"Six Feet Under" is Gone but Not Forgotten

Back in the Halcyon days when I could still afford a subscription to HBO, I especially enjoyed and anticipated their unusual dramatic series but I must say that nothing could have prepared me for Six Feet Under. This is true of much of director Alan Ball's work (American Beauty) and a measure of his artistic success. I viewed the first instalment of Six Feet Under without benefit of any preliminary review or outline of what was to happen and staried in a sense of surreal wonder as the plot developed because the show was so different and "outside the box."

What the Heck IS This?

Six Feet Under is the ongoing saga of the Fisher family who operate an independently-owned funeral parlor in the Los Angeles area. The first episode begins with a festive family celebration. As Mom prepares dinner, Dad insists on driving the new hearse to the airport to pick up No. One Son. During the course of his trip, he is chatting on a mobile phone as he pulls out onto a busy thoroughfare and is promptly creamed by a fatal collision with a bus. Therein lay the premise for the launch of this fantastic ongoing drama -- how the Fisher clan coped with this traumatic loss. This was the story of a family and the other people who were part of their lives.

In the Midst of Life, ahem!

Each episode began the same way ... somebody in the neighborhood would die and somebody else would call the undertakers, a device which would serve to artfully meld the story of the bereaved family into the ongoing saga of the Fisher clan which (for dramatic purposes) still numbered five ... matriarch Ruth Fisher, sons Nate and David, daughter Claire and father Nathaniel Fisher, Sr., who persisted as one of the most entertaining ghosts ever through the next five seasons of the successful show.

It Doesn't SOUND Promising but WOW!

It is hard to convey the galvanizing effect that Six Feet Under had on those of us who enjoyed it. Eagerly we awaited each Sunday evening episode and Monday morning post-mortems at work as often as not in the form of discussions which began enthusiastically with "Do you think Nate will die next week?" Even now, one of my great retirement treats is to occasionally kick back in a tee shirt and slacks as I enjoy one of the Six Feet Under marathons which are still broadcast on the Universal HD channel. This show has withstood the test of time -- I can still highly recommend it, although I won't give up any more details here because I think everyone deserves at least one chance to watch Six Feet Under the way we saw it first -- unaware of what's going to happen next and often unsure about what just happened a minute ago.

Head and Shoulders above the Crowd.

Six Feet Under raised television drama to new heights, almost to a Shakespearian level. Ghosts of people who died would wander in and out unexpectedly, delivering pithy messages and observations. Also Shakespearian was the great dialogue and the crucial importance of each and every well-crafted character. Frances Conroy's brava performance and glowing radiance consistently stole the show, no small achievement in a stellar cast which included: Lauren Ambrose, Kathy Bates, Joanna Cassidy, Patricia Clarkson, James Cromwell , Ben Foster, Rachel Griffiths, Michael C. Hall, Tina Holmes, Richard Jenkins, Peter Krause, Justina Machado, Peter Macdissi, Freddy Rodriguez, Jeremy Sisto, Mathew St. Patrick, and Lili Taylor.

Rest in Peace!

Six Feet Under ran for five seasons and ended ceremoniously with a crowning episode which briefly outlined the future destiny and demise of each crucial character but it wasn't until I saw these actors moving on to other artistic pursuits that I realized that Six Feet Under was officially over. Like a good friend, Six Feet Under may be gone but is not forgotten.

Note:

The five seasons of Six Feet Under can also be rented or purchased.