Six Feet Under - Seasons 1 - 5

Season 1

When this show debuted, I knew I was going to like it. The general premise of a family run funeral business isn’t exactly something that’s explored a lot or at all on television but I went from thinking this was interesting to becoming completely hooked. Nathaniel’s death in the opening episode set the series off on a bang and while the Fishers may have their faults; one of their biggest strengths is their believability as a family. Claire was the kind of teenage character that more TV series need while Ruth’s attempts of finding love with both Hiram and Nikolai certainly had their moments. Nate also had to deal with becoming a partner in a business he didn’t want and if Brenda wasn’t complicated enough for her, the woman’s whole family are a nuttier bunch all together. David and Keith’s relationship became one of the most influential gay relationships on TV and the former’s struggles to come out did make for riveting television. Federico was probably not as well defined as other characters but he certainly his moments and the ongoing rivalry with Kroehner thankfully didn’t drag out. It was also nice to see the variety of characters per cold open as well as the pithy dialogue, stunning/surreal visuals and fantasy as well as some truly glorious character moments. This show rarely hit a bum note.

DVD Extras

HBO have been fairly good with this series, DVD wise, certainly better than some of their other shows. Alan Ball provided two brilliant commentaries for “Pilot” and “Knock, Knock” and there’s a wonderful cast and crew interview with some brief spoilers on the second season. Also worth noting are some deleted scenes, a look on how the title sequence was made from Digital Kitchen and two music tracks.

Episode Ratings

1x01: Pilot = 9/10, 1x02: The Will = 9/10,
1x03: The Foot = 8/10, 1x04: Familia = 7/10,
1x05: An Open Book = 10/10, 1x06: The Room = 8/10,
1x07: Brotherhood = 7/10, 1x08: Crossroads = 8/10,
1x09: Life’s Too Short = 9/10, 1x10: The New Person = 7/10,
1x11: The Trip = 8/10, 1x12: A Private Life = 10/10,
1x13: Knock, Knock = 9/10.

Season 2

I think it’s around this point that the series became more and more confident in its abilities. The first season was wonderful but the second one actually became better as it progressed. David and Keith managed to get back together and became parents (in their own way) to the latter’s swear happy niece, Taylor and that was before we got more insight into Keith’s family (druggie sister, doormat mother, abusive father). I didn’t like the end part with Keith losing his job and the relationship not in the greatest of places but nothing is ever easy in real life and this show. This can also be applied to Nate and Brenda. As a couple, they’re easy to root but both of them really do a lot of sabotage to each other. Nate practically waited until he had a fit to tell Brenda about his AVM and then he told her about getting Lisa pregnant after pissing his former lover. Brenda was no saint herself with the whole sex addiction plot but it’s hard not to like them as a couple no less. Claire seemed to have her own romantic woes as well. On the plus side, she did get rid of Gabe but she also rejected a nice guy in Toby and didn’t seem all that perturbed with Billy, even though Nate was rightly cautious. Ruth also dumped Nikolai after slowly realising that he didn’t care about her. Some of Ruth’s better moments in the season involved other people. Her friendship with Robbie was neat, hashing things out with the errand Sarah was another highlight as was finally being able to support Nate when he told her about his AVM. Federico on the other hand, we got to meet his closeted cousin, his obnoxious sister in law, see him and Vanessa come into money but also we got flashbacks to his time with Nathaniel, adding another layer to the character.

DVD Extras

Although this is a brilliant season and HBO are better with this series, DVD wise than other ones, this was weaker. The 20 minute featurette on “Making Of A Working Stiff” had it’s moments and it was nice that we got commentaries of “In The Game”, “Back To The Garden”, “The Secret”, “I’ll Take You” and “The Last Time”, it’s just a pity we didn’t get more stuff, like an overview of the season or the gorgeous trailer shot for it.

Episode Ratings

2x01: In The Game = 9/10, 2x02: Out, Out Brief Candle = 8/10,
2x03: The Plan = 9/10, 2x04: Driving Mr Mossback = 7/10,
2x05: The Invisible Woman = 9/10, 2x06: In Place Of Anger = 7/10,
2x07: Back To The Garden = 8/10,
2x08: It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year = 10/10,
2x09: Someone Else’s Eyes = 8/10, 2x10: The Secret = 9/10,
2x11: The Liar And The Whore = 7/10, 2x12: I’ll Take You = 9/10,
2x13: The Last Time = 10/10.

Season 3

Third season are rapidly becoming a funny thing in that they divide viewers a lot. This season and the next one seemed to have that overwhelming effect. In retrospect, it might not be as good as the first two seasons but there’s a lot worthy of it too. Okay, Nate and Lisa’s marriage is terrible. If ever there was a valid reason as to why two people should not marry each other just because they’ve had child together, Nate and Lisa are it. They don’t work at all. Nate withdrew more from Lisa than he did with Brenda and Lisa just nagged and nagged like there was no tomorrow. It was obvious that when she went missing that she would wind up dead and that Nate’s internal guilt would have him lash out. Nate can be pretty cruel when he lashes out at people. The rest of the characters continue to get better screen time. David and Keith start the season by going to couples therapy, partaking in threesomes before breaking up and getting back together again. Claire seemed to be more in her element in art school, even before both Russell and Olivier disappointed her by sleeping around and it was nice to see Brenda take stock of her mistakes and genuinely try to atone. Ruth sort of varies – at first being too clingy with Lisa and Maya and then letting her hair down with Bettina (one of the best recurring characters introduced into the series). Her relationships with Arthur and George do vary as well – Ruth sure knows how to pick them. Federico’s vocalisation gets better too, though he does overplay the ‘I’m a partner’ stance at Fishers And Diaz a little too much for my liking. Copping off with the skanky Sophia however wasn’t his smartest of moves though.

DVD Extras

An improvement here, most definitely. Commentary wise, we’ve got ones for “The Eye Inside”, “Nobody Sleeps”, “The Trap”, “Death Works Overtime” and “I’m Sorry, I’m Lost”. There’s also a very nice selection of deleted scenes and a wonderful fifteen minute “Living On The Ledge: A Bird’s-Eye View Of The Third Season” featurette that’s well worth watching, especially as it deals with all the main themes and shooting of the trailer for the third year.

Episode Ratings

3x01: Perfect Circles = 9/10, 3x02: You Never Know = 8/10,
3x03: The Eye Inside = 7/10, 3x04: Nobody Sleeps = 10/10,
3x05: The Trap = 8/10, 3x06: Making Love Work = 7/10,
3x07: Timing And Space = 9/10, 3x08: Tears, Bones And Desire = 9/10,
3x09: The Opening = 8/10, 3x10: Everyone Leaves = 8/10,
3x11: Death Works Overtime = 9/10, 3x12: Twilight = 10/10,
3x13: I’m Sorry, I’m Lost = 10/10.

Season 4

Another season that seemed to divide a lot of viewers – was it impatience or was the series losing it’s edge? I’m not sure. Out of all five seasons, Season 4 is the one that arguably could be seen as the lightest of the bunch. Okay, David went through hell when being kidnapped by psycho boy Jake and that was something that affected him and David, up until the finale but we’ve had darker moments. I knew David and Keith would be unable to maintain an open relationship and I was glad when that plot dissipated. I was also glad to see the back of catty pop star Celeste as well but that’s another matter. Claire certainly got to explore her artistic abilities as well as various group actions with Edie, Billy and Jimmy throughout the entire season. The fiasco with Russell over the collages didn’t put her in a favourable light though her moments with David certainly did. Nate and Brenda on the other hand spent half the season dancing around each other before getting back together (too bad we lost bondage lover Joe, he was sweet in his own way) and deciding to start a family. Implicating that Hoyt was responsible for Lisa’s death was also a rather nice way of wrapping up that storyline as was showing the eventful dissolution of Federico and Vanessa’s marriage. Ruth also had to find out about George’s colourful history and there was the introduction of Maggie as well.

DVD Extras

I love this season for the extras. It really did step up another level. Seven commentaries was brilliant and on largely pivotal episodes as well. The episodes commented on were, “Falling Into Place”, “Parallel Play”, “That’s My Dog” (would’ve liked Michael C. Hall for that one), “Terror Starts At Home”, “The Dare”, “Bomb Shelter” and “Untitled”. Other goodies include more deleted scenes, a Bob Costas interview with Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Lauren Ambrose and Frances Conroy as well as the “Cut By Cut: Editing Six Feet Under” feature with the writers and producers for the episode, “Parallel Play”.

Episode Ratings

4x01: Falling Into Place = 9/10, 4x02: In Case Of Rapture = 8/10,
4x03: Parallel Play = 7/10, 4x04: Can I Come Up Now = 9/10,
4x05: That’s My Dog = 10/10, 4x06: Terror Starts At Home = 9/10,
4x07: The Dare = 8/10, 4x08: Coming And Going = 7/10,
4x09: Grinding The Corn = 9/10, 4x10: The Black Forest = 8/10,
4x11: Bomb Shelter = 8/10, 4x12: Untitled = 9/10.

