Nancy Botwin Nancy Botwin (
Mary-Louise Parker, leading character)—also known as Lacey LaPlante (season two) and Nathalie Newman (season six)—was a PTA
soccer mom until her husband, Judah, suddenly died of a heart attack. To maintain the upper middle-class lifestyle to which she was accustomed in the fictional town of Agrestic, Nancy entered the world of marijuana dealing. At the start, her regular clients include her accountant, her lawyer, and fellow suburban friends. However, as she expands and fights for survival, she is confronted with the violent realities of her business as she jockeys against competitors, gangs, and drug lords. Adding complications to the situation, are her sudden relationship with Peter Scottson, a DEA agent who discovers Nancy's business, but takes measures to ensure her safety. Peter grew increasingly hostile towards Nancy and is eventually killed. Eventually, Nancy works for a gangster named U-Turn. During one of her runs for him, she meets Guillermo, a Mexican drug trafficker, who offers her a chance to move up in the drug game. Nancy declines, but changes her mind when a huge fire spreads into the Agrestic town. Nancy takes advantage of the fire and burns down her house, ensuring that her family will be leaving and moving on. At the start of season four, Nancy eagerly jumps at the chance to transport marijuana across the Mexican border for Guillermo, but she feels uneasy about other transporting duties, such as smuggling heroin and child prostitutes. These qualms and other factors put her at odds with the "chain of command" within the drug cartel and lead to Nancy blatantly violating its rules. However, her insubordination leads to a romance with Esteban Reyes, a corrupt Mayor of Tijuana. Her attempt to shut down a tunnel almost leads to her death during the season four cliffhanger. Nancy takes a break from dealing in season five while building a relationship with Esteban, eventually giving birth to his only son. Complications arise with Esteban's boss Pilar Zuazo at the end of the fifth season, and the family is forced into living on the run from Esteban and his men, as well as the American and Mexican authorities. They visit Seattle, Washington, where Nancy learns how to make hashish, a concentrated form of marijuana, and sells it as a means of income during their trips to Montana and Michigan until Nancy and her family are discovered. The season six finale has the male Botwins on a plane to Europe, while Nancy goes through with Plan "C". This is her last possible solution, to keep Esteban away, in which she turns herself into the police, for the sake of her family. After falsely pleading guilty to manslaughter, Nancy is sentenced to
Danbury prison, where she maintains a romantic relationship with Zoya, her prison roommate. During season seven, after three years of lockup, Nancy is released to a halfway house in New York City. She immediately betrays Zoya by trading Zoya's stash of stolen grenades with Zoya's brother, Demetri, for an initial supply of weed. During the season, Andy, Doug, Silas, and Shane travel to New York, interested in seeing Nancy. She eventually rises from the lower end of the economic scale and is released from her halfway house, from which she continues to expand her drug business. She once again jockeys against the leading dealers in New York and rises to the top. The season seven finale follows her fighting for the custody of Esteban's child with Jill, her sister. They eventually agree to move in together in
Old Greenwich, Connecticut. As the closing of escrow is finalized, Nancy and her family eat dinner peacefully, and Nancy then gives a toast to the family's future. Subsequently, an armed man, later identified as Tim Scottson, shoots Nancy in the head with his rifle. Nancy recovers from the gunshot in season eight. In the series finale, after a ten-year time jump, it is revealed that marijuana has been legalized, and Nancy owns several successful marijuana businesses. At the beginning of the series, Nancy struggles to keep her drug dealing separate from her family life. However, Andy, Silas, and Shane find out about her dealing at different points in the series. While she is willing to risk life and limb for the love of her family, she also wants to protect them from the hazards of drugs and the drug trade. She is particularly hesitant to allow Silas to enter the business until her crisis with U-Turn forces her to allow Silas to deal. She also struggles to keep Shane isolated from the chaos. Nancy was married four times and gave birth to three children. Her first son, Silas, was conceived out of wedlock with Lars Guinard. Judah Botwin, her first husband, believed Silas to be his son and raised him from birth. Judah and Nancy later conceived Shane. Peter Scottson, her second husband, was murdered by a rival drug cartel; she and Peter did not have children. She married
Esteban after giving birth to Stevie Ray, her third son; Esteban was murdered in prison. Nancy met her last husband,
rabbi Dave Bloom, by sneaking into his pool when she needed physical therapy. Dave adopted Stevie as his own son, but died later in a bizarre car crash.
