Nancy Botwin

Nancy Botwin
'Weeds' character
File:Nancy Botwin-Weeds 3x15.png Nancy on a Segway scooter, fleeing the scene.
First appearance	"You Can't Miss the Bear"
Created by	Jenji Kohan
Portrayed by	Mary-Louise Parker
In-universe information
Occupation	Ex-Marijuana Dealer
Family	Andy Botwin (Brother-in-Law) Len Botwin (Father-in-Law) Jill Price-Grey (Sister)
Spouse	Judah Botwin (Husband, deceased) Peter Scottson (Husband, deceased) Esteban Reyes (Current Husband)
Children	Silas Botwin (Oldest Son) Shane Botwin (Middle Son) Stevie Botwin (Youngest Son)

Nancy Botwin Reyes (born 1965) (née Price, previously Scottson) is the main character in Showtime's comedy-drama Weeds. A widowed mother of two (with third child in the latter seasons) living in an affluent suburb near Los Angeles, California, she makes ends meet by selling cannabis, often with disastrous consequences to herself and others. How exactly she became a drug dealer has never been revealed, though in the pilot episode it's revealed that she met her supplier Heylia James through her brother-in-law Andy, who is close friends with Conrad Shepard.

Nancy Botwin is played by Mary-Louise Parker, who won a Golden Globe and a Satellite Award for her portrayal, as well as being nominated for several Emmy Awards.

Character history

Nancy Botwin met her husband Judah while attending Berkeley, where he was doing performance art and hired Nancy as a dancer for one of his performance pieces. The two of them dated for several years before getting married shortly after Judah's graduation. Nancy herself never graduated, but did say she intended to be a dancer. The two were married for almost 17 years before he suddenly dies of a heart attack while jogging with their younger son Shane. Nancy has stated that she is of Welsh ancestry. She is 44 and a Scorpio, putting her date of birth at late October or November 1965.

Nancy is left almost penniless by her husband's death; in the opening narratives of the first episode, a group of her friends say that her insurance cheated her and that Judah died shortly after renovations to the kitchen that severely depleted their savings. Nancy quickly becomes the top dealer for Agrestic, to the dismay of other dealers in the area(probabaly because all the other dealers in Agrestic are teenagers and, therefore, must keep their opererations small time.). In the pilot, Doug Wilson's son Josh tells her that the other dealers all resent her for the speed with which she established herself as a dealer. When the show opens, she's a fledgling but promising name in marijuana distribution.

Nancy takes even greater steps to preserve her financial security and even the safety of herself and her family as the series progresses. In order to protect herself legally, she and her boyfriend get married after it is revealed that he is a DEA agent and she runs the most successful business in selling cannabis. This backfires, however, and Nancy becomes a widow for a second time. As problems worsen, Nancy inadvertently has her entire town burned to the ground and relocates her family to a city just north of the Mexican border.

Nancy finds love again in Esteban, the mayor, but is almost executed when it is learned she is the "rat" who has been relaying information about his illegal activities to the DEA. Her life is spared, however, when she reveals to Esteban that she is pregnant. Nancy gives birth to a third son and marries for the third time, her future uncertain.

Esteban decides that, due to her pregnancy, Nancy may live, but only under close surveillance by him or his bodyguards. Not wanting to endanger Shane, she sends him to live with her sister, Jill Price-Gray, but Shane blackmails Jill into taking him back to Nancy when he sees her having sex with Andy. She begins to see her obstetrician, Audra Kitson, and considers aborting her baby, but ultimately does not. Andy tries to convince her to leave Esteban and run away with him, since he recently came into a large amount of his late brother's money, but she instead decides to leave Andy to live with Esteban.

After a six-month jump between episodes, Nancy is now very pregnant, and nearly ready to deliver. Esteban then proposes to her, to which she is hesitant, but eventually accepts. Later, Esteban informs her that he cannot marry her due to his advisor, Pilar, threatening him. Esteban sets up a birthing room inside the house, which frightens Nancy, since this way there will be no record of her birth, and she fears that he will kill her once she delivers her baby. With Andy's help, Nancy escapes the house to get to her Audra's office. Andy reveals the family secrets to Audra to persuade her to induce labor, which she eventually does, and Nancy gives birth to her son, Stevie Ray Botwin.

