lose when i play your game / come when you call my name
This is um, longer. Because some really awesome stuff happened in the last three episodes. It also basically turned into me rambling about everybody's relationships, instead of the show in general. BUT THE SHOW IN GENERAL IS GOOD. WATCH IT IF YOU DON'T ALREADY. And then come back here and talk to me about it.
7x04: A Hole in her Niqab
Shane: There's this 'thank me for going to prison for you by going to college' kind of request on the table but I don't think I'm actually gonna go.
Silas: Good for you. You don't need to thank her.
Shane: Really? 'Cause I'm feeling kinda guilty.
Silas: I say you scam that money. Enjoy it. Get yourself a hot tub. A Vespa. Zero guilt, okay?
The only thing I want more of, this season, is Silas/Shane interaction. That's like, the only thing that's lacking so far. It's so interesting to me, especially when it involves Nancy (i.e. almost always). I love that Silas tries to get Shane on his side in this, tries to like pass on his resentment of her. Because to me that means he doesn't feel secure in it. If he felt like he was doing the right thing, he wouldn't need Shane to be doing the same. He needs that reassurance, he doesn't entirely believe that Nancy doesn't deserve thanks. And maybe, also, it's possessiveness for him too-if he's anti-Nancy, and Shane continues to be pro-Nancy, Shane might get all of Nancy's love and affection, and deep down Silas still wants that.
Shane: Where you going?
Silas: Nancy wants to see me.
Shane: Can I come?
Silas It's a business meeting.
Shane: Drug business.
Silas: It's what our family does, Shane. Only now, we're equal partners.
Shane: Since when?
Silas: Since last night. We've a new relationship. She treats us like real people. We don't have to listen to everything she says, or blindly follow orders. So, when Nancy tells us to go to college, what do we do?
Shane: We buy hot tubs?
Silas: Free! At last, my brother! Free at last.
Silas uses Nancy's name again. Shane, of course, wants to come along and see her too. And man, the way Silas talks about her here really adds to the possessive thing-he says "it's a business meeting" in this way like, oh, it's grown-up stuff, you wouldn't understand. You know? Like it's something special he has with Nancy and he doesn't want to share it. He has a new relationship with her now, something more than mother and son, and he's showing it off. He has something with Nancy that Shane doesn't have. But then, again, he realises he kinda wants Shane on his side with this too, at least as far as defying Nancy goes. And Shane-Shane is just so not convinced, I love it.
Again, I love Nancy and Silas's dialogue during their ~business meeting~. "That is not a partnership. That is a you-telling-me-what-to-do-ship." And "I'm not your errand boy. I'm a businessman." He's trying so hard to make himself seem like her equal (or even her superior), like an adult, like someone who no longer needs her. But he's childish, so childish in this scene, wanting to make her say 'please' and teasing her with Chinese food.
That scene did make me lol, though. WEEDS. I love how it goes from serious to funny so effortlessly. "I didn't realise your idea of a business meeting was-is there a horse on fire behind me?" And Silas yelling "FREEZE! D.A.!" in that weary kind of way to see if the guy really is a drug dealer. And Nancy is all "See? We could be a great team," and they COULD be, but she needs to give Silas time to heal first and she doesn't understand that, because she wants to skip the hard parts, because that's just Nancy. But she relents, and she says please, and I love these moments where we're reminded just how much she has them all wrapped around her little finger-all she does is that, goes all sweet on him, and he gives her his food. Melts, gives in, just like that. She'll always have that power over him.
And then Shane and the bedroom. MY HEART. Andy being too wrapped up in his polyamorous relationship issues to really pay attention, just saying absentmindedly, "Your new bedroom looks expensive." And Shane, smiling to himself like he has a secret, "I didn't get this stuff for me."
Nancy: Where's your brother?
Shane: I made you something.
Nancy: Mmm. Last time you said that I got a macaroni necklace. Mm-no. A terrorist video.
