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HBO has always
been ahead of the game when it comes to
original programming. The cable giant, along
with presenting first run movies, has given
us the likes of "The Sopranos",
"Sex and the City", "Carnivale",
"Deadwood" and "The Wire."
All were (and still are in some cases) groundbreaking
shows, offering some of the most original
and creative writing ever. Always willing
to 'push the envelope', as it were, these
shows were always willing to shock, titillate
and in some cases… offend. Oddly enough,
as much as I have enjoyed all of these shows
in one form or another, I have yet to actually
subscribe to the channel. I finally broke
down and switched from cable to Dish, but
have still shied away from the lure of HBO,
Showtime or Cinemax.
My preference is to wait for the eventual
DVD releases. I kind of stay to myself at
work so I miss all the water cooler talk
that would fill me with spoilers for these
shows and I am more than patient enough
to wait the extra year or so to be entertained.
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Such was the case with what turned out to be
one of my favorites, "Six Feet Under."
I actually heard quite a bit about this series
when it originally aired, but did not see my first
episode until late 2004 (three years after its
premiere) when I opted to purchase the 1st season
DVD set. I was intrigued by what I had heard,
and being a fan of 'quirky' (though I hate the
word itself) was sure I'd love it.
The series revolved around the Fisher Family Funeral
Home and those who resided within. The Fisher
family had never really been what you'd call close,
and when the patriarch of the family (Richard
Jenkins) dies suddenly and tragically on the eve
of the return of their prodigal son Nate (Peter
Krause), everyone's life changes irrevocably.
Nate is forced to join with his brother David
(Michael C. Hall) in the family business, even
though he has no interest in doing so, or even
any business sense in how to run it. Their sister
Claire (Lauren Ambrose) is addicted to drugs and
wears her depression like it was her only set
of clothes. Their mother, Ruth (Frances Conroy),
having spent the entirety of her adult life being
a housewife, is left adrift and alone, becoming
more and more withdrawn as time passes. What we
learn over the first season about each of these
people is fascinating and at times frightening.
David is a closeted homosexual (though he does
not stay in the closet forever), Lauren finds
that she is addicted to destructive relationships,
Nate falls in love with Brenda (Rachel Griffiths),
a woman he meets on the plane home who turns out
to be much more than could ever expect. Plus,
we learn at the end of the 1st season that Nate
just might have reason to worry about his own
eventual demise.
What drew me to this series was the premise that
each episode featured someone who dies and becomes
a customer of the Funeral Home. While their lives
only make up a small part of the overall story,
they 'live' to communicate with Nate or David
about the direction their lives are headed. It's
not a 'haunting' per se, but more a psychological
reaction on the part of the brothers that uses
these 'people' as a sort of cathartic release
of their own inner demons. It was often as funny
as it was heartbreaking.
For some reason, this bit of business was dropped
in the 2nd season, and while the show didn’t
really suffer any for its loss, I still missed
the richness of it. The focus directed itself
more firmly on the foibles of the family itself,
which fortunately was interesting enough in its
own right. The one constant though, was the continued
'visitations' by Nathanial Sr., who was still
seen by Nate, Jr. These offered some of the show's
most poignant moments.
Since the release of that 1st season set, I had
picked up seasons 2, 3, and 4. The series throughout
the run never wavered from its quality writing,
but admittedly by the 3rd season some of the show's
relationships began to wear a little thin. There
just wasn't enough resolution in some areas, with
a few of the characters making the same mistakes
over and over again (kind of like people in real
life) and it was a little frustrating. So I awaited
the release of the 5th and final season, as I
heard that it was the best.
I received the 5th season set about a week ago
to review, and my wife (who was also a fan) couldn't
wait to dive into its 12 episodes. (HBO series
often only have about a dozen episodes per season
which accounts for the quality remaining so high.)
What I heard was absolutely right. With the exception
of two of the episodes that I found to be a little
a little redundant, the rest of the season was
superlative. Knowing that the series was about
to end, the writers were given the opportunity
to wrap up many of the character's storyline arcs
in acceptable, if not rather painful, ways. I
don’t really want to give anything away
here in case you have not seen the series yourself
yet.
And unlike most series that end, the final episode
is probably one of the strongest and most satisfying
ever put to screen, with the possible exception
of the final episode of "M.A.S.H." We
not only find a sense of closure for most of the
characters, we are also given a glimpse into the
futures they experience right up until the end.
So in a way it is not only and end for the series,
but an end to the people whose lives carried it.
HBO Home Entertainment has also never been known
for delivering cheap DVD sets to its viewers.
And I'm not only referring to the price. While
these sets can be a little pricey, there is a
quality that is unmatched not only by the contents
of the series within, but everything from the
packaging to the extra features. The DVDs are
held in a foldout digipak, which is in turn held
in a black case that opens in the front. When
you open up the case you see a white cover emblazoned
with the words "Six Feet Under 2001 - 2005",
like you might see on a grave marker. The digipak
folds open to show off the 5 discs as well as
pictures of the cast members.
As for extra features, there are commentaries
on 6 of the episodes by various cast members and
the show's creator, Alan Ball. There are also
two 30-minute retrospectives of the series, both
of which I recommend watching only if you have
already seen all five seasons. There are a lot
of spoilers here that you may not ant to know
ahead of time. You'll also find a featurette on
the impact the series has had on the cast and
crew.
"Six Feet Under", for all of its five
seasons, was a show to be reckoned with. The characters
were more deeply written than you'd find on most
shows, and even at their most frustrating, you
find that you really want to root for them to
find their way out of the figurative holes that
they have been digging their whole lives. It was
show that offered a lot of laughs mixed with tears,
and in its own subtle way made is believe the
afterlife might not be so bad after all.
Episodes:
A Coat of White Primer
Dancing for Me
Hold My Hand
Time Flies
Eat a Peach
The Rainbow of Her Reasons
The Silence
Singing for Our Lives
Ecotone
All Alone
Static
Everyone's Waiting
Extras: Six Feet Under 2001 - 2005 - Two 30 Minute
Retrospectives, Life and Loss - The Impact of
Six Feet Under
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound,
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: HBO
Release Date: 3/28/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Six Feet Under: Season 5 an A.
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