My, that's a rather patriotic-sounding version of the theme song, isn't it? Fitting, since this stellar episode is chock-full of the kind of hot-button moral issues that captivate the old U.S. of A. Abortion! Body mass index! Drug-dealing Armenians! (Maybe that last one just captivates the folks at EW, but you get the point).
Isabelle may have a future as a plus-size tween model after all, but why is she bouncing on a trampoline? Is this casting call just a creepy front for The Man Show? (The guy who declared her ''fantastic'' did seem a little inappropriately enthralled.) Anyway, Isabelle has bigger problems. Since Celia has about as good a chance of winning the city council election as George Allen does of nabbing the Indian-American vote, I have two words of warning: stage mother. The career change would enable Celia to torment her poor, weak-chinned daughter, bully other embattled moms, and find more excuses to spend time apart from husband Dean (who seems less docile post-Tasering). Three birds, one stone! Add to that Celia's hair-pulling ''Be my friend!'' freak-out, and it's clear the woman needs a hobby that involves more than Diet Coke and the Agrestic Citizens for Change committee. (Has anyone else noticed the gratuitous appearances by the aforementioned beverage on Weeds this season? Point: Drugs are illegal and addictive. Counterpoint: Diet Coke is legal and, like, way more addictive. Discuss.)
The grow house is looking pretty vulnerable at the start of the episode, what with its being surrounded by an established mini-cartel and all. Conrad agitates for a change of scenery, but Nancy (calling Lacy LaPlante!) demurs, with good reason. Turns out she (making use of her third alter ego, Mrs. Scottson) is a woman with a brilliant plan. Peter takes down the competition, leaving one less thing for Nancy to worry about and possibly getting a nice career boost as well. Peter was quite endearing on the evening-news appearance — maybe he should smirk more often. Also making dastardly clever use of his occupation is Andy, who gets both himself and Shane off the hook with an opportune — if slightly incoherent — monologue about his quest for the rabbinate.
Finally, the pregnancy subplot with Silas and Megan was resolved quickly and predictably when her parents hustled her off to an abortion clinic. But MLP got to show off her acting chops once again in the standoff between Nancy and Megan's self-righteous father. ''Touch my kid again, and I'll kill you,'' Nancy says, her eyes wet with rage. And still she flashes a wild smile climbing back into the car. It's moments like this when I know I'd buy anything this woman was selling.
What do you think? Doesn't Peter's TV appearance kind of blow the whole undercover aspect of his job? Did Andy manage to escape with the mother plant? Do we need to devote some time to Sanjay's budding pyromania? And does Heylia have a master plan to keep Nancy and Conrad under her thumb, or is her romance with Joseph making her careless?
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