I'm beginning to think Weeds has an entire team dedicated to continuity, and I approve wholeheartedly. SERIOUSLY THOUGH. SHANE RECREATING THE AGRESTIC BEDROOM. Fixating on details like whether the bed was a king or a queen. He just wants to do something for her, because he loves her so much and he missed her so much and she went to jail for him and he's trying to respond to what is, in his own weird mind, one romantic gesture with another. He's just like, "HERE I MADE YOU THIS I LOVE YOU DO YOU LIKE IT TELL ME YOU LIKE IT LOOK WHAT I DID FOR YOU PLEASE LOVE ME AND FORGIVE ME." And I love that it's basically the polar opposite of what Silas told him to do. He could have done something nice for Nancy by enrolling in college with it. But he went one step higher, did something entirely for her. Something material. And something permanent-he wanted a way to keep her in his life, wanted to give her a place in their apartment, somewhere she couldn't resist. And when Nancy tells him to take it all back because the money was for school, he's just crushed and it breaks his heart and he doesn't even get it, logic goes out the window-"You don't like it?"
Shane: I was trying to say thank you.
Nancy: For what?!
Silas: (entering) Hey, the Agrestic bedroom. (...) You put this together?
Shane: (still looking at Nancy) You were right. I should've bought a Vespa. (storms off)
I really love Nancy's incredulous "For what?!" For all that she seems selfish and heartless sometimes...I mean, it doesn't even seem to cross her mind that Shane might feel bad about her going to prison. Like that was really the only option for her, and she didn't resent him for it. She went willingly. And then Silas and Nancy get right into their own issues. Silas giving away the drugs for free, "I am better at this than you know," trying to prove himself to her. But they both need Shane, still, if only for the money.
Nancy: I need it.
Silas: We need it.
Shane: (voice breaking) I don't want you to go back to prison. It's my fault you went there once.
Nancy: Sweetie, I love you so much. And this room...I do like this room. I'd be honoured to sleep here-
(Shane immediately holds out the money)
Nancy: Thank you, sweetie.
Silas: Thanks buddy.
Shane: Yeah, whatever.
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. Silas adding we, like he still desperately wants that partnership, he wants there to be a we, PLUS maybe if Shane won't do it for Nancy he'll do it for him. And Shaaaane, so torn between doing what Nancy wants and doing what's actually right for Nancy, which is not a decision that he, as her teenage son, should have to make. He wants to make her happy, but he wants to keep her safe. And once again all she has to do is turn on the sweetness and he's hers-it's almost like he was ready to hand over the money as soon as he heard those words. He needs to know that she loves him, that she likes what he did for her. But right away it's like he hates himself for giving in like that, like part of him knows it was the wrong decision.
***
7x05: Fingers-Only Meat Banquet
So Nancy chooses Silas as a character witness for the custody hearing, which is interesting. Sure, Silas is more sane, but he also kinda hates her right now. It's almost like a ploy to win him back-showing that she trusts him enough to let him do this. But he's bitchy as ever, and Shane is totally bewildered, like, why would she choose Silas for something like this? So he tries to edge his way in, tries to be casual and not let her know how much it hurts, making it about the money (because that's something he now knows she needs from him).
Shane: I just cashed in my next set of loans. I can buy us plane tickets.
Nancy: I'll buy the plane tickets. I only need Silas.
Shane: He's a retard.
Silas: No, take the murderer, I don't care.
And that's the thing, Silas really doesn't want to do this, and Shane wants to do it so badly, and it's just such an interesting clash. They lash out at each other immediately, go straight for their most basic insults-Shane knows Silas's weakness is insecurity about his intelligence, and Silas, well, he knows there's not much that can really hurt Shane, insult-wise, but what Silas hates most about Shane is the fact that he killed Pilar. So he goes for that.
And Shane says "I would've been a better character witness. I'm a great liar." But the truth is, when it comes to how he feels about Nancy, he wouldn't have to lie at all.
Silas, however, is up for sniping at Nancy some more when they're on the plane. "You're dragging me across the country at a moment's notice to talk about you as a mother. I really truly don't know what I'm gonna say yet." And "Forget it. I'll defend myself." "That should go well." AND ALSO HE CALLS HER 'NANCE' FOR POSSIBLY THE FIRST TIME AND THAT IS SUCH A THING, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY. There are so many small things about their scenes together this season that give off a weird vibe to me-and I'm totally prepared to accept that it's just my incest goggles but just occasionally it feels like the tension is something more. I think it's because they are more like equals than they ever have been, they don't come across like mother and son so much anymore. I've been shipping Nancy with her sons in this vague one-sided sort of way, whereby I don't genuinely see anything happening, I'm just fascinated with the idea of them having those feelings for her (and her maybe encouraging it to get what she wants)-but with Nancy and Silas this season, I can see it.
