Six Feet Under - General Discussion

[nymusix]

This topic replaces the old Six Feet Under forum which has been vaulted at the location below:

http://forums.previously.tv/forum/163-six-feet-under-v/

[ShellSeeker]

I just recently re-watched the whole series via OnDemand. I had not done that for quite awhile. I was so tempted to skip to the finale, but I made myself watch each episode in order. Every time I see it, I tear up, and I remember when I watched it for the first time. When they flashed Ruth's name, and I realized what they were doing, I started to cry. It was just such a perfect way to end that show. Best finale ever.

[Rhondinella]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from Six Feet Under's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[BizBuzz]

Ok...so I am the self-proclaimed president of the Peter Krause fan club, but I just might need to relinquish my title as I never saw one episode of Six Feet Under.

 

OMG, I started watching on Friday night, and I just completed episode 4 and I am so hooked it's not even funny.

 

Why the heck didn't I give this a chance LONG before now?  Who knows, just glad I found it. 

[ShellSeeker]

Oh, I'm jealous because I wish I could be watching it all again for the first time too. This is my favorite show of all time. Enjoy! Peter Krause did such an amazing job as Nate...a very complex character that makes you....well....I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just let you discover it for yourself.

[BizBuzz]

Thank you @Queasy-bo - I am almost embarrased to say that I am now on Season 3, almost half way done.  OMG - I am addicted to this show!  Everyone plays such a great role, and what I like is that it is so consistent so far throughout the seasons. 

 

I am actually quite entertained with people that are showing up that ended up on their own shows later on.  The one I am in the middle of right now is Rainn Wilson, OMG, you just had to figure he would play an undertaker perfectly!  ::giggle::

 

One of the dead guys was Josh Radnor from HIMYM - I was like, man, I know this guy, who could miss those eyes!  HA!

[BizBuzz]

I just had a laugh out loud moment, and I think it's going to be my new mantra:

Ruth: You are going to have to help yourselves. I am out of control.

[BizBuzz]

OMG ... I think I have just seen the most heart wrenching 15 seconds of TV I have ever seen ... Season 4 Episode 1 ... The last few seconds of Nate burying Lisa, I couldn't control the tears. UGH

[ShellSeeker]

My favorite Ruth moment was her "Fuck this" rant when she went to The Plan sessions with Robbie. OMG that was hilarious.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Queasy-bo

[Boots]

Almost 9 years later and I still mourn this utterly brilliant show. 

[Fisher King]

My favorite Ruth moment was her "Fuck this" rant when she went to The Plan sessions with Robbie. OMG that was hilarious.

 

"And fuck you, too, Robbie for not letting me have a Snickers bar!"

 

This show...my GOD. It's still my favorite all-time series in terms of writing, acting and sheer originality. Each episode started with a death but each one ended leaving a life lesson, including what to appreciate, how not to take people for granted and that there's a little crazy living in all of us. It still amazes me that a show set squarely in the reality of death could breathe so much life. That seems like a simple concept now but it took the brilliance of Alan Ball to bring that to us. This show...my GOD.

[Fisher King]

I loved Enlightened, nosleep, was sad & disappointed that it only got two short seasons. HBO did not do that show justice at all. Mike White is a fantastic writer and I've always been a Laura Dern fan. I'll rewatch the episodes and join you over at that board.

 

Enlightened also used the fade-to-white segue that was a SFU trademark. I loved that.

[BizBuzz]

I just completed the season finale of 4 - can I just say I totally did not see that ending coming.  At all.  I am speechless.

[ShellSeeker]

I know, BizBuzz, it was so shocking, wasn't it? It completely came out of the blue. I don't know how much of Season 5 you've watched yet, so proceed with caution here. Nothing spoilery about what happens in the final season, but just comments on the aftermath of what happened (or didn't happen) after Hoyt killed himself.

