series. References of all eight seasons were peppered throughout the finale (as well as this whole season) and for someone who’s been watching the show since day one, I was very pleased with the end result.
Since no footage from the finale had been released prior to the episode’s airing, I didn’t know at all what to expect. The time jump (seven or eight years) was a very smart move. Nancy’s hair looked awesome and I was pleased to see all of the characters move in their own separate ways. I liked seeing Marvin and Guillermo and Dean and everyone else. I thought it was very cool how the first scene of this episode mirrored the first scene in the pilot. I liked how Andy’s return mirrored his entrance to the show, initially. The scene with Nancy waking up to find him cooking in her kitchen - happened when he first came onto the series, and happened when he made his triumphant return. I thought it was very interesting how Shane became a mini-Oulette, with newfound power and alcoholism to boot. The scene where Nancy took him to the bake shop was pretty fantastic. Alex Gould did a surprisingly nice job doing that bit. Doug’s story was…well, Doug. I enjoyed the fact that they let him make amends with his son. They were able to do at least one worthwhile thing with him, and I very much appreciated that. I liked seeing Silas fit into his new life with Megan and their daughter. It’s easy to say that he turned out the most normal out of the whole clan.
But most of all, I adored the scene near the end with Andy and Nancy. You can tell that over the time that passed between episodes 11 and 12, Nancy has grown up a little, but she falls apart when Andy arrives again. This proves that she does, in fact, love him. I don’t think the finale would’ve been as powerful if Andy went back to live with Nancy. In the final scene I loved the symbolism. You can tell that everyone forgives each other for their past mistakes, and they’re all moving on. I’m not (really) ashamed to say that these last two scenes had me in tears. Nancy’s going to be alone after Stevie goes to boarding school, but that’s good, maybe she needs time alone. In a way, this is the ultimate cliffhanger. What will Nancy do now that she doesn’t have her family around? She will literally be all alone. Like Andy said, she has to face herself…and that would be interesting to see, however I’m fine with them leaving it the way they did.
Nancy, or anyone else for that matter, didn’t have to die to make this finale extremely powerful. Because, let’s face it, as much as we’ve hated Nancy over the years, she’s not all to blame. Her entire family have done horrible things to one another. This is the best form of redemption we could’ve wanted. I honestly don’t understand how people who call themselves fans could be completely disappointed by the finale. It wrapped everything up in a way that didn’t feel forced. It felt warm and authentic, in my eyes. It acknowledged that life does go on, and while people do change, they stay the same in many ways. It makes me feel like I haven’t wasted years watching this show. It was more of a “happily ever after” ending than I was expecting, but that’s nothing to complain about. I wanted a happily-ever-after.
One of my favorite scenes in this episode was where Nancy and all-grown-up Josh are talking for a bit. It was a simple and nice conversation between these characters. They talk a little about how time changes things and how everyone’s in control of their own destinies. This scene was so warm and so heartfelt, it captured the essence of the entire episode. While these characters have all done awful and despicable things, this entire season showed them winding down and making lives of their own. I liked that the ending was slightly ambiguous…we don’t know what Nancy’s going to do next. Although I feel like she doesn’t know either. That was the whole point. From the first scene, to the last extraordinary frame, I loved this finale. The ending music from the pilot only made this more powerful. It’s been a great ride. Forever live the Botwins.