Anyway, despite everything, he still tries to get her the hearing. ♥
Silas: Well, Nancy Botwin is-she means well. Sometimes it's bumpy, but...it's good. Okay. When I was 10, I had an asthma attack on Halloween, so, no candy for me. Brand new Austin Powers costume still in the plastic bag. But she put it on and walked the neighbourhood the whole night, just to get me candy. She even fought with some kids, well-it wasn't-she looks out for us. She-jeez, I can't believe I'm saying this. She loves us. And I'm pretty sure she loves her youngest, Stevie, even more, and to not even give her the chance-look, she's not Mom of the Year. Whatever you want to do, just, at least give her a fair fight.
HEARTS ALL UP IN MY EYES. "Sometimes it's bumpy, but it's good." What even? And god, that story, that is so Nancy and it's the sweetest thing, but at the same time it also shows how she was never really your typical mother.
THIS BIT KINDA KILLED ME? It's the contrast between this and the scene between them on the plane, like, that was all arguments and this, there aren't even any words, they're at peace with each other for once. Silas's little smiles, like he can't quite help it. He's happy that he did that for her, he's not beating himself up for it. And he's happy that they're on their way to buy weed together, like partners. The way they sneak those little glances at each other. And then the voiceover-"Be the Nancy who raised Silas." LOVE LOVE LOVE.
***
7x06: Object Impermanence
This is just turning into ship-centric meta, but I will say that the return of Heylia is AWESOME. I wasn't such a fan of the show during the earlier seasons, but idk man, that reveal was just soooo good.
But yeah. "Be the man." "Be the Mom." And Silas grabbing Nancy when she runs to him, and then protecting her by grabbing the gun when Heylia has the axe thing. Because whatever's happened in the past, this woman has weapons and he wants to keep his mother safe. And once again, he corrects Nancy's 'I' with a 'we'-"I just wanna talk." "We. We wanna talk."
Silas: We haven't talked yet, you know? I try, but you keep stalling, so we're gonna do it now.
Nancy: Talk about what?
Silas: What did he say? When I was born, huh? 'Well, he doesn't look like me. That's weird. Oh well'?
Nancy: It didn't matter to him.
Silas: Bullshit. Or is your memory just as screwed up as everything else?
Nancy: You were born at 10:59 am. The walls of my room were pink with a faded border of quarter horses along the top. A nurse was playing 'Sunshine of Your Love' as you emerged. My first thought was I wanted to eat one of your toes so I could still keep a piece of you inside of me. My second thought was, if Judah does not love this baby, I'm gonna leave him. So you see, my memory is perfect.
Silas: Everything you say, Mom? Just sounds like stuff to say, it doesn't actually mean anything.
Nancy: Does it really matter in the end? Does he show up any less in your dreams? Does he mean any less to you?
Silas: No. You do.
Holy crap I can't even with this. HEARTBREAK, EVERYWHERE. I honestly don't think Nancy doesn't understand why Silas is upset, it just stresses her out to think of talking through it, you know? Like, she's already lived it, probably already dealt with her guilt and moved on, and here's Silas dragging it all up again and she doesn't want to be reminded that she betrayed him like that. She wants to skip the difficult stuff, sure, but she does care. I love that she remembered all those details about his birth. Oh, god, though, the way she thinks that Silas is upset about Judah. The way he says "you do" in that sad sort of way, because it's not just about hurting her anymore, it's just the truth, and he doesn't like it. He wants her to mean just as much as she always did, and now she doesn't, and no one can do anything about that. It's just how things are. It hurts them both.
Nancy: Part of him knew, I think. Whether I told him or not, and he had room in his heart, you were his-
Silas: You never told him? That is so unbelievably deceitful.
Nancy: I did it for you.
Silas: You don't get to make those choices for other people!
Nancy: You would have preferred what, that I abort you??
Silas: And you don't get credit for having a baby. With fucking Lars? He's so dumb! I-I got the dumb genes.
Nancy: You're not dumb. Yeah, Shane got other things, but you're sweet, and so good-looking, and not a murderer, which puts you squarely in the lead. So yeah, I kept you in the dark for most of your life, but you gave me stretchmarks, so we're even.
