(Season 1, Episodes 8-10)
I’m speeding through the first season of Six Feet Under and I’m just on the verge of being addicted, but I’m not quite there yet. At this point I will happily say that I am really enjoying the quirky show.
Alan Ball does a great job creating characters that are so human and flawed, but remain likable. During the first episodes I was concerned that I wasn’t going to end up liking any of the Fishers, but I find I really do. Each of them has their own charms. Now, Brenda on the other hand, I’m not so sure about…
“Crossroads”
For a while there I wasn’t sure where Claire was going to fit in with the rest of the cast, but she is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. This episode was pretty Claire heavy, with her on a spiritual outreach hiking trip. I loved the innate hypocrisy of the guide leader. Not only did he sleep with one of the students, but the whole trip was a fraud. The hike was supposed to be “led” by the students, but as soon as Claire started leading them off course, the douche bag freaked out.
Also, I’m officially annoyed with Brenda. Well.. if not Brenda, then the Brenda/Nate relationship at the very least. I’m having trouble seeing what they see in each other. They are so different, and seem to spend more time yelling at each other (in this episode it was over the strange naked Australian friend sharing Brenda’s bed) than they do enjoying the company of each other.
“Life’s Too Short”
It’s really weird with Rico working for Khroener. I hope they put an end to that soon. I don’t know why the Fishers don’t just offer him a partnership. Clearly, he’s worth it.
It’s been interesting watching David’s two lives diverge even more. Without Keith, the two halves of his life seem to barreling away from each other. He is continuing to be more and more conservative in his professional life and public persona as deacon, but he is becoming more and more reckless in his personal life. Upon first meeting the character, I was pretty sure he was not the type of person to try ecstasy. It led to the awesome camping trip with Ruth high on E the whole time, though. Genius.
“The New Person”
Ileana Douglas was great in this episode as Rico’s “hard to take” replacement. She may have had a big personality, but I ended up feeling bad for her. She certainly didn’t fit in at Fisher and Sons, but she wasn’t a bad person. In any case, she served as a great foil to the Fisher family, noting on her way out after being fired that she had never worked in a funeral home that was so depressing. Indeed, all these characters seem to be mired in some sort of rut. Oddly enough, however, that’s kind of the charm of the show, isn’t it?
I have to say it’s great that Ruth has all this attention. How many recent widowers can boast of having two men chasing after her? Claire’s budding relationship with Gabe after the death of his brother is sweet, too.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on May 01, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
“I’m having trouble seeing what they see in each other.”
I’ll be very clear then, they like each other because they are great fucks. :)
You will get addicted. The first season I’m like “I spent $60 on this?” and then it grows on you and it grows and grows to where you can’t stop watching.
*POST AUTHOR*
Yes, I’m getting that sense, Oreo.
The relationship of Brenda and Nate almost seems like a flash in the pan at the beginning of the series. But amazingly, it takes some really interesting twists and turns through the series.
All the characters have such big issues, but like you mentioned, Bob, it’s really one of the charms of the show – in a fatalistic, existential charming sort of way.