“Thwack”, the season 6 premiere, shows no signs that Nancy’s life is going to get any less complicated or any less dark. Picking up where the fifth season finale left off, Nancy spends much of the premiere gathering her family together and running away in light of her son Shane murdering crime boss Pilar Zuzua after overhearing her threaten his mother. Nancy swiftly realizes no good will come from Pilar’s death and that the Mexican mob will soon be in hot pursuit so she loads her car up with family and shoes and makes a hasty getaway. Nancy’s brother-in-law of sorts Andy also opts to join Nancy during a dicey moment with his new fiancée Audra. Believing things to be doomed with Audra, Andy quickly abandons his life and joins Nancy on the road.

Despite being a comedy, Weeds succeeds as it’s not afraid to delve into the characters and demonize its main character. Nancy’s negligible parenting has often been noted in the show. Now, however, Shane has become a full-fledged sociopath as a direct result to his exposure to Nancy’s lifestyle. The seeds of his downfall were planted as early as the first episode, but it wasn’t until the murder of Pilar at the end of season five that the damage Nancy’s done to him came to fruition. Likewise, “Thwack” didn’t hesitate to underline the damage she’s caused Andy by entrapping him in her web of destruction. Meanwhile, it appears that her eldest son Silas is the only one beginning to realize just how destructive his mother’s influence is becoming as he shows the most insight into Shane’s state of mind post-kill.

The damage caused by Nancy is shown in the eerie closing moments of the show. Trapped in a car with Andy, Shane and Silas, Nancy is listening to a radio show discuss the parasitic wasp. While Nancy disposes of the murder weapon, the radio host explains how the parasitic wasp is capable of turning a cockroach into its mindless slave likening it to nature’s purest form of evil. The description bore more than just a passing resemblance to Nancy, whose family are currently mindlessly following her lead.

Nancy has spent years fighting reality and it can be argued that the entirety of her reckless lifestyle serves no other purpose than helping her avoid mourning her first husband. But if the final scene of “Thwacked” is an indication at the direction this season is taking then it seems Nancy will finally have to acknowledge the effects her selfishness has had on those closest to her sooner rather than later.

The sixth season is set to premier in Wednesday 14th October on FX. The season will feature the return of Vanessa Redgrave as Julia McNamara’s mother, Erica Noughton.