That night, as she sleeps by her baby in the hospital room, Pilar enters, telling her that her "little milk ball" should never have been born, and he is endangering Esteban's political career. Nancy later writes Andy's name on Stevie Ray's birth certificate, and informs Esteban that he will not have anything to do with the baby. Soon, Shane is shot in the arm, in an assassination that was meant for Nancy. Cesar reveals that the assassination was set up by Pilar. Upon hearing this, Nancy compromises with a now jailed Guillermo that if she gets his case moved to Mexico, he will kill Pilar for her.

Esteban is later arrested on false pretenses, thanks to Pilar. Nancy, Cesar, and Andy look for him, and Andy causes her to begin to question her love and frienship with Esteban. After a day of searching, they are informed that Esteban was freed long ago. Nancy arrives home to find that Esteban is not present. Shane then shows her that Esteban is on television, back in the running for governor, with Pilar by his side. In the season finale, Esteban reveals that his only two options were jail or politics. Nancy feels let-down, and urges Guillermo, now freed, to hurry with his killing of Pilar. At a fundraiser at Pilar's house, Cesar tells her that Pilar will now be calling the shots. Nancy tries to leave, but is intercepted by Pilar, who walks her out by the pool and tells her that Guillermo works for her. She then tells Nancy that Silas and Shane are "extraneous" and by killing them, it would help Esteban's campaign. Nancy is infuriated, and tells Pilar that if she touches her children, she'll kill Pilar. Pilar only laughs and begins to ponder the different ways to kill her children. In the fifth-season cliffhanger, Shane suddenly hits Pilar with a croquet mallet, causing her to fall into the pool, bleeding from the head, apparently dead.

Relationships

Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins) - Nancy and Celia have a horrible friendship. Both are quick to side against the other when caught up in a dispute with an outside party. Celia is an alcoholic, yet crusades against drugs while on the city council, causing problems for Nancy. Celia claims to have Nancy's best interests in mind, but strange ways of securing it; for example, throwing tens of thousands of dollars of Nancy's product into a swimming pool to 'save' her. Throughout season 3, Celia knows that Nancy is a drug dealer, but doesn't turn her in, eventually realizing that she envies that type of life and joining Nancy's team. True to form however, when busted for her involvement in the business, she informs on Nancy instantly.

Dean Hodes (Andy Milder) - Nancy is quite fond of Dean, and is always looking for ways to help him with his problems, as well as defending him from others when they mock him regarding his pacifism. She's very supportive towards him as a whole, and very easily brings him praise and affirmation.

Isabelle Hodes (Allie Grant) - Nancy is on good terms with Isabelle throughout the series, often treating her more like a daughter than the daughter of her friend. The two are often seen talking on a fairly intimate level, as if Isabelle actually does see her as a mother figure, and Isabelle will often tell her things before she tells her own mother. Nancy defends Isabelle against Celia's abuse for being overweight, helps her with her campaign as a Huskeroos girl while Isabelle's own mother protests it, and is one of the people who most easily accepted her declaration that she is a lesbian. Isabelle believes that her mother is in love with Nancy.

Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon) - Nancy and Doug's relationship begins with her placing trust in him, despite his immature behavior and poor family values. He was involved with her sham bakery and grow house from the beginning, and she agreed to embezzle money from Majestic as it absorbed Agrestic. She refused to side between him and Celia when they run against each other for a seat on the city council. By the middle of Season 4, she grew weary of his juvenile behavior and demanded he move out of her Ren Mar home. She also advised Silas to be cautious when he began a medical marijuana club and recruited Doug's help.

Heylia James (Tonye Patano) - Nancy and Heylia are hostile to each other, both over events in the show and pre-show issues that are not yet revealed. Heylia doesn't approve of Nancy's presence, and a lot of the time Nancy acts as if she can't get away from her fast enough. Heylia is often quick to double-cross or cheat Nancy for reasons that seem known only to her, and in turn, Nancy has often looked for reasons to escape Heylia as a supplier. Yet, in spite of this, the two have shown potential to be great friends when both are in a good mood.

