Six Feet Under (TV show) Appreciation (tons of spoilers)

[bout to crash]

I could've SWORN there was a thread already, but I can't find it. I just finished it after a marathon of about two weeks or so and I feel like babbling on about it

This is just such a beautiful TV show. Yes, there are certain storylines I've never been a fan of and some seasons are weaker than others, but STILL. It tackles so many important things, most obviously death and not taking one's life for granted. I always cry my fucking eyes out during the last episode seeing the deaths of these characters whose lives I've invested so much time/emotion in... but I also feel like it adds, as I described to a friend, some oxygen to my "carpe diem" spark. It makes me grateful for what I have, what I've done... and also evaluate where I am and where I'm going. It makes me ask if I'm living my life in the way I want to be and if not- what can I do to change that? Life is so fucking short... and after finishing it about an hour ago, despite doubts and anxieties I often have, I do feel happy with the way I am living my life- my decisions, the people I am surrounded by (both in body and spirit), and so on.


But enough about me. Since it's fresh in my mind I want to share...

Some of my favorite deaths/funerals:
"Eat a peach" guy
"Drive to his own funeral" guy
Hardcore Christian woman who thinks loose helium-filled blow-up dolls are angels and runs into traffic
Guy who dies laughing in his partner's arms surrounded by friends/family
Porn star electrocuted by her cat in the bathtub
The Santa Claus biker funeral


Other things I love:
The occasional Ruth outburst
Billy's bipolar freakouts
The ecstasy in the aspirin bottle
Tons of gay sex
Shit in the mail
Aunt Sarah and Bettina
Joe (he's so adorable; why does Brenda have to be such a dumbass?)

Things I hate:

Brenda's mom
The Rico/Infinity storyline

Okay, that's it for now

Discuss.

[Jarlaxle]

I've only seen the first 3 or 4 episodes, but what I remember seeing it was very good, I just never remember to pick up the DVD, nor can I really afford it. 

[Firetruck]

I started watching this earlier in the year, I got through about a season and a half but I had all of the episodes on my laptop and the power adapter for that bastard crapped out. Naturally I never got round to replacing it. I just use my desktop now and I have some kind of mental block preventing me from downloading something I already downloaded. Especially since it is sitting on my laptop which just needs a new power adapter. So until I get a new power adapter (or get over my irrational mental block.. Yeah right..  ) I guess I won't get to finish it.

From what I have seen though it was a pretty amazing show. They certainly weren't afraid of tackling controversial or hard hitting material and I found that it really puts your own mortality in perspective, the opening scenes particularly. It shows how fragile we are with some of the ridiculous ways people die. (Particular reference to the cat/bath/pornstar scenario) I'm also a bit of a sucker for dark humour and if there's one thing this show has in abundance, it's dark humour, so I guess I was bound to love it.

[axeman90210]

this show's on my list to check out, but it's behind finishing catching up on Breaking Bad, Deadwood, and probably Sons of Anarchy

[HarlequinForest]

I didn't put any spoilers in here since it's apparent some people here haven't seen it.

I'm currently watching the series for the third time (I'm on S3E11).  It's my favorite series ever due to the easily unmatched emotional connection it creates.  I managed not to cry the first time I saw the finale, but it look everything I had to hold it back.  The second time I got through the series, I thought the emotion impact would be lessened because I've already seen it before, but I ended up blubbering.  It's literally the only piece/moment of entertainment that has ever made me cry.  Nate is my favorite character of all time, and I think Peter Krause had the best TV performance I've seen.  What I think is so great about all the characters on the show is that it's not always easy to understand them and they always remain multi-dimensional because the characters don't understand themselves, which is something I don't believe has been done so consistently, and with so many characters, in any other show.

I have a hard time remembering individual moments, so I'll just rank the seasons:

1. Season 5 - The most emotionally intense writing on the show
2. Season 1 & 2 - The best writing on the show.  No flaws.
3. Season 3 - Starts off a little bit dull, but it REALLY picks up around episode 9
4. Season 4 - Not a fan of David's situation in this season and how it turns him into such a wife.

[bout to crash]

What I think is so great about all the characters on the show is that it's not always easy to understand them and they always remain multi-dimensional because the characters don't understand themselves, which is something I don't believe has been done so consistently, and with so many characters, in any other show.

Amen! And I think I pretty much agree with your season rankings.

I think this is probably the 4th or 5th time I've watched it (which includes when it originally aired) and it never gets any easier! Although there are some things I want to fast-forward through.

[Kotowboy]

I have seen a few of them. Started watching it because of James Cromwell (?) aka Zephram Cochrane

The episode where Michael C Hall's character was held hostage by the hitch-hiker was pretty good acting-wise.