Season 5

Final seasons should never be this awesome but this show always was something of a rule breaker. For me, everything clicked and then some. Nate and Brenda had finally tied the knot and had dealt with the miscarriage of their baby before discovering that they had become expectant parents again. Nate embraced the idea of Quakerism, embarked on a brief fling with Maggie but ultimately met his death three episodes before the finale while Brenda went into premature labour and had a girl named Willa. Ruth struggled to keep her marriage alive amidst George’s illness and after leaving him, the two became drawn again. Knitting friends weren’t that great but at least Sarah and Bettina were there when Ruth needed them the most. Claire left her art life behind, sensibly ditched Billy when he became too much and lost some of her self indulgence. Hooking her up with Ted also broke her trend of being attracted to dysfunctional men too. Plus Ted was proof that Alan Ball can write for conservative characters who aren’t raging nutters. David and Keith took the inevitable step into parenthood before buying Rico out of the family business, who in turn bought his own business after reuniting with Vanessa. As for the final episode, has any series ever produced anything so perfect? As much as I miss this series, I’m glad it ended. It knew when to quit and it left on one hell of a high note that no other series ender has usurped in quality. Plus Alan Ball is now wowing us with True Blood, so all is definitely not lost then. And there’s Brothers And Sisters to fall in love with as well.

DVD Extras

A final season deserves a good send off and this DVD set does deliver. Again there are six commentaries for “Time Flies”, “The Rainbow Of Her Reasons”, “The Silence”, “Ecotone”, “Static” and “Everyone’s Waiting” from producers, Alan Ball, Frances Conroy, Michael C. Hall and Lauren Ambrose. The 2001-2005 hour long respective documentaries which even E4 aired during transmission of the last season are thankfully included in this set and just wait until you watch the “Life And Loss: The Impact Of Six Feet Under” feature. Even Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry is happy to tell viewers how this show influenced his. A wonderful way of capping off the final season of a truly magnificent show.

Episode Ratings

5x01: A Coat Of White Primer = 9/10, 5x02: Dancing For Me = 8/10,
5x03: Hold My Hand = 8/10, 5x04: Time Flies = 10/10,
5x05: Eat A Peach = 9/10, 5x06: The Rainbow Of Her Reasons = 10/10,
5x07: The Silence = 8/10, 5x08: Singing For Our Lives = 10/10,
5x09: Ecotone = 10/10, 5x10: All Alone = 9/10,
5x11: Static = 10/10, 5x12: Everyone’s Waiting = 10/10.

All episode reviews can be found on both my TV TOME page and SHAWNLUNN2002TVHITS, both of which are linked on this blog.

My Review of Six Feet Under's 5x12: "Everyone's Waiting"

Written And Directed by Alan Ball

With at least nineteen reviews up on tv.com (possibly more), my delay for posting mine had mainly been down to job hunting and my kicking and screaming knee jerk reaction to the fact I was watching the final episode of the possibly the best ever television series from the 21st century. However I couldn’t delay anymore and hoping to be as original as possible, here are the main events of this more than powerful instalment.

I debated which character I should’ve picked first to discuss but in the end, my first choice has to be Claire (it makes sense after all) who returns home hours after her bus journey and sets about making amends with Ted and finally admitting to him and herself that she has no idea of what she wants to do with her life. I can relate to this plot as I’m currently not in college myself and finding decent, non mind numbing side work hasn’t been an easy task, so Claire’s ambivalence all season in regards to her future struck a chord with me.

As much as I love and enjoy writing reviews for this site (and this show above others), I too seriously need to get off my backside and improve my own situation and just like the people in my life, it’s great Claire has a wonderful support system in Ted, who much for viewing delight allows her to photograph him naked in some lush and tender scenes between the pair of them. Chris Messina has made a great impression in the space of six episodes and if I wasn’t sold on Ted beforehand, then this would’ve closed the deal. Hooray for Claire for finally landing a stable and nurturing man, he really is one in a million.

Claire also got a fabulous job opportunity, as a photographer’s assistant in New York, which we learned later on was down to Olivier no less. Any hostility left between him and Claire got eradicated tonight and I’m amazed to say it but this season has really made Olivier into quite a decent bloke, although Claire does try to downplay her new opportunity a couple of times and at one point even considered rejecting it in order to take of Ruth, which the latter put a stop to by unfreezing her trust fund even though her job disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

Lauren Ambrose and Frances Conroy got some really beautiful mother-daughter scenes here and with Nate at the ready, Claire left L.A. in style but not before a typically fantastic dinner party (dysfunctional as this lot are, I’m gonna miss watching those kind of scenes), replete with heartfelt and hilarious odes to Nate’s life and all too touching farewell to Claire the next morning as she got into her car, put on Ted’s “un-hip” CD and began to drive away just like we saw in the trailer to Season Five, only this time we got a lot of flash-forwards to the future, which adhering strictly to Claire, we saw her marrying Ted in her late 40’s, though they didn’t have children, having a successful photography career according to her obituary and as an old woman dying in her bed and outliving everyone else as lucky Lauren Ambrose got the final shots of the series.

Of course just because I picked Claire, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t spoiled for great choices as David also had me on the edge of my seat. Upon being told to move, he returned to the funeral home in order to sort himself out and he wasn’t exactly compliant with this as his little spat with Keith showed but managing not to feel book-ended, it was wonderful to see the little boy lost get back his self control. Whether it was actually facing his red hooded monster who turned out to be him in the end, standing up to Nathaniel (who was seriously harsh) or even standing up to Rico, there was plenty to cheer and I’m sure I wasn’t alone in being happy for Keith offering to help buy the funeral home and he was on the ball for saying it didn’t have to be a depressing place to live in.

The uplifting redecoration confirmed that and David’s dinner prayer finally solidified him, Keith, Anthony and Durrell as a family. Alan Ball’s dream of family for the boys reached total fruition and the future in which David and Keith (probably after George Bush was out of the White House) got married was a fan moment everyone will applaud for.

Their individual deaths were also well done (both Michael C Hall and Matthew St Patrick looked plausible in their prosthetics) and I’m glad their was a reasonable time distance between how both died, although sadly Keith was the only one who actually got murdered but hey, it happened in his line of work so there isn’t any racist or homophobic overtones in it, so don’t complain on that front.

Other future events for our boys including Keith running his own security firm, Anthony revealed to being gay, Durrell becoming a partner in Fisher And Sons and three grandchildren as well as a partner for David post Keith’s demise. As chaotic and volatile their relationship may have been, the most important thing is that David and Keith actually made it in the end and while David may never have wanted Father Jack presiding over his funeral, he didn’t mind having him there for his wedding, now did he?

Not to be outdone, Ruth’s last ever plot also came to an amazing full circle. The poor woman spent most of her life taking care of other people without any real sense of fulfilment from and recent events like Nate’s death and Willa’s condition really took their toll as well as Margaret’s annoyingly insensitive commentary on her clothing and taking of Maya and in a long overdue self-reflection, Ruth finally decided it was time to live her life and went all out by offering support to Brenda (I just loved that scene between Conroy and Rachel Griffiths in regards to motherhood – Desperate Housewives beat that!) and her ditching of all her drab clothing in favour of the bohemian look that so fits her.

There was so many highlights with Ruth tonight and many of them including individual conversations she had with both George and Maggie as well as a fantastic return from Bettina and the latter former jailed daughter Marci and it was Ruth’s death in her hospital bed with George, David, Claire, Nathaniel and then Nate that started the floodgates for me and keeping with last season’s “we should all be working with dogs” mantra Ruth set up a dog retreat in Topanga (she moved in with Sarah who’s missing here).


Getting back to the very beginning of this episode for me, I was almost tricked into believing that Willa Chenowith was going to be our last brutal death in the beginning and it didn’t help for a large part of the episode, Nate disparaged any optimism of his new daughter’s survival. The various scenes between Nate, Brenda and Willa were actually quite dark but the little girl’s arrival was heralded by nearly everyone – Margaret and Ruth enforcing Brenda to think on the bright side in their own individual styles, Olivier happily singing Willa a French lullaby, although he made a total sap out of himself but the best scene was Nathaniel and Nate in which the latter finally accepted his little girl which actually did make my heart melt and Brenda also went out of her way to keep the Fisher’s in her life, especially by accepting Ruth’s help, allowing David and Keith time to fully buy her out of the funeral home and there was a delightful role reversal during the farewell dinner for Claire where got se got to be a little prudish in regards to Ruth bringing up a previous dinner encounter.

Future wise, we got a celebration of Willa’s first birthday, Brenda remarried and had a son as well as a successful career as a child therapist and the flash forward to her death was quite strange. As for Billy, I still think he was alone in his life while Oliver and Margaret still had each other. Also just like Claire there was no record of Brenda having grandchildren, though her husband was called Daniel Nathanson (she just can’t escape the name Nate) while her son’s name was Forrest.

Last plot I’ll ever have to delve into for the was Federico and I have to admit while I’m glad Rico finally got a business of his won, I found his behaviour towards David when the latter refused to sell up rather childish. Although David and Nate often disagreed with Rico’s view on how to improve the business, is reaction was uncalled for. Rico could’ve been a bit more understanding of David’s plight but he wasn’t and that sucks.

In the end it was smart for this partnership to dissipate but I wonder if there had ever been any rivalry between David and Rico? Probably but it did appear in the flash forwards that they were on some good terms because Rico was at both David and Claire’s weddings. I liked the way it was chosen not to do a close up on one of the future deaths though it made it hard for me to distinguish if I really was seeing Freddy Rodriguez and Justina Machado and it was.
On the Diaz front, we learn there were also three grandchildren and judging by the obituary, Vanessa, Julio and Augusto played active roles in the running of Diaz Family Mortuary.

