'Weeds' Recap: Season 8 Premiere – 7/1

The first episode of the final season of Weeds picked up right where its cliffhanger Season 7 finale left off – with a sniper taking aim at the Botwin family. Who got shot? And who was the assailant?

Wait a bit for the answer to the former. But of all the likely suspects, for the latter, they went and shot Nancy! And in the head! She’s okay – currently in a medically-induced coma, even as the rest of her family prepared for the worst: how to bury her and how to move forward with the family business. It was a rough conversation to have, especially so matter-of-factly, but this show has trafficked in so much death (including all three of Nancy’s husbands now), that it came off as par for the course.

Of course, Weeds is a show that has gone far off course in its last few seasons. Can creator Jenji Kohan steer it back in its final season? She has eight episodes left in which to do it, and so far, episode 1 was a mixed bag. I liked watching sons Silas and Shane semi-bonding over Shane’s interest in being a cop (this is a teen drug dealer and murderer, remember) over food stolen from Nancy’s hospital roommate’s gift bags and Andy’s conversation with a hospital chaplain/rabbi (chabbi?). But Doug feeling up a comatose Nancy? Crossing a line. And Andy and Jill screwing right next to Nancy in her room? I imagine when she does wake up (presumably next week), she’ll let them all know she heard and felt the whole thing. Although, the episode ended with Nancy seizing in bed. So maybe recovery won’t be immediate.

And then, just when I had forgotten all about who had taken a shot at Nancy, the sniper revealed himself in her hospital room. It’s spy kid Daryl Sabara, who plays Tedd Scottson, the long-forgotten son of Peter (Martin Donovan), the DEA agent Nancy married and later had killed. There’ve been so many hijinks and so many enemies on this series, I hadn’t even remembered he was ever on this show. Way to bring it back home, Jenji. Now let’s see if you can keep it there.