'Weeds': Frenemy Territory

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Andy was doing some figuring out of his own on the way up north in the pudding truck. Sure, he's a man whore, but a caring and altruistic one, so he was outraged when he learned about some of the shady practices in the border-running trade. ''No man is pudding,'' he declared with an activist's conviction. See, Andy's not all about the cute face and witty one-liners. There's substance there.

''Try not to look like a homeless person,'' Nancy told Celia at the San Ysidro outlet mall, where she was scheduled to meet with Guillermo, not knowing what was in store. And literally, it turned out to be a store, Maternity World, catering to expectant moms looking for comfort and fashion. Guillermo's grand plan was for Nancy to hire a staff (of people she trusts, very important) and present a clean, professional business. What's the asking salary for that kind of managerial position? Unknown as of yet, but I counted seven flicks of Nancy's pen. As for Celia, or Nancy's ''gap-toothed girlfriend,'' as Guillermo affectionately called her, she'll get minimum wage. Was it just a front? That would seem almost too simple for Guillermo's conniving mind. Surely, there had to be more.

Also working on his gangster credentials, Andy pulled a gun on the Mexican guide and actually shot the guy. ''Oh my God, I shot you in the knee!'' was Andy's immediate knee-jerk reaction. ''That's so random, and yet brutal and life changing.''

But perhaps the best example of a life-changing moment for this motley crew, all seated at the table Shabbat-style near show's end, was Nancy's hilarious and yet poignant toast to their past and present. ''At the drive-through to Popeye's, I found myself saying, 'Family Combo, please,' '' she said, turning her attention to Andy and affirming that he did end up being someone who can be counted upon. Shane was next, with Nancy finally admitting that she's ''been unavailable'' to him and promising to try and be more ''present.'' She cheered Silas' business acumen, while still chiding him for not getting his GED. As for the non-family members, Doug was asked to leave (nicely), while Celia got her long-awaited and sincere apology. ''I left her holding a very big bag,'' Nancy said. ''It was not my finest hour.''

As for the relentless Captain Till, Nancy opted to meet him face to face and use her best strategy: wear a slinky tank top and try to reason and/or weasel your girly way out of it, however you can. But Nancy's suggestion that the captain drop the case simply out of the goodness of his heart didn't exactly go over well. Till has a target: Guillermo. What's more, as Peter's ex-partner and an accessory to his shady dealings, he never liked Nancy anyway. But Nancy's ''I'm getting out of the business'' soliloquy was slightly more convincing. ''I was a bad drug dealer,'' she finally said, before filling Till in on her new boring retail gig. Boring, that is, until she discovered the underground railroad terminating in her store's storage room, complete with one striking, and slightly intimidating, Pablo Escobar-like character running the show.

So what gives? Does being an accessory to people smuggling carry a lighter or heavier sentence than entering the U.S. with pounds of pot in your car? Do you see Nancy turning on her Puerto Rican partner to save her own, and possible Celia's, hide? Will the new guy finally bring some sex back to this show? The big wheels of Weeds keep on turning, but where are they going?