Sanjay (Maulik Pancholy) - Nancy has a strange amount of affection towards her gay drug runner, often showing a fierce defense of him when others attack him for his sexuality and his personal quirks. She also supports him through many of his most difficult times, such as his realization that he's gay and his moments of cowardice. Before realizing he is gay, Sanjay thinks he is in love with Nancy; she does not return his feelings, but respects him as a valuable member of her team.

U-Turn (Page Kennedy) - An extremely aggressive rival drug dealer, U-Turn attempts to rob Nancy and Conrad during a major deal. When Celia throws the product in the pool U-Turn claims that Nancy owes him for the loss, sending her on a series of dangerous errands to pay the debt. U-Turn sees something in Nancy and starts to groom her to be his successor, teaching her that "being a thug means never having to say you're sorry". Nancy takes these lessons to heart, and appears to miss him after his death, going so far as to get a tattoo memorializing him.

Lupita (Renee Victor) - Nancy's live in maid and child care provider. After discovering Nancy's pot stash while cleaning the house, Lupita blackmails Nancy to obtain raises and more free time. Nancy fires Lapita after U-Turn financially ruins Nancy at the beginning of season three. Nancy re-hires Lupita after the birth of Steven Ray. It is implied that the Botwins employed Lupita long before the series started.

Megan (Shoshannah Stern) - Dated Nancy's son Silas in season one. Megan was deaf so Nancy learned some sign to make her feel more welcome in Nancy's home.

Guillermo Garcia Gomez (Guillermo Diaz) - Nancy buys product from Guillermo after U-Turn dies, including trafficking other substances (as well as immigrants) across the border according to his demands. He calls her by the nickname 'Blanca'. Their relationship takes a turn when Nancy gets uncomfortable with the tunnel that goes from her maternity store to Cesar's auto shop in Mexico; Nancy informs the DEA about the tunnel, and Guillermo gets arrested. She continues to ask favors of him while he's in jail (by asking him to assassinate Pilar), but he turns on her and reports back to Pilar about Nancy's demands.

Pilar - is Esteban's political director and de facto boss. Although Pilar greatly admires Esteban, she knows what skeletons are in his closet, and uses that knowledge to manipulate Esteban. She is directly responsible for the turmoil in Nancy’s relation with Esteban after conformation that Nancy is carrying Esteban’s son. In particular, she pressures Esteban to break off his planned marriage of Nancy and disown their child. When Esteban defies her orders, she has him arrested by Mexican authorities. After polling shows that Nancy and her new baby will enhance Esteban’s political career, she liberates Esteban from jail.

Nancy and Pilar have a very cold relationship. At best, Pilar sees Nancy as little more than a pawn to advance Esteban’s political career. She also makes disparaging remarks about Nancy’s race, and called her half-Mexican child a “milkdud.” Nancy shows contempt for Pilar upon meeting her. After pressuring Esteban to call off the marriage, she calls Pilar a “Mexi-cunt.” After Esteban refuses to sign Steven Ray’s birth certificate, she declares that Pilar wouldn’t have a child because Pilar would eat it.

Pilar orders an assassin to execute Nancy; however, the bullet misses her and wounds Shane instead. At the end of the season five, Pilar threatens to have both Silas and Shane killed to win sympathy votes for Esteban. Their conversation (and the season) ends when Shane mortally wounds Pilar with a blow to the head.

Family

Silas Botwin (Hunter Parrish) - Silas and Nancy have a strained but loving relationship. Silas's frequent rebellion, as well as his burgeoning adolescence and subsequent sex life, often cause headaches for Nancy. However, she has shown a fierce love for him. In later episodes, Silas joins her team as a dealer, despite her reservations.

Shane Botwin (Alexander Gould) - Nancy admires Shane's intelligence, but his lack of friends and his eccentricities have her worried about him. Despite this, she allows him more freedom than she does Silas, sometimes to her regret. Because of her concern for his well-being, she finds herself paying more attention to and showing more compassion towards Shane.