Also in “Everyone’s Waiting”

No actual death in this episode’s present time, although we did see Rico working on a body before he left the Fishers.

David: “You’re not up to being a single parent.”
Keith: “You’re not up to being a parent at all.”

Claire told Ted she had an abortion while he admitted he almost paid for one. It’s probably unlikely but I did think that Ted may have had a secret child out there.

Nate (to Brenda): “Too bad you don’t believe in anything or else you could pray. This is exactly what I was afraid of.”

Was it me or did Margaret really look pretty in this episode? This also made her catty remarks to Ruth more painful and Olivier also looked thinner that usual. I also really loved Billy’s “What Would Jesus Bomb?” T-shirt. He was a moody so and so in this episode though.

Margaret (to Brenda): “For Christ’s sake Brenda, there’s something to feel good about. Don’t shit all over it.”

David: “We’re clutching to the past and for what?”
Ruth: “Because that’s when there was hope.”

David’s red hooded aggressor/sabre-tooth monster was very Star Wars like.

Nathaniel (to David): “You don’t think you have a secret room? What do you think being gay is you fucking freak?”

Brenda (re Willa): “She’s always hungry.”
Nate: “That’s because she know she hasn’t much time and wants to get while she still can.”

Some small bits and pieces here was Ruth watching Just Shoot Me (I would’ve gone for Arrested Development), Sarah is in Costa Rica, and Marci’s working in a meth company and David twigging that getting to a certain level in Tony Hawk’s earns respect.

Ruth (to Claire): “Go live; I’ll unfreeze your trust fund.”

Ruth: “I’m not cleaning up anyone’s violent crimes.”
Bettina: “Then we’ll have to accept there’s nothing else. We have to become hookers.”

Is it actually possible for Brenda to have really seen Nathaniel? I suppose so seeing as in the past Nate, David and Rico have talked to some of the DOTW’s.

Nathaniel (to Brenda): “Hi we’ve never met, I’m Nathaniel.”

Chronology (excluding the future scenes), the episode started at July 2005, but moved into December by the second half. Alan Poul was a guest during David and Keith’s wedding. Was there any other crew members doubling in this episode?

Claire: “I want you to promise if the corporate war mongers decide to invade Iran and they decide to reinstate the draft, you will move to Canada.”
Ted: “That's not gonna happen.”

This episode was loaded with so many references to the past that I’m going to let everyone else list them out but they were ones only pedantic viewers would’ve spotted.

Anthony: “Does it hurt to have a baby?”
Brenda: “Yes it does.”

Standout music in this episode was Lifehouse’s “Empty Spaces” during Claire/Ted photo session, Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes” during Ruth/Bettina/Marci’s chat, Peter Krause’s entertaining “I Just Want To Celebrate” and of course Sia Furler’s breathlessly poignant “Breathe Me” during the final eight minutes of the episode.

Claire: “Be happy.”
David: “I am.”

Nate (to Claire): “You can’t take a picture of this, it’s already gone.” – That line really struck me more than anything.

Deaths in future years: Ruth O’Connor-Fisher 1946-2025, Keith Dwayne Charles 1968-2029, David James Fisher 1969-2044, Hector Federico Diaz 1974-2049, Brenda Chenowith 1969-2051 and Claire Simone Fisher 1983-2085.

What can I say? Timeless, epic, beautiful, tear jerking and courageous, “Everyone’s Waiting” was the single most important piece of television for me this year and it excelled on every possible emotional level known to man. Alan Ball made a series so heartbreakingly realistic and true to life, he succeeded in his mission to bring this epic legacy full circle and he did it superbly. I cried like a total buffoon during the final ten minutes upon the realisation that I had to part with these brilliant characters. I watch so much television but so little has impacted me like Six Feet Under. Every single member of the cast and crew pulled out all the stops and if the Emmy’s aren’t tripping themselves over to give this series as many nominations possible next year, I will be totally shocked. Six Feet Under raised the bar like no other television show has done before and it will be sorely missed. It started with a bang and ended with several tonight. Best television show ever!

Rating: 10 out of 10.

My Review of Six Feet Under's 5x01: "A Coat Of White Primer"

Written by Kate Robin
Directed by Rodrigo Garcia

If you haven’t been completely consumed by the lure of 48 survivors on an enchanted island or the goings on of a not so picturesque suburban neighbourhood, then the fifth and final season of one of the latter’s key influences is back and boy, does it mean business. And before I go on, I apologise for the tardiness of this review, so I hope you enjoy reading this as I have writing it.

With so many things going on in this hectic season premiere, I had a hard time deciding where to begin but I’ll go with the obvious and start with Nate and Brenda of course, who have two misfortunes that wonderfully tie in together, a wedding and a miscarriage. It was always set in stone if this these two ever made up the aisle, chaos wouldn’t be far behind and true to form, and it wasn’t.

Rachel Griffiths was on fine form as the grief stricken but determined Brenda and for anyone ever craving a Brenda/Lisa showdown, we sure as hell got one here as Lisa (so delightfully pithy here) happily taunts Brenda over her past actions and current woes, while slightly raising the notion she is being punished for her past.

I personally don’t think she is but we got some truly killer dialogue between the pair and was it me or did Lili Taylor also look absolutely stunning in her wedding get up (different from the one she wore in “Grinding The Corn” – yes I too am that sad about this show). Peter Krause got his fair share of excellent moments too, although Nate’s staunch refusal to grieve over Brenda’s miscarriage was a little off. With the amount of pain that he’s been through over the last three years I understand his reasons to an extent but even still, he could’ve been a little more sensitive to her.

As for him not caring, come on that isn’t Nate like at all and he did redeem himself at the wedding when he found Brenda and managed to persuade her that even though their special day was a suck fest, better things are on the horizon for them. Also I have to give kudos for the sneaky way Nate and Lisa’s wedding video was also thrown in, replete with agitated looking Fishers and Kimmels and an oh so annoying Carol.

Okay she get a great quip in the ep but she still rattles my cage and not in a good way. Oh and before I forget, maniacal Margaret and Olivier are still loved up (pass the sick basket please) and to rephrase Tim Howard’s question, I have to ask – why is Olivier still with Margaret? Surely that shrill she calls a laugh would’ve driven him potty by now but as annoying as she is, this episode is one of her better moments.

With so much talk of marriage and children, I wasn’t expecting more on the latter but we got it as the David and Keith plot has the boys quibbling over adoption and surrogacy, leading to an intense dinner conversation that has Keith adjacently making an insensitive comment regarding Brenda and Maya. In other words, he’s for surrogacy while David prefers adoption before the pair then decides to explore both options.

While many viewers may bemoan this storyline, I kind of approve because anything that shows the boys progressing and maturing as a couple has got to be a goodie. That being said this plot could easily wear thin if the writers tend to overstate the obstacles gay couples can have with adoption/surrogacy and I do hope that there is other stuff for the boys to do this season (like resolving the pain that is Roger first off).

I’m also wondering if part of this story has been stirred on due to recent government/clerical/worldwide events such as George Bush’s re-election and Pope Benedict the 16th ‘s papacy. As long as it doesn’t get too political, this could be a great thread and for viewers not convinced with this story, I say give it a chance – it could turn out to be something great.

Keeping up with the chaos of last season, George is still a teething problem for poor Ruth. Despite all that electro convulsive therapy, it does seem that no real effect is taking place, which is partly okay because George is more fun off his rocker than anything else. Okay so he may not be as barmy as the previous two episodes but I think it’s safe to say Ruth is gonna have a big problem on her hands.

In some ways marrying George should have finally liberated her from the caregiver role she has been relegated to so many times in her life but that looks set to be a fantasy now. With George suffering memory lapses and Ruth taking her frustration out on Claire in a shocking fashion, Frances Conroy has never been better and with her looking set to get more to do, we could get ourselves a joint Ruth and Claire year and I have no complaints about that whatsoever.

The Claire plot of the episode has its moments. As a couple, she and Billy are a bit odd and unexpected. They’re a lot more settled than everyone else and have even gotten to the steps of moving in with each other but throughout this episode, there’s an indication of doom.

We get an illuminating conversation between Nate, David and Keith who all compare notes on Claire’s choices of partners (Edie conveniently being edited) and during a hilarious scene with the Fisher kids high, Claire’s attempts of convincing her brothers that Billy’s fine falls on deaf ears.

I don’t actually mind Billy and Claire as a couple, even if the latter is still acting like the untouchable art princess she was dubbed last season. As for her and Billy, though, well it’s that time again when Billy has a bi-annual meltdown and this time it will be Claire who’ll bear the brunt so I say to all Claire/Billy shippers, enjoy it while you can because it won’t last. And no, that is not a spoiler.

Then there’s also the tension between Claire and Ruth when the former takes a semester out of college, slightly mirroring a dilemma of my own right now.

Last but not least we’ve got the Rico plot, which unsurprisingly enough is the episode’s lightest moments as he struggles to find a perfect woman through a dating service and when Vanessa refuses to be his date at the wedding, he takes a fairly alright woman named Sharon instead.

While this may be stalling time for the inevitable reunion of Rico/Vanessa, it’s actually quite good fun and Ruth’s sage advice to Federico on his newfound way to meet women is nothing short of priceless. Plus, this is way better than the Sophia angle of last year but here’s hoping it’s not too long before him and Vanessa make up.

Also in “A Coat Of White Primer”

Truly sick death of the week with Andrea Kuhn getting impaled by a chair but top marks because it was so damn effective.