Silas: Dad's dead. You lied to me my whole life and I'm stuck here with you fucking endlessly, so no, Mom, we're not even close to even.
It's all pointless to discuss, really, because it's too late now and Silas knows that, I think. He's angry because he doesn't feel like a part of the family in the same way that he used to. (And let's face it, he NEVER really felt like a huge part of the family, so to lose even the tiniest thread? It hurts.)
I do like how Nancy always mentions Silas's looks, like-I don't know, I know it doesn't mean anything really, but "so good-looking" probably shouldn't be the second descriptor when describing your son's good qualities? Idk, idk, incest goggles. Her little speech there does kind of highlight the Silas/Shane competition thing, too. She says that Silas beats Shane, at least gene-wise, but I bet she'd say the opposite if she were talking to Shane. And I just wonder how Shane would feel, if he heard her say that. And ughhh Nancy not wanting to deal with it, and trying to downplay the whole thing because she doesn't want to do this, but it's just completely the wrong thing to do. Comparing a lifetime of deceit to stretchmarks. I mean, it's very typical Nancy, and also very typical funny-sad Weeds, but it's just the worst thing to say to him at that moment. Silaaaaaaaas.
Shane: It's perfect.
Andy: You mean-?
Shane: I'll front you the start-up money.
Andy: Just like that? Oh my god, Shaa-aaane! (hugs him) You have no idea how much it means that you believe in me.
Shane: I don't believe in you. You have no business plan, this is a terrible location for foot traffic and you don't even know if the Copenhagen Wheel is street legal in the United States yet.
Andy: Then why are you investing?
Shane: As a front for Mom. (smiling) She thinks she needs Silas, but she needs me.
Andy: No. Way. This is gonna be a legitimate retail business.
Shane: It will be. The main space is all yours. Drug stuff in the back, we'll use the alley for deliveries, it's completely hidden.
Andy: This isn't what I wanted.
Shane: Just think of it like in Goodfellas when that guy comes to Paulie for help with the restaurant.
Andy: Paulie used the restaurant as a criminal hub. Then he torched the place once he sucked it dry.
Shane: (smiling) What's your point?
THIS SCENE. I would appreciate more Andy/Shane scenes in the future, show. I love them together. Andy being weirdly interested in how Shane feels about him again. That hug! Fingers on the back of the neck, like when he kissed Silas. And agh, the way Shane is just like "oh, great" when Andy hugs him, just turning to the side, and how he does not care at all about Andy's stupid business plans because it's all about NancyNancyNancy. (Which: I do enjoy the little moments when we see that Shane is not like a Normal Person. Like, not quite getting the physical contact thing, and not giving Andy's feelings any thought at all-because he is kind of a psychopath and I like that the writers aren't forgetting that.)
But yeah. It's really all about the "She thinks she needs Silas, but she needs me." It's the competition thing again, at its most blatant. Shane has watched and listened and taken it all in-he's learned that Silas gets to be something of an equal to Nancy, having a new sort of relationship with her that has fewer rules, and he's learned that (possibly as a result of this) Nancy chose Silas as a character witness and is seeing him more and spending more time with him. He's ALSO learned that the one thing Nancy needs from him is money. Sooo, he wants in, and he combines all of these things and uses his money to buy her a ~criminal hub~ so that he, too, is in on the business side of things. He wants Nancy to need him. He wants to beat Silas at this. He wants Nancy to himself. Shaaaane you are so wonderfully fucked up and I love you.
ALSO it's kind of the second reference to Agrestic, because of how Nancy burned down their house back during season 3. I only have quite vague memories of the earlier seasons but now I want to rewatch because it seems like Shane is sort of fixating on that, as like a happier time, for him and Nancy at least? Like, recreating the bedroom and giving her another place to use for her drug stuff and then torch. It's interesting. ALSO NOTEWORTHY: Shane throwing stuff at Andy while on a sex swing, and Andy finding this the most hilarious thing in the world. What even is their relationship?
So then, Heylia comes up with a compromise and wants to keep Silas. And I LOVE how Nancy immediately rejects the idea, and Silas immediately accepts. It just shows how they're on completely opposite sides now. And then when she says she's doing all of this "for her child" and Silas ASSUMES SHE MEANS HIM, and Heylia laughs when Nancy corrects him, and then she says "No. You're my child too." ♥ And she tells him she gets it, but she probably doesn't. Says goodbye with typical mother words. "Drive safe, okay? Be safe." They're just things to say; they don't really mean anything.
