Six Feet Under is a drama that aired on HBO from 2001-2005. The plot revolves around three siblings, Nate (Peter Krause), David (Michael C. Hall) and Claire (Lauren Ambrose) and mother Ruth (Frances Conroy) coming to grips with the death of the family patriarch Nate Fischer, Sr. This leaves the two brothers Nate and David to run the inherited family business, Fisher & Sons funeral home.
While often gruesome, the show deals with death in a very mature way throughout. It eases you into it, and though there is at least one death in every episode, the show is entertaining and dramatic without being depressing. In fact, it surprised me how much i look forward to each episode. The plot is at times a little slow moving, but there is enough going on, and the writing is so superb, you don't even notice the speed.
The characters are (very) flawed, but believable. Nate makes some monumentally bad decisions in the course of the shows five seasons, but more often then not, i found myself rooting for him and hoping he makes it through. He was by far my favorite character on the show. I even feel bad for him when his bad decisions come back and bite him in the face.
A recurring plot device of having the recently (and not so recently in the case of the father, Nate Fisher Sr.) deceased have conversations with the various characters (mostly David and Nate) is well used and adds to the ambiance and themes of the show. It even sometimes helps to move the plot along, especially in the case of the father, Nate Fisher Sr. who dies in episode 1.
The main reason I wanted to watch this show to begin with was because I had heard that the series finale, titled "Everyone's Waiting" was considered one of the best television series finale's of all time. After watching it, I now understand why. This episode tied all the plots up beautifully, in a sophisticated manner, and even served to tie into the shows themes of death and family. It is hard to discuss this episode without spoiling it, but I will say what they did with the episode serves to perfectly tie the entire series together without taking anything away from it. The last ten minutes of the episode are heartbreaking, peaceful, and beautiful at the same time, and suffice it to say should not be missed.
The creator and producer of this show, Alan Ball, also created and produced another show I have been watching recently, True Blood. Though the subject matter is much different, both shows deal with death, the writing is superb (and adult) in each, and you can definitely see the similarities.
I recommend this show to anyone interested in drama. The themes of death, the afterlife, peace, family, and growing up are all central. Some of the plots are sexual in nature and should not be viewed by children, but everyone else should check it out. The writing is superb, the cinematography beautiful, and the last episode, again, is not to be missed.
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