 

I always wished we would have found out more about what went on between Lisa and Hoyt. There were so many unanswered questions. Like how long had the affair been going on between the 2 of them? Did it start before or after Hoyt and Barb got married? How did the daughter (Michaela I think) figure things out? And of course, what transpired that day on the beach? 

 

I read an interview with Alan Ball after the show ended, and he said he deliberately left all those questions unanswered, because that's how life is. Very rarely are all the loose ends tied up in a nice neat package. Aggravating, but true. The only additional hint we got about what went on between Lisa and Hoyt was in the Season 5 premiere, when Brenda was watching the video of Lisa and Nate's wedding. There's a very brief shot of Lisa and Hoyt, having an intense conversation, and Lisa is clearly quite agitated. But you can't hear what they're saying. And that's it.

[BizBuzz]

OMG

 

Finally completed the series.  At the moment, I am speechless.

[ShellSeeker]

I was too after I saw it for the first time. It stuck with me for quite awhile. The final montage is still the most moving, beautiful thing I've ever seen on television. And an absolutely perfect way to end the series.

 

What did you think of Nate during the final season? I found him so infuriating at times - selfish and immature.

[Fisher King]

What did you think of Nate during the final season?I've got  I found him so infuriating at times - selfish and immature.

 

I must chime in here and agree with you about Nate. He was so hot and cold with Brenda and acted like an idiot with Maggie. He made Brenda look like a saint. Of course Brenda had matured greatly after season 4.

[BizBuzz]

In my recollection, I don't think I have ever seen a more fitting ending to a series, ever. It was perfect.

Nate? During all of the last season, I was like, what the heck happened to this guy? I can imagine that witnessing what he did at the end of season 4 could jade a person for life. He was so mean to Brenda and I can't tell why.

Believe it or not, I am still processing this series. I can't get it out of my head!

[Fisher King]

Believe it or not, I am still processing this series. I can't get it out of my head!

 

Don't plan it leaving anytime soon. It's like a tattoo. It can fade but it never goes away.

SFU is like no other TV series. Even with its many flaws, it is a masterful work of art.

[paramitch]

I have to chime in here on the finale. I was writing up a piece on another show, and the SFU finale came up in the discussion, so I jumped back over to take a look again after many years, and if anything, I found it more moving and resonant even than before. And needless to say, I ugly cry every freaking time. (sniffle)

 

I didn't love the entire show -- it was beautifully done, of course. But I had a hard time caring about most of the characters, and I found the opening sequences increasingly bleak and depressing (but I was caring for a terminally ill relative at the time so it probably simply hit too close to home for me).

 

But man, that finale. One of the best final episodes of TV I've ever seen, if not the best, and one that completely managed to sum up the crux of the show in a way that felt personal, gentle and human. The gorgeous use of Sia's "Breathe Me," the light, the beautiful luminous images as we lose each of those characters while the dead wait patiently (it kills me when we see Nate in Claire's rearview, or when we see Nate Sr. smiling into Ruth's eyes during her last moments)... just incredibly moving and poignant.

[Kat From Jersey]

OMG, I started watching on Friday night, and I just completed episode 4 and I am so hooked it's not even funny.

 

Why the heck didn't I give this a chance LONG before now?  Who knows, just glad I found it.

 

Me, too!  I missed it during its original run on HBO, but we just got HBO Go on our TV, and I started watching in June. I've been marathonning a few eps at a time, and I'm now in early S3.  I'm so totally obsessed!  Must be the death hag in me.

 

I love the 'fantasy' sequences (or are they real?!) of the dead people/ghosts talking to the Fishers.  Whether it's family members who have passed on, or the Death of the Week with unfinished business, it fits so well with the themes of the show: death, family, redemption, trying to rectify mistakes, trying to let go of inhibitions and live life more fully.

 

I've loved Peter Krause since Sports Night, but Nate's a bit too wish-washy for me (although still great to look at).  I find myself really drawn to Michael C. Hall as David.  His fussy mannerisms, tight-wound-ness, and sensitivity are alternately sweet and hilarious.  I love how his relationship with Nate has progressed throughout the series.