If you made it through this, I love you.
7x04: A Hole in her Niqab
Shane: There's this 'thank me for going to prison for you by going to college' kind of request on the table but I don't think I'm actually gonna go.
Silas: Good for you. You don't need to thank her.
Shane: Really? 'Cause I'm feeling kinda guilty.
Silas: I say you scam that money. Enjoy it. Get yourself a hot tub. A Vespa. Zero guilt, okay?
The only thing I want more of, this season, is Silas/Shane interaction. That's like, the only thing that's lacking so far. It's so interesting to me, especially when it involves Nancy (i.e. almost always). I love that Silas tries to get Shane on his side in this, tries to like pass on his resentment of her. Because to me that means he doesn't feel secure in it. If he felt like he was doing the right thing, he wouldn't need Shane to be doing the same. He needs that reassurance, he doesn't entirely believe that Nancy doesn't deserve thanks. And maybe, also, it's possessiveness for him too-if he's anti-Nancy, and Shane continues to be pro-Nancy, Shane might get all of Nancy's love and affection, and deep down Silas still wants that.
Shane: Where you going?
Silas: Nancy wants to see me.
Shane: Can I come?
Silas It's a business meeting.
Shane: Drug business.
Silas: It's what our family does, Shane. Only now, we're equal partners.
Shane: Since when?
Silas: Since last night. We've a new relationship. She treats us like real people. We don't have to listen to everything she says, or blindly follow orders. So, when Nancy tells us to go to college, what do we do?
Shane: We buy hot tubs?
Silas: Free! At last, my brother! Free at last.
Silas uses Nancy's name again. Shane, of course, wants to come along and see her too. And man, the way Silas talks about her here really adds to the possessive thing-he says "it's a business meeting" in this way like, oh, it's grown-up stuff, you wouldn't understand. You know? Like it's something special he has with Nancy and he doesn't want to share it. He has a new relationship with her now, something more than mother and son, and he's showing it off. He has something with Nancy that Shane doesn't have. But then, again, he realises he kinda wants Shane on his side with this too, at least as far as defying Nancy goes. And Shane-Shane is just so not convinced, I love it.
Again, I love Nancy and Silas's dialogue during their ~business meeting~. "That is not a partnership. That is a you-telling-me-what-to-do-ship." And "I'm not your errand boy. I'm a businessman." He's trying so hard to make himself seem like her equal (or even her superior), like an adult, like someone who no longer needs her. But he's childish, so childish in this scene, wanting to make her say 'please' and teasing her with Chinese food.
That scene did make me lol, though. WEEDS. I love how it goes from serious to funny so effortlessly. "I didn't realise your idea of a business meeting was-is there a horse on fire behind me?" And Silas yelling "FREEZE! D.A.!" in that weary kind of way to see if the guy really is a drug dealer. And Nancy is all "See? We could be a great team," and they COULD be, but she needs to give Silas time to heal first and she doesn't understand that, because she wants to skip the hard parts, because that's just Nancy. But she relents, and she says please, and I love these moments where we're reminded just how much she has them all wrapped around her little finger-all she does is that, goes all sweet on him, and he gives her his food. Melts, gives in, just like that. She'll always have that power over him.
And then Shane and the bedroom. MY HEART. Andy being too wrapped up in his polyamorous relationship issues to really pay attention, just saying absentmindedly, "Your new bedroom looks expensive." And Shane, smiling to himself like he has a secret, "I didn't get this stuff for me."
Nancy: Where's your brother?
Shane: I made you something.
Nancy: Mmm. Last time you said that I got a macaroni necklace. Mm-no. A terrorist video.
I'm beginning to think Weeds has an entire team dedicated to continuity, and I approve wholeheartedly. SERIOUSLY THOUGH. SHANE RECREATING THE AGRESTIC BEDROOM. Fixating on details like whether the bed was a king or a queen. He just wants to do something for her, because he loves her so much and he missed her so much and she went to jail for him and he's trying to respond to what is, in his own weird mind, one romantic gesture with another. He's just like, "HERE I MADE YOU THIS I LOVE YOU DO YOU LIKE IT TELL ME YOU LIKE IT LOOK WHAT I DID FOR YOU PLEASE LOVE ME AND FORGIVE ME." And I love that it's basically the polar opposite of what Silas told him to do. He could have done something nice for Nancy by enrolling in college with it. But he went one step higher, did something entirely for her. Something material. And something permanent-he wanted a way to keep her in his life, wanted to give her a place in their apartment, somewhere she couldn't resist. And when Nancy tells him to take it all back because the money was for school, he's just crushed and it breaks his heart and he doesn't even get it, logic goes out the window-"You don't like it?"