[hefdaddy42]

It's a fantastic show, one of the best ever on TV.  I watched it on original release on HBO, and I would love to own it to re-watch it now.  But like all of the other best shows ever, it wasn't really about what it seemed to be about (a funeral home), but was rather about the relationships between the various characters and how they developed over time.  Simply incredible.  Although I must admit that David pissed me off almost every episode and I wanted to slap him around.  Easily the only character I didn't really care for.  But even he had his moments.

[bout to crash]

Really? David did do some annoying stuff but I love him... and I feel for him in a lot of ways.

[Nick]

I had HBO when this first aired and enjoyed it at first. Then the show just seemed to try harder and harder to be edgier and take the plots to extremes and it just became dull and stupid to me. I think I stopped watching around the end of season 2 or beginning of season 3.

[Xanthul]

I've been avoiding this thread because I was watching the third season when it was posted, but now I have finished the series and I have to say I've never invested so much emotionally in any other show.

SPOILERS AHEAD








Nate's death was almost like having someone die in real life. I didn't even like his character so much (he's pretty much an asshole), but after 5 seasons he (and other characters too) felt almost real. I have spent the last two episodes crying and the finale has left me completely drained. It doesn't help that I'm not in a good mood lately for personal troubles.

By the way Hef, I think David was the shows best character by far. He's the best actor, the most complex character and the most realistic imho. Scenes like when Keith and him are told that Anthony has a brother and Keith agrees to meeting him make him the absolutely most lovable character in the show for me.

[bout to crash]

Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. I also invested so much that the characters felt real to me. When I'm in the midst of watching it and I'm out with friends or something I'm sure I annoy the shit out of people talking about it... and every once in a while I'll go to tell a story like it happened to me and then I remember it happened on SFU

And yeah, the last two episodes also drain the fuck out of me every time. The energy in the family is just crazy. But I love Nate and don't think he's an asshole (usually). But yes, David and Keith = 
I also love Claire's character because I can relate to her in many ways, as much of an asshole as she can be later on. And don't even get me started on Ruth 

[Rattlehead]

I hope no one minds that I am reviving this thread, but I was looking for somewhere to talk about this show as I just finished watching it for the first time just a few days ago. I couldn't agree more with the OP; it's such a beautiful show and I was moved by the ending like nothing I've ever watched before. Everything about the ending was perfect in my opinion. There were a few episodes here and there that were a tad boring and I was so antsy to watch the finale because I had heard so many good things, but now I'm kind of depressed that it's over and hadn't realized how attached I became to the characters until the very end.  Hopefully this sparks some more discussion on this truly amazing show 

[Bolsters]

I got around to watching this show just last year. I was prepared for disappointment with the finale because I'd been hearing for years that it's one of, if not the best, series finale of all time. Usually when something gets hyped up like that it's disappointing even if it is good because you allow your expectations to get too high and it becomes almost impossible for something to live up to those expectations. However, the ending to this show despite all of that did not disappoint me at all. On the contrary, it is one of my all-time favourite series finales now and I wouldn't begrudge anyone saying it's the best, because it just might be.

[bout to crash]

It totally is!

Hooray for reviving this thread. I totally forgot I started it back in the day

I've been considering re-watching it again, but I just have so much other shit I want to check out and it's such a time investment. I will watch a couple episodes here and there occasionally but it's been a while. A year or so ago I got a friend in NJ to watch the whole thing, and when he got to the last two episodes I told him to let me know and I would watch it "with" him- we texted back and forth while watching and it was fun.



I just realized something: Rico... fell into Infinity

[Rattlehead]

I know what you mean; there are a lot of shows that I've been meaning to watch (new & old), but it can be hard to find the time. Rico really did fall into Infinity, that little weasel  … his character was comical in the last few seasons. Now that I've had a few more days to absorb that powerful ending, I'd have to say that Nate and David were easily my favorite characters. The writing for these characters was impeccable, and Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall were brilliant throughout the show. I'll miss these characters dearly, which is why I'm already thinking that somewhere down the line I'll end up watching the entire show all over again. 

[bout to crash]

Yeah, you really do end up missing them!

I was talking to a friend about the show and one thing I find interesting is that we see SO much of Nathaniel Sr. through the eyes of his family, but it's all other peoples' projections and ideas about him. I love his character, but I really don't know who he is. I believe it was Nate who said at some point "You can never really know anybody, ever," and it's sort of true. He was their dad/husband but he turned out to still be sort of a mystery.

[Rattlehead]

Yeah, you really do end up missing them!

I was talking to a friend about the show and one thing I find interesting is that we see SO much of Nathaniel Sr. through the eyes of his family, but it's all other peoples' projections and ideas about him. I love his character, but I really don't know who he is. I believe it was Nate who said at some point "You can never really know anybody, ever," and it's sort of true. He was their dad/husband but he turned out to still be sort of a mystery.

