Character Counts
by Culture Magazine
For those in need of a quick recap regarding your favorite Weeds characters, we’ve come up with these mini profiles on the family that continues to grow together.
Andy Botwin (Justin Kirk)
Andy Botwin was introduced in season 1 as the deadbeat brother-in-law, who arrived upon his brother’s death to mooch off his sister-in-law. Over the years Andy has grown: He’s helped Nancy with her business and children; dabbled in serious Judaism; dabbled in serious foot-fetish porn; went to war; fell in love; fell out of love; and through it all has kept things comical. At the end of season 6, Andy became the rock of the Botwin family and accepted Nancy’s plan, leaving him with her three children.
Sound Bite
“I’m glad that our last name isn’t Drew, ’cause then you’d be Nancy Drew and I’d be Andrew Drew.”
Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker)
What makes Nancy Botwin such a strong character is that, while she’s done some crazy things, at the end of the day she struggles like many struggle to be a good parent. The heart of the show is Nancy’s battle to make a living and raise her kids. And the harder she tries to provide the worse things get.
Sound Bite
“We’re gonna be a family if I have to kill all of you!”
Shane Botwin (Alexander Gould)
In season 1, Shane was the typical little boy who looked up to his father and brother. With the sudden death of his father, Shane began acting out. As the only one on the scene of his dad’s death, Shane’s view of life and death becomes more twisted over the years. In the beginning he was just making jokes about his father’s heart attack. In the midst of Nancy’s fledging marijuana business, the family seems to push Shane to the side; this led to a whole talking-to-the-dead act. Later, he looks to Esteban’s finest hit-man Ignacio Morero, Jr. for guidance into adulthood. In season 5, Shane kills a powerful woman in Mexican politics, Pilar, and embraces his new identity as “killer.”
Sound Bite
“Time heals all wounds. Well, I guess not all wounds.”
Silas Botwin (Hunter Parrish)
Silas is the typical teen–he wants to be the typical teen. But his mother is a drug dealer and he’s dealt with it the best he could. He stole her product to get her attention and a position within the family business. When he was mugged on the job, Nancy sent him to learn how to be a grower. And learn he did–Silas even developed his own strain. When his brother became a murderer, he went on the lam with his family. Silas ended up on a college campus, meeting his biological father and questioning his whole life. But no matter how much he fought it, he will always be a Botwin.
Sound Bite
“My whole childhood is a lie.”
Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon)
Former councilman, former accountant, Doug Wilson has many talents but none better than smoking. Doug actually was the one who introduced Nancy to her first dispensary and helped her launder her drug money through fake organizations and storefronts. For the most part, not much has changed for Doug over the years. He seems to just go wherever there’s marijuana.
Sound Bite
“I’m good with babies. They see me as a kindred spirit slash taller version of themselves.”
Seeds of Creation
You may not recognize her name, but Jenji Kohan has been involved in some of television’s most beloved television series. As creator/executive producer/head writer of Weeds, she won a Writers Guild of America award for the series in 2006. Prior to this acclaim, Kohan wrote episodes for crowd-pleasers like Sex and the City, Will and Grace and (we’re going waaay back here) Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She also produced Mad About You and Gilmore Girls. For Hitchcock fans, Jenji has a small cameo role in the final episode of Weeds’ season 6. (Janet Martin)