Andy Botwin Andrew "Andy" Botwin (
Justin Kirk, leading character)—also known as Bill Sussman in seasons three and seven, and as Randy Newman in season six—is Judah's brother, a fun-loving, irresponsible slacker. After Judah's death, Nancy reluctantly allows Andy to live at the house. She realizes that his presence is needed for her business and as a
father figure for the children, along with coercing her into letting him stay for as long as he wants after he discovers that she's been selling weed from Heylia. He is also an archetypal
Shakespearean 'fool', behaving like a child. For example, in the second season, he takes an eleven-year-old Shane for a
hand job to stop the children in his class from tormenting him. Nonetheless, he can occasionally have moments with great insight. By the fifth season, Andy becomes more responsible in response to Nancy's absence as a mother to her children. He discovers that he is in love with Nancy, who does not reciprocate his feelings. He helps Nancy raise her and Esteban's son during their brief breakup, but relinquishes his paternal rights after they reunite. After this, he starts dating, and eventually proposes to Dr. Audra Kitson, but abandons her when they are confronted by her anti-abortionist stalker. After fleeing to Denmark, Andy becomes a
tour guide under the name "Wonderful Wonderful Tours". He and the rest go back to the United States to find Nancy in New York City. Andy eventually finds a way to profit off of his own invention of "Copenhagen wheels", designed to make your bicycle supposedly ride "faster". Andy befriends a Rabbi named Dave, after a random encounter in the hospital after Nancy is shot. He pursues a short affair with Jill; they live together after her divorce with her husband, Scott. Jill falsely tests positive for a pregnancy and, in the meantime, she breaks up with Andy and has a one-night stand with Doug. After Jill leaves the entire house to move elsewhere, the rest of the group visits Agrestic (re-titled Regrestic after the fire) in order to make amends and see how things are doing there. Of the many times that Andy has described his deep love for Nancy, she always refused somewhat, and he regrets heavily for staying with her for so long. Thus, he decides to move on, leaving Nancy for good. In the series finale, Andy returns for Stevie's bar mitzvah; he has started his own restaurant and now has a 3-year-old daughter.
Silas Botwin Silas Andrew Botwin (
Hunter Parrish, leading character)—adopting the clandestine alias Mike T. Newman in season six and the
stage name Silas Guinard in season seven—is Nancy's first son. Although Silas is the biological son of Lars Guinard, Silas was raised by Judah and Nancy in Agrestic for 16 years. Judah's death traumatized Silas, and he takes it out on his mother and younger brother. Silas is impetuous and impulsive, and has been sexually active since the beginning of the show. Although he operates as though he knows everything, he is often naïve; however, he does show some sense, especially when selling marijuana for his mother, which he is rather good at doing. In season six, when the family briefly splits up to sell drugs, Silas and Shane go to a children's concert to sell hash to the parents attending the show; Silas teaches Shane a valuable lesson about not trusting people and making sure you are responsible for your actions. After encountering numerous challenges with girlfriends—including a deaf girl he dated named Megan who had an
abortion—and the realities of the drug business, he decides that he wants in on the action without his mother looking over his shoulder constantly. He pursues plant cultivation and eventually goes into business with Doug, opening a medicinal
marijuana dispensary in the middle of the show. However, he learns that the police are corrupt and take bribes; he also learns not to trust anyone, as one of his employees turns out to be a federal undercover agent. During season six, he attends college and realizes how enjoyable it is; he becomes furious at Nancy for ruining his chance to stay. Later in Dearborn, he meets his biological father—after realizing he had one other than Judah—Lars Guinard. He tries to stay with Lars in Dearborn, but ultimately decides to go to Copenhagen with the rest of his family. In Copenhagen, he starts modeling under the name Silas Guinard. He returns to the United States with Andy, Doug, and Shane to find Nancy. He tries to start his modeling career in New York City, and finds that the other models are heavily involved in the pot-dealing business; he sees this as a chance to restart his old ways. He then discreetly sets up a business in Andy's bike shop which is later taken down by rival pot-dealing group, Pouncy House. He has a short affair with the group leader Emma, and then strays off much later until after Nancy's gunshot incident. In season eight, he and Nancy go into a pharmaceutical company and start working for them, but later move onto a southern plantation that willingly could provide more income. The idea of legal marijuana later sparks up in the south and the decision is made legal, leading the corporation and Silas' family to become overly rich. During the time in between, Silas randomly meets Megan working at a museum. The two have a conversation discussing old times, and Silas admits that he had poked holes in the condoms he used while having sex with her to get her pregnant. They eventually make up for Silas' deep affection towards her; in the series finale, it is revealed that Silas and Megan have gotten married. They both have a daughter, Flora.