Despite the attention she tries to give him, Nancy is somewhat clueless about her second son. She's often the last to know about some of his stranger activities and often feels like a stranger when she talks to him. In season 3, Shane's eccentricities worsen to include talking to his dead father and his fascination with Pittsburgh turning into an obsession. Nancy reluctantly admits that she doesn't know her own son well enough to know whether or not this is cause for concern.

Steven Ray Botwin - Infant child of Nancy and Esteban Reyes (Demián Bichir), mayor of Tijuana and the kingpin of the Tres Seis drug cartel. The baby is born during the seventh episode of the fifth season. Under pressure from Pilar, Esteban is reluctant to put his name on the birth certificate. Pilar feared that the child would damage Esteban's political career. Nancy writes in Andy's name on the birth certificate. Though hesitant at first, Andy eventually agrees. Steven Ray is given a bris after Andy demands that the child be raised Jewish. Ultimately, Pilar allows Esteban to publicly embrace his first son, and Andy relinquishes his parental rights.

Andy Botwin (Justin Kirk) - Nancy has a complicated relationship with her brother-in-law, Andy. She cares about him as a person and sees him as family, but his frequent failed ventures irritate her endlessly. When Andy needs support (emotional or otherwise) however, Nancy seems more willing to help him than many of the other characters. Late in season 4, Andy realizes he has romantic feelings for Nancy, which have thus far gone unrequited.

Len Botwin (Albert Brooks) - Nancy's estranged father-in-law.. He first appears in season 4. He is the caretaker for his comatose mother, and has never accepted Nancy as a daughter-in-law because she is not Jewish; he refers to her as "Not Francie", referring to the woman he thinks his son should have married

Jill Price-Grey (Jennifer Jason Leigh)- Nancy's older sister. Mentioned twice in season 2 and appears as a regular character in season 5. Nancy's relationship to her sister is distant as described by Jill when she mentions that Nancy never speaks to her. Jill has always secretely envied Nancy's life and is also resentful that Nancy never backed her up while their parents were on their deathbeds.

Romances

Judah Botwin (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) - Nancy's first husband who, at the beginning of the series, had recently died of a heart attack while jogging. Since the series begins after Judah's death, he is only seen in videos and flashbacks, but that material shows a very happy marriage.

Alejandro (Vincent Laresca) - Competing dealer who ends up partnering with Nancy. He had sex with her in an alley.

Peter Scottson (Martin Donovan) - Nancy's second husband. A crooked DEA agent who Nancy meets at her son's karate tournament. Peter soon becomes involved in protecting Nancy's business. The two secretly elope, though their marriage is one of convenience, ostensibly so he could not be forced to testify against her. They broke up after Peter is too aggressive with Silas; shortly afterward, he blackmails her and is killed by Nancy's Armenian rivals, as requested by Heylia.

Sullivan Groff (Matthew Modine) - Nancy has a brief affair with Groff, but has little to no romantic attachment to him. They have only two on-air trysts, the first which she later dismisses as desperation, the second after quitting the job. Celia witnesses the second encounter, first threatening Nancy over it, and later trashing his office in retaliation.

Conrad Shepard (Romany Malco) - Conrad is shown to have feelings for Nancy from the first episode; An extended period of romantic subtext is punctuated by a kiss in season two, and at the end of season three they enter something like a normal relationship.

Esteban Reyes (Demián Bichir) - Reyes is the mayor of Tijuana within the show's environment, and simultaneously the kingpin of the Tres Seis drug cartel. In "I Am the Table," Nancy has sex with Esteban after the two observe the feeding of a live goat to a lion, which serves as a clever nod to a quote from Nancy's erstwhile lover Scottson, who stated in the season two finale that she "fucks like a wild animal". Esteban also delivered a slightly sexually charged spanking to Nancy in the episode "Yes I Can." In the fourth season finale after Esteban discovers Nancy is the "rat", he is informed by Nancy that she is pregnant with his child. They later get married, making him Nancy's third husband.