Claire (re wedding video): “Nate might have to get married without a prick.”

Justina Machado is finally made a series regular (good for her) and the credits are stretched (musically too) to accommodate her. And they couldn’t have done this last season?

David (re DOTW): “This is what happens to couples who never learn how to fight.”

Ruth (to Federico): “Enjoy it dear but try not to be blinded by lust if you can.”

In the hair and looks department, Nate’s locks are back to his former glory; Claire is noticeably thinner (but not anorexic), Brenda’s hair much longer and Lisa’s much lighter.

Carol: “I love how weddings just erase the past like a coat of white primer. Slap a veil on her and even the biggest slut bag becomes a fresh faced ingénue.”

Brenda (re Ruth): “Because she hates me.”
Nate: “She doesn’t hate you anymore.”
David: “Now she hates Claire.”

I still think HBO made a dumbass decision in moving this show from Sundays to Mondays for their final season, especially now that the same thing will not happen to The Sopranos next year.

David (to Keith): “I can’t rent out some woman’s uterus like it’s a storage locker.”

Six months has passed since “Untitled”. It’s now October 2004.

Lisa: “All the moments in your life have been leading up to this one. That’s why you’re being punished.”
Brenda: “I’m going to get my baby, you bitch.”

Again Nathaniel didn’t appear in the season premiere unless we’re supposed to believe that disruptive seagull was supposed to be him. And how cool was it that Nate and Brenda got married in the same place they discussed in “Someone Else’s Eyes” and “Timing And Space”?

Brenda: “I was remembering when you threw your ring at me.”
Nate: “Ah memories.”

Great music in this episode with Bebel Gilberto’s “Aganjou” (featured on the new SFU soundtrack) and various tracks from The Martini Kings (the wedding band), including two versions of “Teach Me Tonight”.

This was excellent. Once again the producers have managed to get the new season off a flying start with a premiere so jam packed with events; you need to catch your breath. Kate Robin (whose other memorable instalments include “A Private Life” and “Terror Starts At Home”) aptly kept me entertained. We got a clever use of flashbacks and dream sequences and the various throwbacks to previous seasons proves how consistent this show is with their continuity, it’s impossible not to love this episode. Roll on the next eleven.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Six Feet Under's 4x12: "Untitled"

Written by Nancy Oliver
Directed by Alan Ball

Unresolved, unfinished, unclear, unanswered and of course, unknown. Alternative words that also easily could have been a title for the latest season ender in Six Feet Under's truncated fourth season. And also how I feel in parts about this episode.

The biggest mystery that has plagued all of the last year was how one Lisa Kimmel-Fisher died. It bugged Nate, her family and a large percentage of the audience and all along a vital clue to her final day lay inside the book that Michaela was so adamant that Nate give to David.

Okay so the photo of the last image of Lisa could have come from any standard and frankly moronic soap but the real question is - do I buy into the idea of Lisa and Hoyt having an affair?

To be honest, not completely even if it does make me sympathise with Barb and slightly understand her little bit. But the thing that stops this revelation from being complete tripe is the surprisingly powerful scenes between Nate and Hoyt. They are quite believable and even his suicide does incur a slight amount of intrigue.

With Hoyt dead the complete answers of Lisa's own demise now goes with him. Did I really think it would be that easy? For a second, yeah. I wanted to believe an enraged Hoyt had offed her. That Lisa was coming to visit to tell her about her cheating hubby (not that I'm siding with Lisa mind) and break off their affair.

Then there's Maya. Given the longevity of Lisa and Hoyt's affair, is it possibly that Maya is Hoyt's? Possibly but honestly I believe she is Nate's. She definitely feels like his and if she isn't, then I'm gonna be one teed off viewer.

And let's not forget Nate and Brenda's engagement, which for all it's initial cheesiness is still a believable ploy and a sigh of a relief we didn't get a pregnancy revelation although you can bet there'll be struggle with them trying to play happy families.

In much better arcs, David identifies Jake in a police line up, leading to a much necessary and totally compelling confrontation between the pair as it manages to get David to face his demons (although being David you know he's not completely out of the woods).

And then there are the David/Nathaniel scenes where he's forced to call on his own behaviour and accept the fact he's lucky to be alive, giving Michael C Hall another fine chance to emote. And how I’ve wanted to see that since "That's My Dog" and it certainly lived up to my expectations.

It's also great to see David and Keith as a more functioning couple than we've seen so far this year, but Roger hiring Keith as his bodyguard worries me though. I'm not sure if getting a job from the guy who was gonna sue your boyfriend a couple weeks ago bodes well.

Keeping with genuinely great plots, George is definitely off his rocker and I for cannot wait to see where this is heading. Yes, I was wrong he's survived the season but his apocalyptic fears are now heightened with nightmares of a turquoise dressed woman which I guess we're supposed to interpret as one of his wives or possibly his mother - Ball and company do like to keep things ambiguous.

Poor Ruth definitely has trouble on her hands and how convenient was it that Maggie had her twig about George's behaviour? The consensus with US viewers is either schizophrenia (which I concur) or Alzheimer’s. I actually quite liked Maggie - very pleasant but nobody on this show is a paragon of stability and I think it's fair to presume we'll be seeing more her next season. I'm genuinely compelled with this thread.

Also compelling was Vanessa asking for a divorce from Federico. Yes I should have seen it coming but that still didn't prepare me for the shock anyway. Poor Rico. He laid his heart on the line, finally conceded what an idiot he had been for getting involved with Sophia and apologised.

Yes he should get the consequences of his misguided actions but that doesn't stop for feeling for the guy, even slightly more than Vanessa but seeing as her and Rico were only the real stable couple on this show since "The Will", you just can't help but feel despair. However seeing as Justina Machado is supposed to become a regular next season, I hold out hope for reconciliation.

Not onto the worst aspect of the finale which sadly lies with Claire's gallery opening. I didn't like her and Jimmy as a couple but did she really need to be such a bitch towards him for no good reason? If it wasn't for him, her star turn wouldn't have happened and having her spent long lengths of time ignoring him and then casting him aside was pretty despicable and Claire's not that kind of person.

And what was up with her snorting coke like some strung out junkie? For crying out woman - get your shit together and sort yourself out before you become the embodiment of how not to act like as an artist (basically Olivier).

I didn't really mind her and Billy hooking up - it didn't feel forced and the only things that have prevented from furthering their relationship have been her age and his mental state, although their entanglement can go either way. And just wait until Nate and Brenda find out.

Russell equally pissed me off with his storming and disgusting need to claim credit. Sorry Rusty, this isn't a time where you have the right to claim your pound of flesh - Claire owes you nothing on this score.

His actions were complete and utterly selfishly motivated, although their little catfight was absolutely hilarious and at least we're finally rid of Anita (who leaves with Jimmy - talk about would you jump into my grave half as quick?). But for the third year in a row, Claire is left with no friends and for at least one of them, she is to blame. Will she ever learn?

Also in "Untitled"

Death of the week: Kenneth Henderson getting diced in half by the elevator door. Way too corny and Final Destination for it's own good, but it may make you more conscious of elevators.

Man: “We’re gonna drop ten floors and we're all gonna die.”
Woman: “We could use a little more Bruce Willis attitude here, Mister.”

Claire's new cyber name is CFisher220 while Billy's is MrChen106.

Nate (to David): “I hit a new low. I made the bereaved vomit.”

Maggie (re George): “Well thank God he shaves for you. He used to have a big scraggly beard.”
Ruth: “A beard? I can't picture it ... yes I can.”

Margaret wanted Claire to do a similar collage of her and Olivier. Wonder it that's to see what demonic child these two could produce.

Federico: “I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart.”
Vanessa: “You finally said it, thank you.”

How come Ruth and Maya were the only people from Claire's family at the gallery when we had all the Chenowith's? I get Nate being in Idaho but David's visit to Jake was well finished before the opening.

David: “Well I walk around all the time thinking everyone is going to humiliate and murder me."
Jake: “Well they are so I did you a favour.”

Wished they had gotten someone better than Nicole Richie to buy a piece of Claire's work. No offence but next season be a little more picky with guest stars.

Claire: “How are things going?”
Anita: “What?”
Claire: “My show, whore.”
Anita: “Oh fine, whore.”

Brenda and Maya together was adorable. The twins who play her definitely got more to do here than they have since ever. I also think Maya clung onto Brenda at the gallery because she was scared of Margaret's hideous top.

Olivier (to Claire): “I toast you with this shitty wine.”

Chronology wise, its 18 days since “Bomb Shelter”.

Nathaniel: “What do you think? You can do anything you lucky bastard, you're alive! What's a little pain compared to that?"
David: “It can't be that simple.”
Nathaniel: “What if it is?”

Standout music of the episode including the ubitiquous brilliantly score piece from Rick Marvin during all those interjected scenes, as well as practically everything from Claire's gallery party.

I immensely enjoyed this actually. Okay, so the “fates sealed” spiel I don't necessarily buy into and while the major death was of a character who didn't engage me, this was still a terrific way of ending the season. Yes, we should have gotten two episodes instead, with double yes on that Alan Ball should have scripted this, hats off to Nancy Oliver for a brilliant episode after the hit and miss "Coming And Going". It may not be an ultimate cliff-hanger like the previous two season enders but a damn sight better than finales we've had this year compared to other series.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Six Feet Under's 4x01: "Falling Into Place"

Written by Craig Wright
Directed by Michael Cuesta

Keith (to David): "I feel like I’ve been eating this cake for 12 months".