 

I've been spoiled for the series finale, but I'm trying not to spoil myself for the show-opening deaths.  I like the little surprises at the beginning of the show.

[eyebleach]

I just did a complete series rewatch for the first time since it was on originally.  I have seen a number of episodes multiple times - the finale for sure, "Grinding the Corn" (a friend of mine from HS was the dead guy of the week on that one) but to watch it again from start to finish was amazing.  I forgot how many great things were brought back so subtly - the E from David's square dancing teacher boyfriend etc.

 

One thing that has always struck me.  In the finale when Claire and Ted are in bed.  I swear on all that is holy that the song originally used was a Life House song and they changed it.  I have googled and I can't find anything but I swear it was a different song originally.  Does this ring a bell with anyone?

One other thing to add - I have read a lot of people who were just so annoyed by Nate in Season 5 and while he was certainly an immature asshole for much of it - I think the quote in the finale that he told to Claire when she realized her job in NYC was gone...."Claire, you wanna know a secret? I spent my whole life being scared. Scared of not being ready, of not being right, of not being who I should be. And where did it get me?"  

 

I think that is just so Nate in a nutshell and it really came out in Season 5.  He just kept trying to put pieces together to make it fit but they were never quite the right pieces.  Marrying Brenda, having another baby etc.  It was what he thought he should do but it also wasn't "right".  Though I am a big believer in the idea that Nate and Brenda really did love each other - they just were terrible for each other as well.

 

[eyebleach]

If you watch it on Amazon streaming (which is what I did) - it's a different song!  I lent the DVDs to someone a while ago and haven't gotten them back (grrrrrr) but thank you - I really thought I was losing my mind! 

 

And sadly, it is also me in a nutshell.

[Starfish]

I'm rewatching the series now thanks to Amazon. I forgot what a douche Nate was in season 3. Your wife is missing and you go around screwing random skanks. Eew. Seriously eeww. 

[eyebleach]

I'm not going to white knight Nate here because yeah, he was a dick.  That said, I think he was dealing with a great deal of fear and tremendous guilt and wasn't skilled in healthy ways to cope (kind of a theme for Nate).  I always just saw that period for him as being so intensely tragic.

[ShellSeeker]

I always saw it as arrested adolescence. But it's a testament to Peter Krause's acting ability that he was able to make me care about and empathize with Nate, even though he did things that would make me want to throttle anyone else.

 

I think the scenes with Nate that were the hardest for me to watch were those when he hooked up with the serial killer's daughter, and then yelled at her later. He was so cruel to her. Yeah, dude, I get it -- your wife disappeared, you're consumed with guilt, and you're completely losing it. Being you, the way you handle it is with random hook ups. But to do it with someone who is clearly very fragile and emotionally unstable was (IMO) the most egregious example of his complete self-absorption in the entire series.

[briochetwist]

Just stumbled upon the last season of this on my newly acquired HBO Canada - yeah, watching it legal this time!  Anyway, years later I thought I might see things differently, but nope, I still thought that Nate was a massive douchecanoe to Brenda.  

[millennium]

I'm not going to white knight Nate here because yeah, he was a dick. 

 

They were ALL dicks.   Every single one of them.   I have never hated nearly an entire cast of characters before,  but SFU is the closest I'll probably ever come.

 

The most overrated show EVER.