That's a great point about Nathaniel Sr.'s character and I think you're right about Nate being the one who said that line. It's pretty hard to disagree with that if you really think about it. I've questioned how well I even know my own parents at times and I'm closer to them than anyone else in my life really.

[bout to crash]

Yeah, it's kind of crazy when you think about it. I mean, I feel like a completely different person than I think I'm viewed in a lot of ways. People say "You're so ____" and it's often a quality I don't see much in myself, or a quality I'm very good at faking, stuff like that. It's interesting.

[KevShmev]

*scrolls down and posts without reading a thing*

I finally started watching this show and I am hooked!  The first two seasons were totally awesome; I couldn't get enough.  I am currently five episodes into Season 3, which has seemed kind of slow so far; it doesn't have that "OMG, I have to keep watching" vibe about it, but I am hoping it will pick back up.  I have read that most say this showed stayed consistent to the end, so I have faith.

[hefdaddy42]

I have read that most say this showed stayed consistent to the end, so I have faith.

Well, it stayed at a high level until the end.

Personally, I thought it did dip a little the last two seasons, but it absolutely made up for it with perhaps the greatest series finale episode in the history of TV.

[KevShmev]

I've heard that said.  It'll be tough to top the finale of Breaking Bad, which was the perfect climax to the best thing ever, but we shall see.  I will probably avoid this thread till I finish, as I don't want people to have to tip toe around me with spoilers since that isn't fair.  I'll be back. 

[bout to crash]

Well, as you can see it's not a very active thread 

hef- we were JUST talking about this! Weird.

Anyway, I think it sorta dips in seasons 3 and 4 but it is 100% worth sticking with for various reasons. I need to watch it again...

[KevShmev]

The death of Lisa.  Holy crap.  I literally sat there in stunned silence for hours while that arc played out over several episodes.

Still trying to avoid spoilers...

[KevShmev]

The carjacking episode...

 

I don't think I've ever been that nervous or terrified watching anything in my entire life.  Holy crap.

[Rattlehead]

The carjacking episode...

 

I don't think I've ever been that nervous or terrified watching anything in my entire life.  Holy crap.

That's one of the best episodes on the entire show  It really comes out of nowhere and is nothing like any other episode in the series. I just got done watching the series for the first time a few months ago and thinking about that episode makes me want to watch it again 

[bout to crash]

Oh man, thinking about that episode makes me NOT want to watch it. So terrifying. Poor David 

[hefdaddy42]

The carjacking episode...

 

I don't think I've ever been that nervous or terrified watching anything in my entire life.  Holy crap.

Yeah, I remember that.

[senecadawg2]

That's a great episode. It's go od to see SFU getting the appreciation it deserves. No other show has ever affected me anywhere close to how this one did. I still remember how incredibly drained and satisfied I felt when I finished he show. Only to rewatch it two more times after that, with a similar feeling each time. Such a great show, that cannot recieve enough praise.

I'll forever miss my family dinners with the Fisher family (and guests). Enjoy, Kev!

[Kotowboy]

I dipped in and out of this show. I mainly started watching due to James Cromwell ( Zephram Cochrane )

I thought the episode where Michael Hall's character gets kidnapped was well acted and quite moving.

[KevShmev]

The follow-up episode had one of the most touching sequences I have ever seen:

-David breaking down to Claire and telling her what happened
-Claire telling Nathan he needed to come back to working with David ("He'd do it for you.")
-Nathan coming down unexpectedly during a wake and standing next to a surprised David, leaving David looking so relieved and fighting back tears, while Nathan looked like the proud brother who realized how much it meant to his brother.

Fantastic writing, and tremendous acting.  I already thought Michael C. Hall was awesome thanks to Dexter (see: my avatar ), but his acting in this is off the charts.

[bout to crash]

Yeah, he's pretty amazing.

[KevShmev]

I am well into S5, but I was kind of disappointed with the whole brother-in-law angle in regards to Lisa's death that they threw in at the end of S4.  Considering the concept of the show is how death can be so random and unexpected, I thought it was neat that they killed off a major supporting character in such a random way, since that kind of stuff sadly happens in real life (people up and disappearing for unexplained reasons), and then the whole Hoyt thing was them walking it back a bit, while still leaving it somewhat ambiguous, but with the strong implication that he had something to do with her death. It felt a bit too cliched, which this show rarely seems to far into the habit of doing. 

I also am not a fan of the whole George going crazy/depression storyline.

But, all in all, I am still loving this show, and can't wait to see how it ends.  

[KevShmev]

So yeah, that finale...

I literally have no words.

 

[Bolsters]

Pretty much.