Shane Botwin Shane Gregory Botwin (
Alexander Gould, leading character)—adopting the clandestine alias Shawn Newman in season six—is Nancy and Judah's only biological son, and was with Judah at the time of his death. Highly intelligent and poorly socialized, Shane's grief and desperation for a sense of assurance manifests itself in bizarre ways: he talks to his father like an imaginary friend and develops an obsession with
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, repeatedly asking his mother to move the family there. Called "Strange Botwin" by his fellow students, he is tormented at his public school, and is the frequent target of bullies. At home, he is neglected by his family because of their drug businesses, which makes him develop a psychosis. Shane's behavior grows more sociopathic and becomes more independent after the move to Ren Mar. He frequently uses alcohol and other intoxicants, engages in casual sex and sells his brother's medicinal marijuana at a local skatepark. He also becomes increasingly violent and develops a disregard for rules, laws, and other social conventions. During the season five finale, Shane overhears Pilar's threat to have his family assassinated and promptly murders her with a croquet mallet. Following the incident, Shane demonstrates a complete lack of remorse, justifying his action as an inevitable necessity. His transformation reflects Nancy's absence as a proper mother to her children due to the family's dire financial situation. Shane gains Ignacio's respect by acknowledging that he would kill the hitman with no remorse to protect his family. He is viewed by Ignacio as a kindred spirit of sorts. In season seven, after fleeing from Dearborn, he became a puppeteer in Copenhagen with his girlfriend. They later break up. He returns to the United States to find Nancy; while in New York City, he befriends an NYPD officer, Ouelette. During season eight, Shane joins the police force and, along the way, meets fellow cadet Angela; they begin dating. As time progresses, Ouelette's negative influence of alcoholism and prostitutes gets to Shane, and he then starts taking up the same life path. In the series finale, Nancy, having grown exceedingly concerned for Shane, suggests he take up rehabilitation. The future of his cadet girlfriend, Angela, is left unknown.
Stevie Ray Botwin Stevie Ray Botwin (regular character, portrayed by identical twins Wyatt Wolf and Jake (Lincoln) Wolf in seasons 5–6, portrayed by Ethan and Gavin Kent in season 7–8)—given the clandestine alias Avi Newman by his mother in season six—is the third son to Nancy Botwin and first son to Esteban Reyes. Under pressure from Pilar, Esteban temporarily disowns his child to protect his political image. Andy, under pressure from Nancy, agrees to be the child's adoptive father. Following Jewish customs, the child is given a
bris during which he is named Stevie Ray Botwin. After Nancy and Esteban reconcile, Andy signs a release to legally alter Stevie's birth certificate as a wedding present. Stevie lives with his biological father and mother until Nancy flees Ren Mar with her other sons. While the Botwins live on the lam, Stevie is cared for by his older brother Shane when not with Nancy. Early in season six, Esteban dispatches Cesar and Ignacio to "find his son"; however, the goons allow Nancy to escape. Late in season six, at the Detroit airport, Nancy uses "Plan C" to arrange for herself, Stevie, Guillermo and Esteban (who had kidnapped Nancy at a hotel room in Dearborn) to be arrested by the FBI. Jill agrees to raise Stevie while Nancy is in jail. After being disconnected from his mother for three years, Stevie views Nancy as his aunt and Jill as his mother. Jill asks Nancy for permanent custody of Stevie which she immediately refuses. Both Nancy and Jill compromise and move in together to raise Stevie. In the series finale, Stevie at age 13, portrayed by
Mateus Ward, is
bar mitzvahed.
Jill Price-Grey Jill Price-Grey (
Jennifer Jason Leigh, guest character in seasons 5–6, regular character in seasons 7–8) is Nancy's older estranged sister. She has been jealous of Nancy all throughout her life, from dating the teacher she had a crush on to living a life of thrill and excitement. Nancy was absent from her family for an extended amount of time when she was an adult, leaving Jill to care for their parents and ultimately manage both of their funerals. She became a suburban housewife and mother of two. She was constantly dissatisfied with her marriage, and as a result sleeps with Andy in the fifth season. In the sixth season, she briefly appears, now a divorcee and taking up sculpting. She returned for a major role in the seventh season, revealed to be taking care of Stevie for three years while Nancy is imprisoned. She has gotten back together with her husband Scott, although she constantly doubts why. She plans to gain full custody of Stevie, which Nancy tries to stop. The two ultimately settle their differences about the baby and move in together to raise Stevie. In season eight, Jill reveals she is pregnant after sleeping with Andy and Doug. Upon realizing she is not pregnant but is going through menopause, she tells Andy, but he breaks up with her. Jill and Nancy finally talk about each other's mother qualities and agree with each other; Jill decides to leave, but both sisters bond after selling together at a college. In the series finale, Nancy mentions that she lives in India.
Shayla and Taylor Grey Shayla and Taylor Grey (
Rachel and Amanda Pace) are the
preteen daughters of Jill Price-Grey and Scott Grey and Nancy Botwin's nieces. Shayla has a gothic look while Taylor has a straight-laced look. They are twins; the first and only children to Jill and Scott Grey. ==Botwin relatives==