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Six Feet Under

Last updated 28 May, 2006

Premise: Begins with the death of Nathanial Fisher, funeral director, then traces the effects this has on his family: wife Ruth, daughter Claire, and sons Nate and David. The Fishers continue to live in the funeral home, and each episode begins with someone's death (usually, but not always, an unknown character). That's only one of the things that makes this series unusual.

Current status: In Canada, without the Movie Channel, Season 2 will be airing starting in November. It's also available on DVD. Sundays at 10:00 on Showcase.

Commentary

Season 1 (2003 on Showcase)

Season 1

Favourite new show; possibly favourite show, period.

As with all great television series, the core is a set of believable, rich, and compelling characters who develop as the series progresses. Also interesting is the regular insertion of fantastical elements such as the dead father reappearing to talk to various characters, and the fantasy sequences that interrupt “reality.” Sometimes you can tell right away that it's a fantasy sequence, and sometimes you can't. With its weekly, inevitable focus on death, there is always a weight to this series, but it also has a lot of humour.

Particularly enjoyable this first season was seeing the more “repressed” characters of Ruth and David gradually loosen up. Ruth virtually throws herself into a new life—new boyfriend, lover, job—to the amazement and confusion of her children. David has a more difficult path, as a very religious man who cannot quite shake the belief that his homosexuality is “wrong.” But the stories of Claire trying to find her own way, Nate returning to his family and launching into his first serious relationship (with Brenda), and Brenda dealing with crazy brother Billy were nearly as good.

I'm really looking forward to Season 2.

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Cast

Stars Peter Crause as Nate Fisher and Michael C. Hall as David Fischer.

Co-stars Laurie Ambrose as Claire Fischer; Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher; Richard Jenkins as Nathanial Fischer; Rachel Griffiths as Brenda Chenowith; Freddy Rodriguez as Frederico Diaz; and Matthew St. Patrick as Keith Charles.

Links

Six Feet Under on Showcase

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