Edited August 28, 2014 by millennium

[eyebleach]

And yet one of my all time favorite shows!  To each their own :)
 

[kai3]

I am so glad Nate died. While it was incredibly sad to see what it put his family though, he was a horrible person. He constantly just entered peoples live and fucked around regardless of how it might affect them, never having any regard for anyone else. I can't believe he actually fell for Maggie's woe is me bullshit. I honestly could not hate Nate more then when he said "I never planned for this to happen" to Maggie, when he clearly did, the lingering looks, the finding any excuse to talk to her, persisting even after Maggie wasn't sure they should, and even after Brenda made it clear she knew about his feelings for Maggie, he still pursued. He always just jumped into commitments with people because objectively, from an outsiders view it would be considered the 'right thing', and then he just runs around miserable because it isn't what he wanted (and he knew it wasn't), spreading around his misery to everyone in his life. Honestly, his true colours showed when he pretended to want to have a kid with Brenda, let her get pregnant, turned around fuck someone else without even giving it a real try and then made his intent to abandon his pregnant wife clear. Yeah they were rocky towards the end (him and Brenda) but really? Just cause they were fighting for a couple months the institution of marriage should just be thrown out? She's full of hormones, and its not like he ever tried to actually express how he felt to her (so that they could together try and change to make things work) and instead just lashed out and made illogical demands (like the Quaker bullshit). His only redeeming quality was his love for Mya, and even so she'd be much better off without a father who constantly displayed an inability to cope with any kind of emotion... ever. His death was the best thing that could have ever happened for the viewers, cause if he took up with Maggie and got Mya to start calling her Mommy too, I may have just thrown up.

Edited September 13, 2014 by kai3

[kai3]

Rico and his wife are the worst

 

She is such a bitch all the time, and he is the most self centered person in the world. She is always harping on and on about how they should fuck over people so that her family with Rico can get a little bit better; while she has every right to want better for herself and for her family, she doesn't even know if these things she is always pushing Rico towards will work out (ex. the house they moved into had major problems). Her blaming the woman Rico was sleeping with was pretty messed up too. I didn't like the woman at all, but there was a very large part of me that wanted her arrested so that her irrational aggravated assault would have SOME consequence. Rico is no better. Not only did he cheat (and it was a tiny bit admirable that he wanted her back so badly and knew he messed up very badly), but he is constantly being such an asshole to everyone who isn't his family. His playing the whole "oh you're a racist" card made me really wish he'd be one of the white names at the beginning of an episode. If anything Rico himself was racist, always acting as if any matter that involved someone of his race was above the rest, and being super pissy if they didn't get special treatment like his race was somehow better than others. I don't know why he pushed so hard to be a partner, when he had no trouble trying to bail on Fishers time and time again. If I could only use one word to describe Rico: disloyal. Him and his wife 

Edited September 14, 2014 by BizBuzz
Added title to post

[KnoxForPres]

I just finished it. For the first time. I enjoyed it, I guess? When it was good, it was great. That was 10% of the time for me.

Nate was the best part of the show to me. And that's to Peter Krause' credit.

I really didn't like the Brenda/Billy storyline at all. Not sure why they felt the need to make sexual tension. It bored me.

What bored me much more was the fucking never ending discussion between David and his boyfriend (gosh I can't remember any names!) discussing adoption, babies, etc. That was awful and went on what felt 20 episodes. They never discussed anything else in that period.

I was ready for this show to end. I was not spoiled and found the finale kind of embarrassing. So it's been intersting to hear and read that it is a fan favorite. I expected others to be laughing along with me.

[DangerousMinds]

I liked Nate for most of the show, but was ready for him to die when he did.

[KnoxForPres]

I liked Nate for most of the show, but was ready for him to die when he did.

I'd agree with that and raise you I was ready for the show to end. I really did like seeing Ruth with her friends doing a dog daycare.

Oh! How could I forget! When Nate and Lisa went on the camping trip; it was the hottest scene ever. When he was like "take your clothes off and I'm going to fuck you on that rock". Damn it that was so hot.

I think this should would have pleased me more had I watched it real time. By marathoning, the viewer is more aware how damn annoying the characters can be. Like it would have been nice to not see Claire make the wild eye face for a week. Or David to not sulk. Or Ruth to not annoy. I think the week would have allowed more enjoyment than "more of the same" I often felt.

[wrestlesflamingos]

I love the series, just finished a marathon. I offer that I deeply hated Brenda from the gate and the fish face she makes.

