I have to admit that I was not a real-time viewer of Six Feet Under. At the time it was airing, I did not have HBO. When I did finally get around to catching up with the show, though, I fell in love with it. I now count it among my all time favorites. It’s definitely the best character drama that I have ever seen.
It was over two years ago that I began watching the show, detailing my journey through the series. Here’s a summary with links to all of those articles.
Through the first few episodes I was still getting my feet wet, getting used to the rhythm of the show and learning about all the detailed characters that I would grow to love. It didn’t take me long to realize that as maddening as Ruth could be at times, she was a great character. Like all the Fisher’s, she is flawed like us all, just trying to do her best. It didn’t take me long to feel the common frustrations in the Brenda and Nate relationship. By the time season one ended, I was completely addicted to the show and looking forward to season two.
Season two began with a time honored Six Feet Under tradition: a dinner party gone horribly wrong. It also introduced The Plan, that crazy self help program that Ruth went through. Season two saw the introduction and development of some of the great minor characters on the show, including Brenda’s mother, Ruth’s sister, and Lisa. As the season continued on, I voiced my frustrations with Brenda yet again. In retrospect, the volatile relationship between her and Nate was very important to the series, but at the time it was often frustrating. The end of season two remains one of my favorite parts of the show. Nate and Brenda’s fighting comes to a head and Nate goes in for surgery for his AVM. The conversation between Nate and David before the surgery still gives me chills.
I loved that the show reinvented itself between the second and third season. it seemed like a really smart move to breathe fresh air into the show while remaining true to the characters. I was also excited to see the additions of Kathy Bates and Catherine O’Hara. Season three had some of the best plot lines. I loved Rainn Wilson as the bizarre Arthur and his relationship with Ruth, and Claire at art school was also very fun. Additionally, there was Lisa’s disappearance, which I thought one was of the better story lines of the whole series. It was disturbing, suspenseful, and had an amazing payoff (though that came later). The third season ended with another big surprise: Ruth’s rushing into marriage with George. It certainly set up interesting things to come.
Season four started in heartbreaking fashion with Nate (quite literally) burying Lisa. I also mused about Rico’s dalliances with his stripper friend. It was certainly not my favorite plot. Of course, the big event of season four was the kidnap and torture of poor David. Some like the episode, others hate it. I definitely appreciated the skillfully done hour, but boy was it tough to watch. As season four continued, it seemed like the inevitable happened: Brenda and Nate got back together. As the season wound down, I noted that there was a lot of darkness toward the end of season four. Of course in retrospect, it was a smilefest compared to the final episodes of season five.
And what a season season five was. As it began, I was concerned with Ruth and Claire, both dealing with the mentally unstable men in their lives. Their relationship woes seemed small compared to the fighting between Nate and Brenda. It certainly didn’t take long for those kids to fall into old habits. Then, of course all the shit hit the fan at the end of the year. I loved watching Nate find some peace in his life with Maggie, but it didn’t last for long. The end of the season continued to pour on the heartbreak, mostly with Nate’s death. I left an entire post to devote to the finale, and I’m glad I did because there was so much to say. It really is one of the best in the history of television.
It was certainly a great adventure revisiting all my thoughts on the show. What are some of your favorite moments from the series?
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Aug 15, 2011 @ 15:00 EST5EDT
