Let's talk Six Feet Under (spoilers thru end)

[Evil Twin]

So I finished watching the series on DVD tonight, and wow, what a fantastic show! Dare I say it, it was better than The Sopranos. I started out renting it but half way through decided I liked the show enough to buy the complete series box. First two seasons were the strongest, although I think I liked the first season slightly more. Third season... One word, LISA. Hated her with a passion and thrilled to see her finally die (though she was more entertaining in her post-death appearances). On the other hand, Rainn Wilson's Arthur was a wonderful edition to the show and the season finale was my favorite out of the five. Fourth season was my least favorite, mainly because I hated, HATED Claire's storyline and her friends. Sorely disappointed that Russell never killed himself. Wasn't too fond of George either. The episode where David gets carjacked certainly deserves mention though. Very gripping/shocking. Glad to see he got more focus after the Nate-heavy third season. Fifth season was a bit better. Nice to see some long-forgotten characters reappear (Angela the embalmer, Hiram, etc.) I honestly can't say Nate's death came as a shock to me. Ever since he was first diagnosed with AVM I figured he'd likely die at the end. Still very sad though. I got a little misty-eyed at his funeral. The series finale on the other hand failed to choke me up (Claire's weepiness was just over the top and irritating,) but showing how all the main characters eventually die was a clever way to end it. Appropriate for a show that revolves around death!
So umm yeah, really great show. Let's hear your thoughts!

 

[Messianni]

Six Feet Under is probably my favorite HBO show. Everything about it was just stunning, wonderful acting, witty and darkly comical writing and the ending is very poignant and apporpriate for the series.

First two seasons were the strongest, although I think I liked the first season slightly more. Third season... One word, LISA. Hated her with a passion and thrilled to see her finally die (though she was more entertaining in her post-death appearances).

The show did get a little bit of a slump into the late third, going into fourth season but overall I think they were just about as strong as the first two. If anything it's nice to watch the later seasons because the writers had a better grasp of the characters and the actors seemed more comfortable playing them. I didn't mind Lisa too much... at least for a while she seemed pretty sane (in comparison to everyone else, that is). Brenda's antics really got a little too much sometimes. Really, Brenda for a little while annoyed me much more than Lisa did.

Fourth season was my least favorite, mainly because I hated, HATED Claire's storyline and her friends. Sorely disappointed that Russell never killed himself. Wasn't too fond of George either.

What isn't you didn't like about that storyline? It all seemed very natural to me: a blooming artist experimenting and, just having come out of high school, doing crazy things were her artist friends. Russell was kind of a whiny little bitch though.

 

[JonathonWally]

One of the best shows ever made IMO. Blows away The Sopranos. The show was brilliant in all ways. For me, the end of the finale, Sia's Breathe Me was an amazing choice in song to really end everything.

For anyone who hasn't seen it and doesn't mind saying the absolute ending of the shows, and for those of you who want to see it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el4eUKmLujg

 

[Michael]

One of the best shows ever made IMO. Blows away The Sopranos. The show was brilliant in all ways.

I absolutely agree.

 

[JonathonWally]

Ending is very touching to me. It shows (mostly) everyone dying with their loved ones, sounded by family and leaving fulfilled and content.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I can't add much to what's already been said. This is the best drama I've ever seen. Pretty much everything about it was well done and yes, the ending was a powerful one. I don't think I've seen a better ending for a show. I remember gushing about the whole series right here in this forum as soon as I finished it on a Saturday afternoon. I even got that Sia song to listen to.

 

[T'Baio]

One of my favourite shows of all time, if not my absolute favourite. Just amazing.

 

[Harvey]

I really enjoyed it on DVD, but it wasn't perfect. It WAS exceptionally strong in the first season, and almost as strong in the second season (I found "In the Game" to be weak and disjointed). Season three floundered trying to juggle Lisa and Brenda (not to mention the actress' real life pregnancy) and it killed off Brenda's father (a great character) in an episode he was barely in (and he never returned to the series in ghost form again). Season four was a stronger return to form (the "Dog" episode where David is abducted by the wacko is fantastic, as is the end where we finally find out what happened with Lisa). Season five was hit or miss. The finale was excellent, but Nate's inexplicable return to his old, unfaithful self didn't strike me as believable.

