Six Feet Under
Created by Alan Ball
2001 - 2005
With a dark sense of humor and a cast of characters more self-destructive than a stick of dynamite, Six Feet Under took on its subject matter with seriousness while still finding plenty of time to make light of life and death. Steady appearances by comedic actors like Ed Begley Jr., Rainn Wilson, and Catherine O'Hara playing to their strengths, along with funny and tragic opening segments depicting the deaths of people destined to show up on the slab at Fisher & Sons' funeral home are basically all that's needed to describe the type of show this is. Funny, sad, weird, and oddly engaging.
From the beginning, this show grabs ahold of you with unexpected death and dysfunction. The father and head of the funeral home the main cast all work at or reside in is hit by a bus and sends the whole family into a spiral of existential panic, all the while being essentially taunted from beyond the grave by his lighthearted memory. The show never feels the need to explain if these visions are "real", but that isn't really important to the story. His widowed wife, two sons, and daughter are all deeply affected by this loss and their grief manifests itself in a variety of different ways -- many of which aren't exactly what you'd describe as healthy.
This is, above all else, a character drama. With themes of death, loss, grief, and the randomness of life, the show dedicates most of its time to exploring this family (as well as some others whose lives are touched by the Fisher household) and what makes them all tick independently. Raised to be closed off emotionally, this sudden shake knocks them loose and seeing them all pick up the pieces of their broken lives, all the while trying not to explode, carries you through the first season or two of the show. And the remainder focuses more on the fallout, giving them plenty of opportunities to fix their mistakes and move forward with their lives.
The ensemble is pretty amazing. While certain characters are often less than likable (Brenda, Rico, and Claire come to mind), the actors give strong performances that perfectly suit the characters. To go into the eccentricities and characteristics of each cast member would take too long for me to go into here, but they're all unique, involved, and have very complete arcs that are fascinating to watch unfold throughout the series. The major highlight for me was Frances Conroy's continually frazzled Ruth Fisher, the mother whose story is often riddled with unintentional humor as she tries to reconnect with her children and find new love. She is not only the funniest character in the show, but also has some of the most emotional moments and gives the strongest performance.
Filled with bizarre dream sequences, fades to white (that often allude to death), infidelity, pretense, and a million other things, I may not have always enjoyed what I was watching but I was never less than engaged. This is an addictive show with well-developed stories and ideas, but the rampant self-destruction and artistic air of superiority do occasionally become tiring. But it all makes sense within the show. I didn't love it, but with how the show moved along and ended on such an incredible high note, I can't pretend I walked away unsatisfied with the experience. Not even at all.
My Grade: B
Created by Alan Ball
2001 - 2005
With a dark sense of humor and a cast of characters more self-destructive than a stick of dynamite, Six Feet Under took on its subject matter with seriousness while still finding plenty of time to make light of life and death. Steady appearances by comedic actors like Ed Begley Jr., Rainn Wilson, and Catherine O'Hara playing to their strengths, along with funny and tragic opening segments depicting the deaths of people destined to show up on the slab at Fisher & Sons' funeral home are basically all that's needed to describe the type of show this is. Funny, sad, weird, and oddly engaging.
From the beginning, this show grabs ahold of you with unexpected death and dysfunction. The father and head of the funeral home the main cast all work at or reside in is hit by a bus and sends the whole family into a spiral of existential panic, all the while being essentially taunted from beyond the grave by his lighthearted memory. The show never feels the need to explain if these visions are "real", but that isn't really important to the story. His widowed wife, two sons, and daughter are all deeply affected by this loss and their grief manifests itself in a variety of different ways -- many of which aren't exactly what you'd describe as healthy.
This is, above all else, a character drama. With themes of death, loss, grief, and the randomness of life, the show dedicates most of its time to exploring this family (as well as some others whose lives are touched by the Fisher household) and what makes them all tick independently. Raised to be closed off emotionally, this sudden shake knocks them loose and seeing them all pick up the pieces of their broken lives, all the while trying not to explode, carries you through the first season or two of the show. And the remainder focuses more on the fallout, giving them plenty of opportunities to fix their mistakes and move forward with their lives.
The ensemble is pretty amazing. While certain characters are often less than likable (Brenda, Rico, and Claire come to mind), the actors give strong performances that perfectly suit the characters. To go into the eccentricities and characteristics of each cast member would take too long for me to go into here, but they're all unique, involved, and have very complete arcs that are fascinating to watch unfold throughout the series. The major highlight for me was Frances Conroy's continually frazzled Ruth Fisher, the mother whose story is often riddled with unintentional humor as she tries to reconnect with her children and find new love. She is not only the funniest character in the show, but also has some of the most emotional moments and gives the strongest performance.
Filled with bizarre dream sequences, fades to white (that often allude to death), infidelity, pretense, and a million other things, I may not have always enjoyed what I was watching but I was never less than engaged. This is an addictive show with well-developed stories and ideas, but the rampant self-destruction and artistic air of superiority do occasionally become tiring. But it all makes sense within the show. I didn't love it, but with how the show moved along and ended on such an incredible high note, I can't pretend I walked away unsatisfied with the experience. Not even at all.
My Grade: B
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