I couldn't have thought of a more appropriate way to open my first paragraph to review the new season of Six Feet Under and after those supermarket promos with Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" the anticipation reached fever pitch. Since "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost", we've gone through Sex And The City's final season, the marvellous Carnivale and Angels In America as well as The Sopranos' penultimate year and after all of the above was the first episode of Season Four worth the wait? Despite some rather question worthy and puzzle some moments, this opener had a lot to offer, so here goes...

"Falling Into Place" takes just seconds after the final moments of "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost" where Nate shows up at Brenda's and tells her of Lisa's death. However his search for comfort with his ex leads to an unwise (but brief) sexual encounter between the pair, adding further awkwardness between the former lovers the morning after.

Also during the night, a seemingly reunited David and Keith stay over at the former's childhood room, which is made even weirder for Dave when he has to hear Ruth in the throes of connubial bliss, which I’ll get back to later.

Next day everyone, including George (who Nate's hostility towards is almost non-existent - Bet that won't last long, though) learns of Lisa's death and at the coroner's office, it is David who has the unenviable task of identifying the body, turning what Nate had to do in the Pilot regarding his father almost on it's head.

From here on in, the bulk of the premiere now largely revolves around Lisa's funeral and some viewers may be delighted to see Lili Taylor's ill-fated character in a nicely done flashback where Lisa gives her burial wishes to Nate.

These wishes come into direct conflict with Lisa's freakish mother, who could possibly give Margaret Chenowith a run for her money in terms of parents you wouldn't want as she wants her daughter cremated and when you think you fathom the outcome, the episode's denouement turns everything on it's head as the Kimmel's leaves with ashes believed to be Lisa, while Nate buries his wife in the desert in a scene that will have viewers reaching for their hankies as the end credits roll.

But it isn't just Peter Krause who steals the show as going back to the current Nate/Brenda situation. While there may be tension still between the pair, unlike Season Three's closing instalments, at least Nate isn't trying to blame her for anything, even when he puts the kibosh on Brenda's plans to go to the funeral.

Still though, at least she's got the lovely Joe to get neighbourly with and moves in rather closer to him when the previous day she was determined to maintain some reasonable distance. Second episode in and my opinion on the guy still stands - I like him and great casting in Justin Theroux who is developing some brilliant chemistry with Rachel Griffiths. Unlike last season when the Brenda/Nate/Lisa triangle had the latter of the bunch not sitting well with viewers and critics alike, the same cannot be said about the inevitable Nate/Brenda/Joe entanglement here.

And with Brenda's celibacy now obliterated, how long are the writers gonna be able to maintain this arc where other shows have fallen flat on their arses with? On the plus side, at least Brenda seems more integrated this season than last and if she and Joe are heading for a collision course, can it be at least towards the end of the season, please?

Meanwhile Claire confesses all to Russell regarding the abortion and sends him packing when he breaks down. It's nice to see Rusty again and maybe Claire could've been more sympathetic when telling him, but at the same time his melodramatic act is getting a little tedious at the moment. If he's going to be around for this year, in whatever capacity, maybe the writers should make a couple of changes for the character.

David and Keith also remain a question worthy topic as the status of their new relationship is also kind of unknown to either of them. Both of them want to be with the other and both confess that they don't want anyone else but each other and while they are willing to make some changes, you can't help but feel that David moving back in with Keith is a tad rushed.

Wouldn't it have been more logical for the pair to rebuild their relationship, but have some distance between them? Then again, with the ecstatically happy Ruth and George (for now) shagging, maybe that's why David was so eager to scarper back to Keith. But, I can't help but feel that by doing this they will fall into old familiar shoes.

Following his indiscretion with lap dancer Sophia, Federico allows Angelica to stay longer until an impatient Vanessa turfs her out and after three seasons of not featuring in premieres and playing second fiddle to her husband, Justina Machado gets to cut loose her character shows why we should be watching this season as well as Federico's bizarre, as despite confessing all to a priest, he can't help but not drive by the strip club to get a glimpse of Sophia. And I can't wait to see where this heads.

Also in "Falling Into Place"

The fake ashes given to the Kimmels are from Bruno Baskerville Walsh, who in a flashback to 1972 we see jump off the roof after an acid trip in a nicely prodded nod to the brilliant Almost Famous.

Claire (re Ruth/George): “I was completely scandalised.”
David: “I never knew the word ‘George’ could sound so obscene.”

Anyone else notice Rachel Griffiths' post pregnancy show? This episode was only filmed a few weeks after the actress gave birth.

Nate (re Lisa): “I kept thinking please don’t let it be me who messes it up.”
David: “And it wasn’t.”
Nate: “Good for me.”

David: “So are you dating? Do you have a thing for anyone?”
Claire: “Ugh, no. Everyone is a total asshole who ultimately fucks you over.”

Loved Barb's eulogy to Lisa. I am so the type of person to call my friends at inappropriate times over something trivial.

Barb: “Lisa didn't believe in borders and that is why I know that wherever Lisa is right now, she's everywhere! She's everywhere and that means, she's home”.

Claire: "I got an abortion."
Russell: "When?"
Claire: "Like, right after we broke up."

Not only does Russell still have that unclean hair, but now he's got a moustache to match, which is worse.

Priest (to Federico): “That was very fast.”

Federico could barely contain his joy at Angelica being kicked out. And what about his confession to that priest and for a man allergic to cats, shouldn't even feeding them be a little harmful to Joe?

Brenda: “That was very kind, what you did the other day.”
Joe: “No it was selfish. I just wanted to see you.”

Chronology it's still obviously July 2003.

David: "So what did we just do? Did we just get married?"
Keith: "No."
David: “Feels like we did."
Keith: "Yeah, well don't over think it."

Standout songs included the Pernace Brother's "Baby In Two" during Claire and Russell's phone conversation and Jonathan Rice’s “Breaks So Easily” played during David and Claire's "eye-breaking" conversation stood out.

Had to admit that I was worried over the fact that Alan Ball didn't script this episode (I hope this isn't a sign of reduced involvement in the show - way too many producers/creators are doing that these days), but the superb Craig Wright kept us on our toes once again, although a bit more of poor Arthur would've have been nice and while things weren't as dark as last season, you can't help but wonder if David and Claire's "eye-breaking" conversation may foreshadow for bleaker things to come. However, despite some mishaps, "Falling Into Place" still displays why this show is probably the best thing on television right about now.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Six Feet Under's 3x13: "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost"

Written by Jill Soloway
Directed by Alan Ball

There were a lot of season finales in the 2002-2003 TV seasons that left me stunned and most of them weren't very mainstream. We had "Chosen", the last ever episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which Sunnydale had become a crater. In the Angel ender, "Home", the LA scoobies decided that after four years of fighting Wolfram & Hart, they would instead run the newly refurbished evil law firm, while on Alias' "The Telling" we had a bloody showdown between Sydney and Allison, with the former waking up two years later with no memory of what happened to her.

So could "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost" compete in my books? God yes and while "Twilight" still remains the best episode of the traumatic third season, this is still a very close contender.

Nate's downward spiral, which has been so compelling and heartbreaking to watch, is really put through the ringer as Peter Krause pulls in a defiant performance as his character goes through hell. We have him being a complete asshole towards his refusal to accept Ruth and George's marriage and his attack on both of them in separate sequences is upsetting to watch. But that's almost a lull his continuous screwing around and getting into a fight with that guy at the bar.

But all these actions are stemming from the fact that we find out that Lisa is now officially dead. At this point it was fairly obvious of that as we do get a clue along the way. Despite the fact that Nate is seen as a bloke's bloke, the writers sure do love to get Peter Krause crying and he gets plenty of that here. Also having Nate SR and Lisa appear when Nate is driving recklessly and goading into contemplating suicide is a creepy touch. Makes you wonder if we'll be seeing Dead Lisa in Season Four?

Nate's not the only person visited by Dead Dad as after an encounter with him, David decides to give his relationship with Keith another try, following a beautiful reconciliation for the pair at church, brilliantly played by Michael C. Hall and Matthew St Patrick.

Also having David tell Keith about sleeping with Patrick was a smart move as both of them can now really try and move on and repair their relationship and it's about time we saw these two happy without any secrets holding them back. It took all season, but they're finally getting there.

Claire also gets a visit from her dead father. Cue a rather fabulous looking trip to the afterlife, which appears to be a never-ending carnival where she meets up with Lisa (this being the clue of latter's death) and seeing Claire's son as a three month baby instead of a fetus was definitely the wiser move.

This also goes to prove that having an abortion for Claire wasn't an easy choice and I say that Claire will eventually tell someone in her family about having an abortion (hopefully Ruth) and maybe we'll see her keeping her promise to Lisa about looking out for Maya. Then there's her reunion with Gabe, which begs the question - is he dead? God, I really kinda hope so, especially as he seemed so improved here. Note his compassion and love for Anthony. Besides, last thing we need next season is for him to show as the shithead he's been in the past.

Before I get onto the joy factor of the episode, there is Federico's little indiscretion with a stripper in his car, following Angelica's successful campaign to have him and Vanessa on clearly opposing paths.

The devout family man sadly slips and you can't help but wonder what if this Infinity/Sophia chick happens to be connected to Angelica in some way. Plot wise, it would be a delicious twist and a brilliant additional to the tension between Federico and Vanessa. And who better to bring it to the fore than Angelica?