[ByTor]

What bored me much more was the fucking never ending discussion between David and his boyfriend (gosh I can't remember any names!) discussing adoption, babies, etc. That was awful and went on what felt 20 episodes. They never discussed anything else in that period.

 The thing that bored me most was Claire's never ending time in art school. Awww the poor little emo never had an orgasm, maybe I will if I lead on a lesbian...my ass bleeds for you.

 

They were ALL dicks.   Every single one of them.   I have never hated nearly an entire cast of characters before,  but SFU is the closest I'll probably ever come.

I could not agree more! Overall I thought the show was ok, which is really something considering how vile most of the characters are. I liked Maya and George...that's about it! I hated Brenda with the heat of 1,000 suns in the beginning, but I did soften toward her in season 5. I'm not sure if it's because I actually started to like her, or that I hated the way Nate treated her. "I'm pregnant"...Congratulations" brrr that was cold! And I loved when she told Ruth, (who I wanted to punch in the throat every time she started with her shrill pontificating/shouting) upon her suggestion that she give Maya to her, (great idea, now Maya will have the chance to be as screwed up as the other kids she raised), I really don't care what you think...I actually said out loud "YES tell that bitch!"

 

Rico and his wife are the worst

Agreed, Rico was horrible! His passive aggressive whininess grated, as well as that sense of entitlement that he should be made partner (before he gave them the inheritance money). VERY close tie with Ruth for my most hated character. Edited January 16, 2015 by ByTor

[joelene]

These were mostly deeply repressed people who's feelings started to bubble up quickly after Nathanael's death, and because they had been emotionally (and geographically in Nate's case) distant for such a long time, it resulted in a lot of anger when they had to deal with each other in any significant way. Other than being family they really didn't have that much in common with each other because they were so far apart when the show began which meant there was a lot of clashing and yelling and other ugly shit. Which is what I loved about the show and watching these people, that journey of them coming together as a family again.

And on the other hand we have Brenda and her family who were the complete opposite of repressed. You couldn't get people with less in common than Ruth and Margaret.

But if you didn't like them you didn't like them and that's of course understandable. Even though I loved watching these people I wouldn't want to hang out with any of them in real life, except maybe with David and Keith on a trip to Palm Springs.

Edited January 21, 2015 by joelene

[Dobian]

I loved the finale as well.  I liked Six Feet Under but never fully loved it.  Every one of the characters annoyed me in some way, and all were hard to feel a connection with.  The one exception to this was David, and Keith and David ultimately had the healthiest relationship of anyone on that show, it just took them several seasons to get there.  I agree about Nate, he was a total tool.  It really bugged me that he could repeatedly be this mean-spirited jackass but kept being painted as a good guy who's just misunderstood.  No, he was just a jerk.  But I guess the point of SFU was that everyone is flawed, and people can have both beautiful and ugly moments.  Everyone's human.  The final montage was unforgettable.  It's not how we die, but how we lived.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Dobian

[MilkMachine]

I am in the middle of a rewatch. I both love and hate all of them. Do they all act like self-centered dicks at times? Totally, and sometimes it can be hard to watch. But that's what makes it real for me. It reminds me so much of people i really know. Almost everyone I know intimately is awful sometimes. And though the Fischers (and Rico, Keith, etc) can all be awful, there are also moments where each character shows genuine kindness, compassion, and goodness. Also, I feel like the show is so well-written that the characters' actions make sense for who they are and what they have been through. 

 

Now there are definitely plotlines that bore me or just don't interest me, and given that several others have mentioned the same ones (Claire's art school is one that comes to mind) I think some situations could have been plotted a little better. I'm not sure if I would want to hang out with any of the characters--maybe David, or Claire in the rare moments when she embraces her dorkiness and is not trying so hard to be cool. Nate is fun to watch, and I have sympathy for him because I feel like he's really trying much of the time, but the thought of dating him makes me want to shudder. Brenda's bitterness and self-absorption bug the hell out of me. She can be nurturing and real, but those moments are few and far between.

