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Season 2, Episode 4: A.K.A The Plant

While Celia is out campaigning, with an unsuccessful focus on the stay at home moms, (and fending off modeling reps targeting Isabelle for plus-size fashion ads) husband Dean finds himself the victim of his own suggestion: corporate downsizing. Hurling expletives left and right as he takes the walk of shame out the door, his freak-out on the security escort ends with a sudden tazer jolt to the neck - the corporate hordes as an audience, snapping camera phone pics. He’s able to keep his unemployed status a secret from Celia for all of one afternoon.

Conrad provides Nancy with her street name, Lacy Laplante, complete with fake Canadian identification. With her new alias, (and what criminal is truly legit until they have one?) she’s truly finding her inner Con, easily mentally maneuvering past inquiring electric company staffers. Later, Miss Laplante and Conrad meet the other half of their hapless team (where’s Sanjay?) back at the grow house to continue setting up shop. Conrad and Nancy argue over blown budgets while Andy finds inventive ways to nearly expose their illicit operation to the outside world, and Doug tap dances on bubble wrap. A well-oiled machine they’re not. Dean makes a brief appearance to deliver his delayed punch to Conrad’s jaw, for prior adulterous indiscretions.

Speaking of questionable behavior, Uncle Andy is called upon by Shane once again, since providing the much-appreciated advice on “self-serve” techniques. (Video of that very speech has been added to last week’s recap.) As self-appointed doctor of love, he takes Shane along to an old haunt, the massage parlor, so Shane can catch up to the claims of his middle-school classmates. After heavy complaint and hesitation from the help at the parlor, Shane finally seals the deal on the “happy finish” by turning on the fake water works, and walks out shedding more of his adolescent innocence

More love and lust is in the air in Agrestic and it’s neighboring areas. For starters, Heylia’s been fretting over her warm and fuzzy feelings for Nation of Islam suitor, Joseph, and he shares the sentiment for her. Andy, after getting his own therapy at the massage parlor, finds himself rejected once again by Yeal, (played by Meitel Dohan) over dinner. He’s just not man enough for the Israeli expatriate. But rest assured, he’ll find a way into her heart, or bed at least, in good time. On a much more romantic excursion, Nancy and Peter take to the firing range, in lieu of dinner. Much too comfortable with a firearm in her hand, and seeming to swoon at the sight of cold steel, perhaps she was the better half of Bonnie and Clyde in a past life?

Back at the grow house, Conrad introduces Nancy to the hydroponics installation team hired at their disposal, but the shock and awe of the elaborate set-up is short lived, as an unexpected visitor comes calling. An Armenian competitor in the neighborhood, bearing baklava, is keen to their business plans, being familiar with the installation group’s vehicles. The message: “I know what you are doing, so get out. Or next time I knock on your door, I wont be holding pastries, and neither will my brothers and my cousins.” But Nancy, or Lacy rather, has this new found confidence, whether it be by her empowered alter ego, her gun-toting undercover husband, or both – and can’t be bothered by competitive forces. Fully disregarding Conrad’s concerns of a turf war, she’s in this for the long haul: “There’s always problems. There’s always solutions.”

And seeing as how (since Nancy stumbled into Peter’s bathroom to discover she had put on a DEA jacket) every episode must now end in a cliffhanger of some sort, the latest is a less than minor shocker that you should have seen coming: Nancy arrives back at the Botwin residence to find Silas and girlfriend Megan waiting on the front lawn. Pinpricked condoms lead to children having children.

Check back next week for a new recap.

Notes: “Little Boxes” by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Check out Meital Dohan’s resume and melodramatic highlight reel at her official site. Word is that she was a rising star on Channels 1, 2, and 3. And who the hell else is chomping at the bit for the October 1st premiere of Michael C. Hall’s Dexter, after the heavy barrage of promos?

Tags: weeds, lacy laplante, happy finish