With all the heartbreak in this season, we finally have some joy at the expense of Ruth and George's rather discreet wedding and while it may not demand the most attention of the finale, it still manages to hold it\'s own nevertheless. And I’m sure there's gonna be some delightful ramifications for Nate being a no-show at the wedding.

And as for Brenda, it appears that she has an admirer in French horn playing Joe (played by Mullholland Drive's Justin Theroux), who interestingly doesn't believe in dating. But he's still an intriguing number and with him set to appear next season, the likelihood of Brenda remaining celibate is increasingly waning just that little bit more.

Also, having Nate show up at her door at the episode's end after the way he's treated her in the previous two episodes was ironic. It was obvious that she wouldn't turn him away, although if she had I may not have blamed her and it just proves how compassionate she's becoming.

Also in "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost"

The death of the week in this episode, Anahid Hovanessian who got hit with blue ice was once again kinda of a non event, only for Nate's abusive behaviour for the deceased's husband, who seemed like a pain in the ass.

George: "Nate, I love your mother and she loves me."
Nate: "Yeah, it's just so fucking moving I can hardly stand it."

The wannabe actor in the opening scenes was funny. Fuck you, Motherfucker indeed.

Claire: "Your whole relationship thing fell apart too, right?"
David: “I wouldn't say that ... yeah."

Brenda: “I’m not gonna have sex with you."
Joe: “Okay."

Wonder if Joe is a sex addict himself? I could buy into that, because at some point Brenda is going to have to start sleeping with men again.

Nathaniel (re George):"Well that man's alive and I’m dead. I think that means he wins."

Keith (to David):"Why is that funny? Don't you know I think you're beautiful and kind and smart and loving? You didn't know that?"

The afterlife sequences were rather colourful - Lisa was glowing in a similar way to "Tears, Bones And Desire" and even Gabe looked like colour/life was injected into him. Plus him and Claire said their "I love yous", which was rather sweet.

Nathaniel: “So how's life?"
Claire: “How’s death?"
Nathaniel: “It’s good, good. Made some new friends. Joined the chess team."

Sophia: “What are you crazy? I'm not a prostitute."
Federico: "Oh I’m sorry."

Chronology, it's July 20th 2003. Six weeks after "Twilight".

Joe: "Daring’s stupid."
Brenda: "But this is a date? Isn't it, kinda?"

Standout music: Ditto on the score but there was Princess Superstar "Wet, Wet, Wet" during Rico's strip club visit as well as the two Hank Williams tracks that featured.

Lisa (to Nate):"Go ahead honey, it's the least you can do for me. You fantasised about me being dead and now you got what you wanted."

Title Card: "Lisa Kimmel Fisher: 1967-2003". Even though you and Nate were totally incompatible and deep down we knew you weren't meant for the long haul, we will still miss you at times. R.I.P.

Despite all the emotional and heart wrenching themes of the season, the "lost" have finally seemed to have found themselves and the raw emotion in "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost" isn't forced upon viewers. June 13th 2004, in which Season Four is set to debut on HBO, cannot arrive soon enough. Now hurry up with those DVD's.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

My Review of Six Feet Under's 3x01: "Perfect Circles"

Written by Alan Ball
Directed by Rodrigo Garcia

So the two questions that are probably on everyone's lips, following the opening scenes of "Perfect Circles", are - "Is Nate dead?", followed by "What the hell is going on here?". Well, for the first, I'm willing to bet the answer is no, despite some evidence to the contrary. And as for the second...

Well, it seems that throughout the episode, Nate takes a guided tour (with his Dad - who else?) of various alternate realities, some more bizarre than others. In one, Nate and Brenda (who has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it type appearance here) are married with son, in another; his family are attending his funeral, while another sees Nate SR with a different family. The "reality" however is that he's married to Lisa. It soon becomes apparent that he has survived his operation (despite a nasty setback) and is now playing the role of dutiful husband and father to both Lisa and Maya for the past seven months.

Yes, you can suspend your disbelief as even Nate's family (in a slightly subtle way) and Lisa's friend, Dana can't help, but raise their cynicism of the couple's speedy marriage, despite Lisa's protests of them being together for the past eight years, on and off. Yes, it does feel a tad unbelievable, but I'm sure as the season unravels we'll learn the real reason why the two are together. And while I’d prefer Nate with Brenda any day, the chemistry that Krause and Lili Taylor (who's a regular despite being billed as "Guest Star") have, mostly at the episode's denouement is at least pleasant.

Nate's not the only one whose sudden developments are worth noting. On a lesser note, we have Federico, who is now officially a partner and is doing his hardest to ensure this fact to Nate and David ("no fucking way, I’m not your fucking gopher", for example). Although they still get one up on him when the get Claire to do deliveries at the crematorium. I like the fact that Federico is now a partner, especially if it gives him some character growth, but that seem too unlikely here. Also it's out with Fisher & Sons and in with Fisher & Diaz.

Speaking of the crematorium, Claire meets a new beau in the shape of rock musician, Phil (yes he was in the previous ep), who soon has her playing hooky from LAC Arts, which judging by her response of drawing a "perfect circle", isn't turning out as great as she'd hoped. Still, can't be as dire as high school and at least you get to draw naked guys which seemed to briefly enthuse...

David - who is having a less fun time with Keith as the pair have decided to undergo couples therapy, which helps get a few things off their chest ("Keith has anger issues which he inherited from his Dad and I have doormat issues, which I inherited from Mom"). The first therapy session is intriguing to watch as both lovers raise some good points, thus making it harder to choose a side between the pair.

Some slight progress is made later in the episode when the pair open up during making a stir fry and David attempts to balance his life outside work and relationships by joining the gay men chorus, giving Michael C. Hall a great opportunity to stretch his vocal chords.

However, out of all of the main players, Ruth is given the least to really do and her attempts to play the role of perfect grandmother (a role in which we really hope that Frances Conroy isn't relegated to this season) is almost knocked out of her, when Lisa castigates her for giving Maya peanut butter. And then there is her admission to Maya that Nate wasn't planned, which slightly bugs him.

Also in "Perfect Circles"

Real Deaths Of The Week - Claire took B. Folger's remains to the crematorium and there was a Mr Bennett as well.

Nate: "Can you hurry up? I don't want to be late for my own funeral."
Nathaniel: “Relax; you've got plenty of time. Hell, you've got nothing but time which doesn't exist anyway."

Anyone else kinda felt that Rachel Griffiths' appearance in this episode was a little out of sync? Maybe it was just me.

Frank (re David):"Now Keith, what did you hear?"
Keith: “A lot of whining."

Brenda: "I swear if your mother tells me again how you were a gassy baby, I’ll scream."
Nate: "And I’ll start farting."
Brenda: “Thank God we got high before we got here."

Fabulous slapstick moment in where David gets spruced up to have sex with Keith, only for Keith to be asleep when he came back. Quite funny.

Ruth (re Carol):"She's energetic."
Nate: "She's a lunatic."

Nate: "And how come any of you two haven't been to visit recently?"
Claire: “Because being a father has turned you into a dithering idiot."

The chronology in the real world is January 2003.

Keith: “Are we having sex?"
David: “Okay, just let me take a shower first."

Liked Dana and Todd (the couple who Nate and Lisa have a barbeque with) and what about Lisa's boss, Carol? Besides Nate's accurate assessment of her ("she's a lunatic"), the bigger question would be - what's up with that wig? Or more accurately - what small animal had to die to be an ornament for her head?

Phil: “You wanna play hooky?"
Claire: “Yes."

Standout music: Coldplay were brilliantly used in this episode as we had the wonderful "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" as well as "Little Miss More Or Less" by Magnet.

Overall verdict? Despite the utter confusion, this was a bloody brilliant way to open Season Three, even if the show steeps into fantasy territory more than Ball and co may be willing to admit (although they do acknowledge that unlike their Emmy rivals, they have a "cult" appeal) and this foreshadows the inevitable darker than usual tone this season is set to take.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Six Feet Under's 2x13: "The Last Time"

Written by Kate Robin
Directed by Alan Ball

For the second season finale, creator Alan Ball has decided to take helming duties, thus letting "A Private Life" scribe Kate Robin script an ender that will definitely keep fans on their toes, so I’m going to break things up into characters here.

I knew there was a good reason for Federico getting the $149,000 and I was proved right as for once Nate and David needed him to bail them out, forcing them into making him into a partner. Whether or nor this will initially reverse his role of gopher that he's resented for these two seasons remains to be seen, though. Although to be honest, the whole inspection plot doesn't really warrant that much attention.

Not only can Ruth not have an intimate relationship with Nikolai, but it seems he's not even interested in a platonic one either. If Ruth quitting her job means we never see Nikolai again, then good. But hopefully Ball has got a few aces up his sleeve for her.

Lisa - She's here and it's unlikely that she will be going away anytime soon, not that even Nate seems perturbed by that. Notice how instantly he took to Maya, despite saying he wouldn't be involved in her life a couple of scenes prior to visiting Lisa.

After two seasons of being a high schooler, school is finally out for Claire and I bet Lauren Ambrose is pleased, as now they can explore a more grown up Claire. Claire's art school interview (in which she made with the hysterical sobbing) was amusing as well as her and Parker's goodbyes, followed by her bailing graduation to be with Nate. Seems she won't be missing the place. Writer Kate Robin makes that way too clear here.