Shane: I was trying to say thank you.
Nancy: For what?!
Silas: (entering) Hey, the Agrestic bedroom. (...) You put this together?
Shane: (still looking at Nancy) You were right. I should've bought a Vespa. (storms off)
I really love Nancy's incredulous "For what?!" For all that she seems selfish and heartless sometimes...I mean, it doesn't even seem to cross her mind that Shane might feel bad about her going to prison. Like that was really the only option for her, and she didn't resent him for it. She went willingly. And then Silas and Nancy get right into their own issues. Silas giving away the drugs for free, "I am better at this than you know," trying to prove himself to her. But they both need Shane, still, if only for the money.
Nancy: I need it.
Silas: We need it.
Shane: (voice breaking) I don't want you to go back to prison. It's my fault you went there once.
Nancy: Sweetie, I love you so much. And this room...I do like this room. I'd be honoured to sleep here-
(Shane immediately holds out the money)
Nancy: Thank you, sweetie.
Silas: Thanks buddy.
Shane: Yeah, whatever.
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. Silas adding we, like he still desperately wants that partnership, he wants there to be a we, PLUS maybe if Shane won't do it for Nancy he'll do it for him. And Shaaaane, so torn between doing what Nancy wants and doing what's actually right for Nancy, which is not a decision that he, as her teenage son, should have to make. He wants to make her happy, but he wants to keep her safe. And once again all she has to do is turn on the sweetness and he's hers-it's almost like he was ready to hand over the money as soon as he heard those words. He needs to know that she loves him, that she likes what he did for her. But right away it's like he hates himself for giving in like that, like part of him knows it was the wrong decision.
***
7x05: Fingers-Only Meat Banquet
So Nancy chooses Silas as a character witness for the custody hearing, which is interesting. Sure, Silas is more sane, but he also kinda hates her right now. It's almost like a ploy to win him back-showing that she trusts him enough to let him do this. But he's bitchy as ever, and Shane is totally bewildered, like, why would she choose Silas for something like this? So he tries to edge his way in, tries to be casual and not let her know how much it hurts, making it about the money (because that's something he now knows she needs from him).
Shane: I just cashed in my next set of loans. I can buy us plane tickets.
Nancy: I'll buy the plane tickets. I only need Silas.
Shane: He's a retard.
Silas: No, take the murderer, I don't care.
And that's the thing, Silas really doesn't want to do this, and Shane wants to do it so badly, and it's just such an interesting clash. They lash out at each other immediately, go straight for their most basic insults-Shane knows Silas's weakness is insecurity about his intelligence, and Silas, well, he knows there's not much that can really hurt Shane, insult-wise, but what Silas hates most about Shane is the fact that he killed Pilar. So he goes for that.
And Shane says "I would've been a better character witness. I'm a great liar." But the truth is, when it comes to how he feels about Nancy, he wouldn't have to lie at all.
Silas, however, is up for sniping at Nancy some more when they're on the plane. "You're dragging me across the country at a moment's notice to talk about you as a mother. I really truly don't know what I'm gonna say yet." And "Forget it. I'll defend myself." "That should go well." AND ALSO HE CALLS HER 'NANCE' FOR POSSIBLY THE FIRST TIME AND THAT IS SUCH A THING, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY. There are so many small things about their scenes together this season that give off a weird vibe to me-and I'm totally prepared to accept that it's just my incest goggles but just occasionally it feels like the tension is something more. I think it's because they are more like equals than they ever have been, they don't come across like mother and son so much anymore. I've been shipping Nancy with her sons in this vague one-sided sort of way, whereby I don't genuinely see anything happening, I'm just fascinated with the idea of them having those feelings for her (and her maybe encouraging it to get what she wants)-but with Nancy and Silas this season, I can see it.
