Six Feet Under is Nearly Undescribable

But I will attempt to do so because I think everyone should watch this show. Binge it, watch it one episode per week, but however you watch this show, you should just watch it.

On the surface, “Six Feet Under” is easy to describe, it’s a show about a family that runs a funeral business. However, there is so much more to this show than just the business. David Fisher played by Michael C. Hall plays the youngest son within the Fisher family but is a closeted homosexual who struggles with relationships as well as how his family perceives him as well. Nate Jr. Fisher played by Peter Krause, is the prodigal son returned to take over the business of his father, Nathan Senior played by Richard Jenkins, who passes away in the first episode but makes various appearances throughout. Frances Conroy plays Ruth Fisher who throughout the series struggles to find herself alongside her only daughter Claire, played by Lauren Ambrose, who is the youngest within the Fisher clan. Within the Fisher and Sons funeral home, Federico Diaz, played by Freddy Rodriguez, assists the Fisher brothers why also relieving the relationship he had with Nate Senior.

Within the first episode, the audience is introduced to death, uncomfortable family moments, and Brenda Chenowith, played by Rachel Griffiths who becomes a season regular alongside her brother Billy played by Jeremy Sisto, who suffers from Bipolar Disorder and an uncomfortably close relationship with his sister.

The show displays what happens when a family loses someone as well as what it means to be a close family. From drug abuse to illicit affairs, the Fisher’s experience it all. But this isn’t “7th Heaven” these incidents occur in a realistic fashion and the character’s reactions to these events makes sense. It is honestly one of the best character driven shows I’ve seen. There isn’t gratuitous random violence or even a lot of nudity, there are just people being people.

Which bothers me because, I feel, that this show isn’t included amongst those critics who look longingly back into the early 2000s and late 90s when looking at “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” and tell us that with Heisenberg gone, there will be no more good television. But they always fail to mention this show. Recently, A.O. Scott wrote a piece about the death of adulthood in present-day television and draws comparisons to “The Sopranos” and “Broad City” but fails to mention “Six Feet Under” at all. A show that, at its heart, looks at how the relationships of people change as they age, have children, and become closer or farther apart as a result. I’ve read countless articles lamenting the golden age of television that began with Tony Soprano and will end with Don Draper, but never have I read any mention of “Six Feet Under”.

Despite, having never heard of it a coworker and a friend recommended it to me and I was blown away by the performances, Michael C. Hall, for all those “Dexter” fans out there, really brings it and Frances Conroy, for all those “American Horror Story” fans out there, truly becomes Ruth Fisher. The episodes are fantastic and the finale is heart wrenching and had me thinking for several days after.