Trouble has well and truly arrived for David and Keith. David's peeved about Keith not wanting to let him in, Keith also shows a rather unsympathetic side by being quite nasty to him, over David's pain for Nate. I know he's lost his job and Taylor to his parents, but even still I found this a lot distressing.

As for Nate and Brenda, get the hankies, viewers the pair have split. While Nate seemed to have slightly calmed down from last episode, and there is a moment here in which you think the pair could get back on track, Nate drops the bombshell of not wanting Brenda to visit him in the hospital. Brenda on the other hand is seeking professional help and in an attempt to sort herself out decides to leave town. Will we see her again? Of course, Rachel Griffiths is way too valuable for this show to cut out.

Also in "The Last Time"

Death of the week: Aaron Bruckbinder died in his hospital in one hell of a tear-jerking scene with Nate. It was also the longest opening death we've had on the show.

Ruth: "Nate -"
Claire:"- was an extremely gassy baby, we know."
David: "And David never made a peep."
Claire: "And no-one remembers anything about Claire. I'm starting to think I just walked in off the street when I was nine."

The masochism between David and Keith, in which the pair's fisticuffs ends up in hot sex, was well rather hot.

Scott: "What's wrong with a little pain?"
Brenda: “I’m afraid it’ll kill me.”

David (to Keith):"You are such an asshole."

I liked Claire's Flashdance sequences. Lauren Ambrose could definitely give Jennifer Beals a run for her money and what about those removable arms? Very Buffy the Vampire Slayer like.

Federico (re Julio):"You'll let him flood the house to teach him something?"
Vanessa (after Julio turns off the bath):"Thank you."

Nate's much needed (at this stage) confession to Ruth of his AVM was exceptionally heart-wrenching. Peter Krause and Frances Conroy were exceptional in those scenes together. And having all the Fisher clan at Nate's side did bring the much needed family intimacy that Ruth wanted all season.

Ruth: “You’re not supposed to protect me; I’m supposed to protect you. That's what a mother does. She tries. Most of the time she fails, but how are you ever going to feel loved if you don't ever let me try.”
Nate: “I do, I do feel loved.”
Ruth: “There’s just so many months I could have loved you better.”
Nate: “You loved me fine.”

David (as Nikolai):"Your mother is a very good woman. God have mercy, God have mercy."
Claire: “God have mercy. How psyched are that we never have to call him Daddy?"

Standout music - again some beautiful and haunting score from Richard Marvin but the lack of music that closed the episode was stunning. Chronology wise, its June 2002. Maya is only a few weeks old.

Incredible! “The Last Time” is definitely better than the first season's ender and more than a satisfying way to end this amazing second year of the show. Here' is your proof cynics - Six Feet Under is here to stay. When the doctor told Nate to count back to ten at the end, I counted to four. Four days I had to wait for the E4 premier of Season Three, which lead onto the much more meatier stuff.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

My Review of Six Feet Under's 2x01: "In The Game"

Written by Alan Ball
Directed by Rodrigo Garcia

Having viewed Season One in mid-2002, I had to wait exactly a year until Channel 4 aired Season Two, and thankfully it was worth the wait. Let's start of with the death of the week - Rebecca Leah Milford, an actress of a dire slasher flick, who spends most of the time at the movie's press party snorting drugs and subsequently dies of violent overdose in the bathroom.

Her co- stars then decide to give her a cheap send off at Fisher and Sons by having her cremated and then snorting her ashes, much to Claire's disgust. And believe me she isn't the only one repulsed - even I couldn't stand to look at it.

Meanwhile both Fisher men (I realise that by calling them boys I almost make the sound like The Dukes Of Hazard and that's one brotherly duo you shouldn't compare Nate and Dave to) receive news from their doctors - David's being a minor infection (has to be from that guy in "The Trip") and Nate learning from his MRI test results that he's got AVM (or Arterio-Venous Malformation), a condition that could be fatal if not operated on immediately, but a very pissed off Nate storms out of the doctor's office. I can almost side with him as the doctor a little too smug.

Ruth, meanwhile decides to hold a dinner (after reading a book targeted for parents of gay and lesbian children) for herself, her children and their significant others and this is where this openers really shines as in classic SFU style chaos isn't far behind when Nate inadvertently takes an ecstasy tablet, that David left in the aspirin bottle after his disco session with Kurt. So much has happened since then I almost forgot about him.

Anyways Nate gets high as a kite, much to everyone confusion and horror, but it sure does make for some truly priceless entertainment though. Openers being openers of course, there's also another much welcomed appearance from Nathaniel as he mocks Nate's AVM despite his healthy living.

Better still is his guidance of his son's first meeting with Life (a coloured free-spirited woman) and Death (a white, somewhat grouchy man) as they get Nate to put everything on the table. Which he tries to, but as Daddy said, - not a wise move. Still though, Nate is a rather risk taking kind of guy, so it’s hardly uncharacteristic of him to do so.

Now that Claire is aware of Gabe being back to his drug taking ways, how long will it be before she learns of his other activities, like the convenience store, for instance. I love Claire but when it comes to Gabe, there seems to be a blind spot with her, though a personal highlight from her in the premiere were blasting Rebecca’s talentless co-stars’. Weren’t they an annoying bunch?

Also in "In The Game"

Death of the week: See opening paragraph. I’m guessing the movie Rebecca and her talentless co-stars were parodying was Scream, right?

Nate (to AVM consultant):"I'm gonna try to put this out of my head, no pun intended and get on with my life."

Nate may have been woken up by Brenda "going down on him", but it seems that since the crash her sex drive is on an ebb of some kind.

Ruth: “You know Claire when I was your age I had a crush on Jane Fonda.”
Claire: “Well she's single again so now's your chance.”

Claire (to Nikolai): "You'll have to forgive David. He's been majorly cranky ever since he stopped getting laid." Yet Alan Ball made sure that we got to see Michael C. Hall briefly nude anyway.

We also met Federico's sister in law, Angelica and it's easy to see why he doesn't like her. I say bring her back as she could be a good foil for Rico.

Ruth: "David if you have a special friend, I would like for them to come as well."
David:" Why are my friends special?"
Ruth:" All right, if you're having sex with anyone, I’d like to meet them. Is that better?"

Apparently Nate taught David to masturbate. Okay that's too much information but it does turn out Nate somewhat respects his younger brother's opinion.

Brenda (to Nate): “You are so fucking high.”

Notice how he was smiling when David told him he was proud of him upon learning that Nate is now a licensed funeral director.

Claire (to actor guy):"Yeah, well we'll see you back here and we'll be snorting you next time."
Nathaniel (to Nate): “You’re in the game now buddy boy.”

Standout Music: Four from the first soundtrack which were Lamb's ethereal "Heaven", Stereo MC's "Deep Down & Dirty" , The Dining Room's "Pure & Easy" which were used to great effect. Only PJ Harvey's "One Time Too Many" didn't work for me. Chronology wise, it’s July 2001, nearly four weeks after the events of “Knock, Knock”.

Despite one or two little flaws, I absolutely loved this episode. It may not be a resounding epic, but it sure as hell was a brilliant way to open this season. Here's hoping the good work continues apace. “In The Game” has definitely opened Season Two off to an intriguing start.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Sex, Death Mystery, Suspense – Why I Like Six Feet Under

Four of many words that can be used to describe one of the most important and dare I say it, most influential shows on television? This is not sycophantic fan banter, but more I feel a fact about this series.

Debuting June 3rd 2001 on HBO, it wasn’t until a year later when this series arrived on Channel 4 and E4 that I would witness this brilliant show and when I started watching, it didn’t take me long to realise there was something unique and previously untouched upon that would make this series mandatory viewing.

Perhaps the biggest reason for this and to quote Matthew St. Patrick is “because it’s real” and Freddy Rodriguez “people are tired of being spoon fed, they want to think”. This is exactly what Six Feet Under is and has always been in their entire run as ever the geniuses, HBO have managed to create another series on a par with the brilliance of The Sopranos, a series in which the lives of characters who have such intimacy with death, flip to anger or to constantly overanalyse their every move to the point of narcissism would resonate so much with viewers to the extent of making for uncomfortable viewing at times. That in itself is something of an attraction.

If you’re one of those people who likes relatively uncomplicated television then watching this will be the biggest pain in the rectum for you. Six Feet Under is the kind of programme that will grab you by the jugular and squeeze relentlessly at every imaginable topic under the sun.

From homosexuality, abortion, family values up until mental illness, this is a series willing to push quite some boundaries in such a frank and audaciously honest manner; it’s hard not to admire them for it even if they aren’t always successful.

Created by the openly gay Alan Ball, the series’ representation on homosexuality is without a doubt, the best I’ve seen with its honest if often frustrating depiction of David and Keith. Throughout the course of their volatile but loving relationship we’ve had moments to cheer and groan at them, whether it be David’s closet-ness in the first season or the ill-conceived “open relationship” scenario in the fourth year, but for any construed negative portrayal of either partner, Ball and company have always found a way to depict their relationship with realism and depth and have made them as important to any of the heterosexual relationships in the series.