Anyway, despite everything, he still tries to get her the hearing. ♥
Silas: Well, Nancy Botwin is-she means well. Sometimes it's bumpy, but...it's good. Okay. When I was 10, I had an asthma attack on Halloween, so, no candy for me. Brand new Austin Powers costume still in the plastic bag. But she put it on and walked the neighbourhood the whole night, just to get me candy. She even fought with some kids, well-it wasn't-she looks out for us. She-jeez, I can't believe I'm saying this. She loves us. And I'm pretty sure she loves her youngest, Stevie, even more, and to not even give her the chance-look, she's not Mom of the Year. Whatever you want to do, just, at least give her a fair fight.
HEARTS ALL UP IN MY EYES. "Sometimes it's bumpy, but it's good." What even? And god, that story, that is so Nancy and it's the sweetest thing, but at the same time it also shows how she was never really your typical mother.
THIS BIT KINDA KILLED ME? It's the contrast between this and the scene between them on the plane, like, that was all arguments and this, there aren't even any words, they're at peace with each other for once. Silas's little smiles, like he can't quite help it. He's happy that he did that for her, he's not beating himself up for it. And he's happy that they're on their way to buy weed together, like partners. The way they sneak those little glances at each other. And then the voiceover-"Be the Nancy who raised Silas." LOVE LOVE LOVE.
***
7x06: Object Impermanence
This is just turning into ship-centric meta, but I will say that the return of Heylia is AWESOME. I wasn't such a fan of the show during the earlier seasons, but idk man, that reveal was just soooo good.
But yeah. "Be the man." "Be the Mom." And Silas grabbing Nancy when she runs to him, and then protecting her by grabbing the gun when Heylia has the axe thing. Because whatever's happened in the past, this woman has weapons and he wants to keep his mother safe. And once again, he corrects Nancy's 'I' with a 'we'-"I just wanna talk." "We. We wanna talk."
Silas: We haven't talked yet, you know? I try, but you keep stalling, so we're gonna do it now.
Nancy: Talk about what?
Silas: What did he say? When I was born, huh? 'Well, he doesn't look like me. That's weird. Oh well'?
Nancy: It didn't matter to him.
Silas: Bullshit. Or is your memory just as screwed up as everything else?
Nancy: You were born at 10:59 am. The walls of my room were pink with a faded border of quarter horses along the top. A nurse was playing 'Sunshine of Your Love' as you emerged. My first thought was I wanted to eat one of your toes so I could still keep a piece of you inside of me. My second thought was, if Judah does not love this baby, I'm gonna leave him. So you see, my memory is perfect.
Silas: Everything you say, Mom? Just sounds like stuff to say, it doesn't actually mean anything.
Nancy: Does it really matter in the end? Does he show up any less in your dreams? Does he mean any less to you?
Silas: No. You do.
Holy crap I can't even with this. HEARTBREAK, EVERYWHERE. I honestly don't think Nancy doesn't understand why Silas is upset, it just stresses her out to think of talking through it, you know? Like, she's already lived it, probably already dealt with her guilt and moved on, and here's Silas dragging it all up again and she doesn't want to be reminded that she betrayed him like that. She wants to skip the difficult stuff, sure, but she does care. I love that she remembered all those details about his birth. Oh, god, though, the way she thinks that Silas is upset about Judah. The way he says "you do" in that sad sort of way, because it's not just about hurting her anymore, it's just the truth, and he doesn't like it. He wants her to mean just as much as she always did, and now she doesn't, and no one can do anything about that. It's just how things are. It hurts them both.
Nancy: Part of him knew, I think. Whether I told him or not, and he had room in his heart, you were his-
Silas: You never told him? That is so unbelievably deceitful.
Nancy: I did it for you.
Silas: You don't get to make those choices for other people!
Nancy: You would have preferred what, that I abort you??
Silas: And you don't get credit for having a baby. With fucking Lars? He's so dumb! I-I got the dumb genes.
Nancy: You're not dumb. Yeah, Shane got other things, but you're sweet, and so good-looking, and not a murderer, which puts you squarely in the lead. So yeah, I kept you in the dark for most of your life, but you gave me stretchmarks, so we're even.
Silas: Dad's dead. You lied to me my whole life and I'm stuck here with you fucking endlessly, so no, Mom, we're not even close to even.
