Weeds – A bris and just saying so don’t make you Jewish

The theme of this weeks episode of Weeds was a struggle for patriarchal claim to Nancy’s new baby. Yes, it’s Esteban’s kid (we’re assuming Nancy didn’t have multiple suitors at that point in time), but Nancy’s luck, and Esteban’s mysterious female backer, Pilar (Kate del Castillo), all dictate that it not be so. At least not on paper.

To where should Nancy turn? Why, to Andy, her brother-in-law, and gentleman-caller scorned; who else? Part of me wants to say that what pushed Andy to Nancy’s number one choice is their shared surname … is that too cynical of me?

The sad truth this season is, if it weren’t for Nancy’s user-y nature, Andy may have fled long ago. Her need to take advantage has kept him in the picture. Bad for him, but good for us.

There must have been a hiatus between the shooting of this episode and the last, because Andy’s beard, pre-shaving (what have you done?), looked very much like that of a rabbi. Last week he was a homeless Amish man. Weird. Oh, and did I miss something between him and Dr. Kitson (Alanis Morissette)? I wasn’t left with the impression that she would necessarily have even recognized him if she saw him again.

No surprise that she’s past him in life, but did the woman have to be so cold? Andy may be a man-child, but he’s a perfectly nice guy; I don’t think he deserved to be body-checked to the ground, is all. And, clearly, with his all “I’m in love with you, Nancy,” thing, his “fatherhood,” and his budding relationship with Audra (Morissette), there’s gonna be some trouble a-brewing. Cat fight, anyone? Maybe in front of that abortion clinic, with the lone protester cheering them on?

It seems as if Dean (Andy Milder) is back to stay, although how that man can have so little self-respect, as to have anything to do with Celia again, is beyond me. Stand up for yourself, whimp! She’s a black hole into which pieces of the show keep falling. Even if you do enjoy her, compare Dean’s scene with Silas and Doug (he actually put his penis in that drawer!), to his scene with Celia; Doug gave Dean no less of a nasty tongue-lashing than Celia did, but I laughed at the former … Celia just made me annoyed. And that Dean would jump on the Celia bandwagon by stealing from Doug and Silas? The man deserves his turn in the top drawer.

Who had money on the return of Lupita (Renee Victor)? Man, did she dive right back in where she left off. Nancy was always the employee in that relationship. Nice throwback, although it also could have been an opening for a new character, or the extension of one we already know, like Su-Su-Sucio as “manny.” I know he’s dead … I’m just saying.

I somehow manage to enjoy the fact that this show, this dark and destructive comedy, drunkenly staggers into Judaism every now and again. A bris for the baby … why not? Andy on the bima at his Bar Mitzvah … sure! It’s not like he’s even remotely of Jewish lineage, or anything. And yet it’s all done in an amusing, while not insulting, way.

The baby’s name is “Avi Melech.” Traditionally that’s a one-word name, but I doubt he’ll be called much else besides “Steven Ray,” the English version. The point was, “Melech,” like “Reyes,” Esteban’s last name, means king. It was a nod to daddy, by Nancy. I’m not sure you want to get into a custody/visitation battle with a Mexican drug-kingpin, but maybe that’s just me. Besides, her angry demeanor aside, its obvious that Nancy’s ready to jump onto Esteban’s go-kart just as soon as he stands up to Pilar. Sucks for Andy. As usual.

I’m not much of a quoter, but two things stuck:

“Because you’d eat them? And children are fattening?” – Nancy, to Pilar, after the latter asked if Nancy knew why she, Pilar, never had any children.

After the bris, Silas and the rabbi/mohel chat: Silas – “What do you practice on?” Rabbi – “Goyim.”

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jul 28, 2009 @ 18:00 EST5EDT