Some viewers could arguably complain that often (and especially with the current adoption plot) the writers try too hard to normalise David and Keith but I don’t really think so. I will admit that we’ve seen David have more sex with random strangers that we’ve had him and Keith do it but I love the way the series depicts them as two people in love, who if even if they do often bring out the worst in each other, always try to work things out. The only other show that I’ve seen this real kind of effort to portray gay couples as real human being has been Willow and Tara in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Then, there are the domestics on which by far are the most realistic on US television. The emotionally distant Fishers are an intriguing clan because as a family who are close to each other, they often know very little about the other.

Examples that pinpoints this are Nate discovering Nathaniel had a secret room where he used to spend hours doing who knows (and yes, it’s a clever analogy for the areas in our lives we don’t allow other people to see), Ruth’s secret affair with her hairdresser revealed on the day of her husband’s funeral or even Nate’s AVM plot in the second season, which I actually think is quite crucial seeing as David was the only one he openly revealed it to (Ruth, Claire and Brenda all had to find out the hard way). This detachment isn’t unfamiliar with most programmes but this one of the few to do it effectively.

Also some of the bust ups on this show with certain sets of people have been spectacular. Examples including David blasting Nate and calling him a sanctimonious prick in the “Pilot”, Nate and Brenda dishing out some home truths in “I’ll Take You”, David and Keith in “Twilight”, newlyweds Ruth and George in “Coming And Going” or the one that really takes the biscuit – Ruth and Claire in “Hold My Hand”. Shows like Desperate Housewives may do the domestics but none as realistically as this show. That argument between Ruth and Claire is one that most of us have had with our parents at one point or another and these bust ups get played with such intensity and passion from the talented cast, it’s often hard to separate fact from fiction.

The show has also pushed some further boundaries with taboo subjects such as abortion and mental illness with some interesting outcomes. In the third season Claire decided to have a termination and despite the controversy there still is with abortion, the writers managed to portray a neutral view on the subject.

The current mental illness plot with George in the latest season, despite actor James Cromwell’s disapproval has been brilliantly played out to harrowing effect, whether it be Ruth’s exhaustion of looking after her husband or George’s own torturous frustration of his mental deterioration, this has definitely been one of the series most successful plots to date.

Besides the superior acting and writing on Six Feet Under there’s also the brilliant use of music here too. Many shows will plank any random track with no real meaning or resonance to whatever message they are trying to send out but not with this series in which the music is used with such precision and integrity and Rick Marvin’s scoring are simply out of this world. Seriously is there any US television show that pays so much attention to detail or portrays characters so relatable nowadays? When this show goes, you will feel its loss.

My Review of Six Feet Under's: "In Memorium"

Written And Directed by Jesse Gordon

HBO Timeline: June 3rd – August 21st 2005
Series’ Timeline: December 24th 2000 – February 11th 2085

First off all, I have to apologise. I had every intention of reviewing this retrospective before the finale but every attempt of downloading went so disastrously, I gave up and vowed if E4 aired it, I would review it, so despite being two months overdue, it’s finally up, so I’ll split into the seven categories it was laid out for viewers.

Death: The hell with every forensic show on the planet because the subject of death has never been the same since Six Feet Under. Dubbed the “cold open”, each episode (minus “All Alone”) opened with a particular person meeting their maker in many, many different ways. Having a bus smash up you inside a hearse, mistaking airborne blow up dolls for rapture (Kathy Bates’ favourite), your kid brother shooting himself (Eric Balfour’s favourite), getting hit by blue ice, cutting off your air supply as part of a sexual technique or even getting mauled by a cougar, the deaths on this series have been hilarious, heartbreaking and genuinely disturbing but with so very little shows still out there that embrace death, it shows how in denial we still are about the most inevitable thing in the world. As Rainn Wilson put it, “America – Deal With Death”.

The Cast: You can’t bring brilliant, multi-layered characters to life without finding the right set of actors most suited to the role. While most of the information in here isn’t entirely new such as Peter Krause originally auditioning to play David or initial worries of Australian Rachel Griffiths honing a perfect US accent, it’s still particularly fun to watch nonetheless but as per usual, many of the actors who have graced this series nearly all come from theatre backgrounds.

Writing: It doesn’t take a genius to realise the writing on this show is truly out of this world. No other show has ever gotten as close to the human psyche and it’s often quite unsettling when you think about it. For this section, it’s great that Alan Ball included his super talented staff writers. Rick Cleveland (“Nobody Sleeps”) notes the show’s pitch black humour while Jill Soloway (“I’ll Take You”) happily merits the similarities between the characters personal lives and the staff writers while Nancy Oliver (“Ecotone”) discusses how the Fishers’ repressed manner often forces them to lash out in the most volatile of ways (examples being Ruth losing $25,000 at the races or David having sex with a prostitute). Craig Wright (“Falling Into Place”) dissects the show’s David Lynch style non-linear approach (Scene 1: David mad, Scene 2: David happy, Scene 3: David lashing out) to writing and Kate Robin (“A Private Life”) revels in the series ability to blend comedy and drama together so effervescently.

Even Rachel Griffiths cites the series fantastic and all too real depiction of a variety of complex and multi-faceted female characters and while they are many feminist critics who have dogged both Sex And The City and Desperate Housewives, even they’d be hard pressed to deem Six Feet Under sexist or misogynistic in any way. Lauren Ambrose also noted the heightened reality/fantasy elements of the series. Like seriously, where else are you going to find your dad dressed as Death Man, have a creepy farmyard dream about eggs or go trailing through the woods high on ecstasy chasing a bear. People can whine that being on HBO gives this show some unfair advantages but the fact is that most networks chug out the same old routines, it’s no wonder Six Feet Under outclasses them by miles.

Characters: A little similar to the cast but going by its title, the emphasis is solely on our regulars and the side characters that have influenced them throughout the show. Alan Ball discusses how both Nate and Brenda crave love, yet pull away from commitment as Jill Soloway offers her own insight into Lisa’s overall arc in the second and third seasons. Drawing parallels to his own childhood, Ball talks about how he relates to Claire’s artistic flair and youngest child syndrome and although it’s hilarious to hear Lauren Ambrose’s worry over playing out her first stoned scene in the “Pilot”, I found the anecdotes from Richard Jenkins, Sprague Grayden and Ben Foster quite fun.

The David and Keith segment was the best part of this, mainly because there was some explanation into their arcs in Seasons Four and Five and having Michael C. Hall and Matthew St Patrick’s input made it all the more interesting. The latter actor openly revealed his reluctance to play a stereotyped character while the former actor provided his own insight into the events of “That’s My Dog”. I liked Freddy Rodriguez’s thoughts on Rico’s own developments while Frances Conroy delightfully informed us of her character’s constant surprising moments which is backed up by all her leading men in the series.

The Look: It’s all about looks, even on this show and the fact it has such an epic feel to it has a lot to do with the fact its shot in such a cinematic style. While this sets the show apart from others, there’s a rather ground and credible feel to it as well. Kathy Bates who directed five episodes in the series muses about being given enough creative freedom to keep a certain shot between Nate and Claire in “The New Person” or having a church filled with naked guys in “An Open Book”. Jeremy Podeswa (“Parallel Play”) and Daniel Minahan (“Eat A Peach”) provide interesting enough commentary on how shooting on location such as Las Vegas (“The Trip”) or Seattle (“Driving Mr Mossback”) adds to the series’ appeal. There are also some nice comments from the production team on use of colour for certain characters (green for the Fisher house, pastels for the Diaz’s, blue for Brenda etc).

Favourite Moments: What to choose? If you’re Kathy Bates, then its Bettina and Ruth shoplifting while Justina Machado and Freddy Rodriguez liked Rico’s reaction to catching his cousin in a compromising position with another man, Eric Balfour on the other hand enjoyed the shower scene with Gabe and Claire. Lauren Ambrose loves the kitchen/dinner scenes with the Fishers, Joanna Cassidy and Jeremy Sisto were shocked when Billy tried to stab Brenda while Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall loved the episode “The Room”. Far too many to remember, so there are the highlights from this section.

Everything Ends: This last part has everyone revealing their enjoyment on working on Six Feet Under, while admitting it was time to end the series while it was still creatively good. Watching the sets being torn to pieces is a little upsetting but I will point out that this series wasn’t cancelled, it was a mutual decision between Alan Ball and HBO.

Also in “2001-2005: In Memorium”

I loved the use of the first episode, commentary from cast and Alan Ball and the season trailers to start the retrospective off.

There were no contributions from Patricia Clarkson, Mena Suvari, Chris Messina, C.J. Saunders or Kendre Henry.

If you look closely the white board had plots for Season Five mapped out.

Alan Ball mentioned his sister’s death within the first five minutes of the retrospective. He did this with the Better Living Through Death book as well.

Did anyone else find it extremely weird that the actors and Alan Ball could swear, yet anytime they showed a scene with cursing, the swear word was removed?

Nobody outside the series contributed to this special unlike the Sex And The City one last year. Plus there was no mention of the Emmy awards and other stuff this show has been nominated for.

Why wasn’t there a section for use of music on this show? That was odd, given how wonderfully it’s used on Six Feet Under.

Standout music: “Transatlanticism” by Death Cab For Cutie, Interpol’s “Direction”, John Connell Band “People Who Died”, Augustana’s “Boston”, remixes of the theme tune and score pieces by Richard Marvin.

A stunning, fitting tribute to a show that should not be allowed to be forgotten anytime soon. “2001-2005: In Memorium” managed to wonderfully document every recommendable thing about this show without the need to patronise viewers and the structure was as consistent and as sharp as the series’ itself. Oh hell, I miss Six Feet Under.