Still, the finale is great, and even when it was at its worst, the series was always worth watching. One of the top ten series produced in its decade, at least.

 

[mr.peany]

Loved, loved, loved the final episode. Best series finale ever.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I really enjoyed it on DVD, but it wasn't perfect. It WAS exceptionally strong in the first season, and almost as strong in the second season (I found "In the Game" to be weak and disjointed). Season three floundered trying to juggle Lisa and Brenda (not to mention the actress' real life pregnancy) and it killed off Brenda's father (a great character) in an episode he was barely in (and he never returned to the series in ghost form again). Season four was a stronger return to form (the "Dog" episode where David is abducted by the wacko is fantastic, as is the end where we finally find out what happened with Lisa). Season five was hit or miss. The finale was excellent, but Nate's inexplicable return to his old, unfaithful self didn't strike me as believable.

This show was very good at making me feel and believe what the characters were going through. That's a big part of what made the show so great. When Nate and Brenda got together, I believed that they were totally made for eachother. When things started to go sour in the end and Nate had an affair, I found that believable as well. The way everything unfolded just worked.

 

[Evil Twin]

as is the end where we finally find out what happened with Lisa.

Y'know, the answer to that mystery was a bit too soap opera-y for my tastes! The brother-in-law's suicide just felt like something that didn't belong in this kind of show. I'd have been happier if it was revealed that Lisa simply killed herself.

 

[Messianni]

as is the end where we finally find out what happened with Lisa.

Y'know, the answer to that mystery was a bit too soap opera-y for my tastes! The brother-in-law's suicide just felt like something that didn't belong in this kind of show. I'd have been happier if it was revealed that Lisa simply killed herself.

Really? With all the adultery and double-crossing and lying and love triangles and all, I thought the whole show was pretty soap opera-y.

 

[Ben Sisko3]

I think the most profound thing I can say about this show is the following:

Ghost Nate is a dick.

 

[Orac Zen]

Six Feet Under is a show almost beyond superlatives, IMO. It's simply magnificent. Some of the best, most memorable and believable characters I've ever seen in any TV show of any genre, a genuinely mature approach to relationships, sex and sexuality, dramatic, humourous, grim without being bleak, joyful without being over the top... This show did just about everything right.

The finale is just about perfect - best series ender I've ever seen, especially the final sequence with Sia's "Breathe Me" in the background. It blows me away every time I watch it.

 

[Geck]

My favourite show of all time. An absolutely brilliant cast, with special mention to the incredible Frances Conroy, whose Ruth reminds me so much of my own mother in so many ways the character was extra meaningful to me.

I agree the first two seasons were the best, but the last three were still better than almost anything else on TV. Season 3's biggest problem was Lisa, I agree, though I grew to like her more as the season progressed. Season 4's weak link was Rico, as his affair with the stripper never felt like a natural character development. Then season 5 had the George-is-crazy plotline which I never liked (and I remember reading James Cromwell wasn't happy with it either, though he turned in some amazing performances)...and I always hated Maggie. The David/Keith on-again-off-again relationship and bickering also got a bit old in the last few seasons, but all the actors were so strong that any feeling of repetitiveness was minimized.

I only discovered the show last summer and watched it all in about a two month span. I've never found another show where I felt so deeply connected to the characters though...I cried at probably at least half the episodes, and after watching the closing sequence of the final episode, I bawled for a good ten minutes. My roommate had to come ask me if everything was ok.

 

[T'Baio]

I admit, the last couple episodes, I cried like I haven't since I was a kid. Real, serious tears streaming down my face and unable to breath crying. It was kinda' pathetic, actually.

 

[mrcoaster]

Great, great show.