Episode Report Card Joe R: B+ | 0 USERS: N/A YOU GRADE IT Protection
By Joe R | Season 3 | Episode 14 | Aired on 2007.11.12
Elsewhere, in the Mexican Part of Town, Nancy's gone to look for muscle. She finds Guillermo in his front yard, barbecuing. He knows about the bikers in the hills, selling their shitty weed, and when Nancy says she needs protection from them, he offers it at the cost of a 50/50 split on any business Nancy does from here on out. He's also like, "Hey, watch me be incredibly appealing despite my existence as a low-life drug dealer who makes women dance for my approval, thus confusing the recapper so bad that he might forgive Nancy for getting all hot and bothered." Nancy asks what kind of protection 50/50 gets her. "Total protection," says Guillermo. "And if by chance, an honest woman like yourself would make enemies, then they would become my enemies. And then they would fear you." Nancy makes the deal, which...it's a deal that's going to end up really badly for her, I'm sure, but she really is backed into a corner right now. It's not as needlessly stupid as many of her other decisions have been. Guillermo pledges to take care of the bikers, thoroughly, and Nancy will be able to conduct her business in peace. You'll forgive Nancy if that sounds really good to her at the moment. I could, however, maybe do without the imagery of Nancy being filmed behind the burning flames of the barbecue grill that represents this little deal with the devil. A little melodramatic?
Grow house. Nancy brings Conrad back his gun, since he had no idea Silas took it. Conrad gets all wounded-boy about how U-Turn probably would have taken care of the bikers for her. Nancy tells him that jealous is not a good look on him. He asks, then, if he needs to be worried about these bikers, and Nancy's like, "Not anymore." She tells him about the deal with Guillermo. Conrad's not thrilled: "You realize you're just trading one gangster for another." Nancy understands that, but she also understands that without muscle, she wouldn't be able to operate. That was kind of a flaw in Conrad's plan, after all. Nancy finally admits out loud that she's a drug dealer, and it's nice to finally see her being honest with herself. Again, it's not that I don't think this Guillermo thing is going to turn sour, but Nancy's thinking way more clearly than she has been. "And who protects us from Guillermo?" Conrad asks. It's a valid question, but: who was protecting y'all from Guillermo before? It's not like Nancy wasn't on his radar. It was probably just a matter of time before he came calling, and maybe not as non-lethally as Silas's biker attack. Of course, the way Nancy blusters that she can handle Guillermo is kind of stupid. "How, by fucking him?" Conrad asks, and holy God does Nancy not get to play the "offended" card at that like she's doing. She tries to storm off, but Conrad stops her and says they're in this thing together. And then they make out. And when they pull apart again, there's Heylia, with the mother of "Ain't this some shit" looks on her face.