It's all pointless to discuss, really, because it's too late now and Silas knows that, I think. He's angry because he doesn't feel like a part of the family in the same way that he used to. (And let's face it, he NEVER really felt like a huge part of the family, so to lose even the tiniest thread? It hurts.)
I do like how Nancy always mentions Silas's looks, like-I don't know, I know it doesn't mean anything really, but "so good-looking" probably shouldn't be the second descriptor when describing your son's good qualities? Idk, idk, incest goggles. Her little speech there does kind of highlight the Silas/Shane competition thing, too. She says that Silas beats Shane, at least gene-wise, but I bet she'd say the opposite if she were talking to Shane. And I just wonder how Shane would feel, if he heard her say that. And ughhh Nancy not wanting to deal with it, and trying to downplay the whole thing because she doesn't want to do this, but it's just completely the wrong thing to do. Comparing a lifetime of deceit to stretchmarks. I mean, it's very typical Nancy, and also very typical funny-sad Weeds, but it's just the worst thing to say to him at that moment. Silaaaaaaaas.
Shane: It's perfect.
Andy: You mean-?
Shane: I'll front you the start-up money.
Andy: Just like that? Oh my god, Shaa-aaane! (hugs him) You have no idea how much it means that you believe in me.
Shane: I don't believe in you. You have no business plan, this is a terrible location for foot traffic and you don't even know if the Copenhagen Wheel is street legal in the United States yet.
Andy: Then why are you investing?
Shane: As a front for Mom. (smiling) She thinks she needs Silas, but she needs me.
Andy: No. Way. This is gonna be a legitimate retail business.
Shane: It will be. The main space is all yours. Drug stuff in the back, we'll use the alley for deliveries, it's completely hidden.
Andy: This isn't what I wanted.
Shane: Just think of it like in Goodfellas when that guy comes to Paulie for help with the restaurant.
Andy: Paulie used the restaurant as a criminal hub. Then he torched the place once he sucked it dry.
Shane: (smiling) What's your point?
THIS SCENE. I would appreciate more Andy/Shane scenes in the future, show. I love them together. Andy being weirdly interested in how Shane feels about him again. That hug! Fingers on the back of the neck, like when he kissed Silas. And agh, the way Shane is just like "oh, great" when Andy hugs him, just turning to the side, and how he does not care at all about Andy's stupid business plans because it's all about NancyNancyNancy. (Which: I do enjoy the little moments when we see that Shane is not like a Normal Person. Like, not quite getting the physical contact thing, and not giving Andy's feelings any thought at all-because he is kind of a psychopath and I like that the writers aren't forgetting that.)
But yeah. It's really all about the "She thinks she needs Silas, but she needs me." It's the competition thing again, at its most blatant. Shane has watched and listened and taken it all in-he's learned that Silas gets to be something of an equal to Nancy, having a new sort of relationship with her that has fewer rules, and he's learned that (possibly as a result of this) Nancy chose Silas as a character witness and is seeing him more and spending more time with him. He's ALSO learned that the one thing Nancy needs from him is money. Sooo, he wants in, and he combines all of these things and uses his money to buy her a ~criminal hub~ so that he, too, is in on the business side of things. He wants Nancy to need him. He wants to beat Silas at this. He wants Nancy to himself. Shaaaane you are so wonderfully fucked up and I love you.
ALSO it's kind of the second reference to Agrestic, because of how Nancy burned down their house back during season 3. I only have quite vague memories of the earlier seasons but now I want to rewatch because it seems like Shane is sort of fixating on that, as like a happier time, for him and Nancy at least? Like, recreating the bedroom and giving her another place to use for her drug stuff and then torch. It's interesting. ALSO NOTEWORTHY: Shane throwing stuff at Andy while on a sex swing, and Andy finding this the most hilarious thing in the world. What even is their relationship?
So then, Heylia comes up with a compromise and wants to keep Silas. And I LOVE how Nancy immediately rejects the idea, and Silas immediately accepts. It just shows how they're on completely opposite sides now. And then when she says she's doing all of this "for her child" and Silas ASSUMES SHE MEANS HIM, and Heylia laughs when Nancy corrects him, and then she says "No. You're my child too." ♥ And she tells him she gets it, but she probably doesn't. Says goodbye with typical mother words. "Drive safe, okay? Be safe." They're just things to say; they don't really mean anything.
If you made it through this, I love you.