 

It's my favorite show, but I'm a weirdo. What some people hate about it is probably the same things that make me love it. As a show it is flawed, but it is as close to perfect as I've ever seen. I find it hard to imagine another show will one day top it in my mind, but we'll see.

Oh! How could I forget! When Nate and Lisa went on the camping trip; it was the hottest scene ever. When he was like "take your clothes off and I'm going to fuck you on that rock". Damn it that was so hot.

 

Ugh, when I saw that my thought was, "That's the kind of thing that guys think that women think is hot, but often it is not." Specifically it seems to be more about the man than the woman, like she's supposed to be grateful for his prowess or something. (Obviously my interpretation and not a universal sentiment.) In that particular moment after the conversation they'd had, I would not have liked that. However, Lisa seemed pretty happy afterwards, so maybe it worked for her. 

[funkopop]

I am watching this for the first time and just finished Season 3.  I agree about Claire's art school storyline being unnecessary drama, that art teacher is every bit as exhausting as they portrayed him to be.  I felt so bad for Arthur after Ruth's rejection once she realizes he is a virgin.  I can understand her being wary but to be so mean to him after was uncalled for. Keith/David was the same old same old.  I knew there was always a weird incestuous energy with Billy towards Brenda so I'm not surprised he made a move on her.  Nate's turmoil over Lisa's disapperance/death was heartbreaking to watch. 

 

I am enjoying the show and I haven't gotten to the point where I'm dreading any of the characters too much.  I hope David finally lashing out and talking with Keith about their relationship actually changes their dynamic because seeing another season of doormat David and big bad bully Keith isn't that appealing.  I want them to bring back Kathy Bates's character because I enjoyed Ruth with her more than any of her other love interests. 

Edited March 16, 2015 by funkopop

[DJ DAVE]

Have started another re-watch.

Just wanted to say this is my favorite series of all time. I love how it affects me.

Alan Ball grew up in the vicinity where I did in metro-Atlanta and I can relate to the writing and characters on a deep level. I grew up scared of funerals and funeral homes. I love all the walks of life presented in this show. I don't get the animosity toward this show from some posters. Aren't we all affected by death? Maybe it's too real for some, but that is it's greatest appeal-the way death affects us all.

I will be forever grateful to Alan and the whole team for the gift of this show.

NATE:"I don't know if I can handle this."

BRENDA: "Well, you're about to find out."

[punkypower]

Y'all. So I have officially worn out my DVDs. That's My Dog through the end of season 4 and "The Silence" through the end of Season 5. Hmm..Maybe I should stop being lazy and get internet hooked up again so I can use On Demand (may I plug the Jinx while I'm at it? Some of best stuff since SFU).

[funkopop]

I've just watched the first episode of Season 4, I've been alternating  seasons of The Wire and Six Feet Under.  Ohmygod, if the premiere episode is setting the tone for the rest of the season then I am in for a draining couple of weeks.  Then I have Season 4 of The Wire waiting for me.   Watching Nate bury Lisa was just so bleak and heartwrenching I don't know if I can make it.  I didn't even care one way or the other about her but seeing the grief through Nate's eyes is so raw and emotional.

Edited April 7, 2015 by funkopop

[DJ DAVE]

funkopop, Peter Krause so ruled that episode. It was truly heart-wrenching.

Again showing the way death affects a person......

I remember a few years ago, I drove my Aunt Berma to her sister's graveside service {my Aunt Vinnie}, and because of her age, I wondered if Berma was up for it since the funeral might have taken it's toll, but she said she wanted to go "as far with her as she could" and I've never forgotten that love. Nate did the same for Lisa.

 

{On a side note, I really feel that this episode was meant to be the finale for Season 3.......I personally believe HBO split it off for some reason.}

[funkopop]

So I finished Season 4 on last Thursday and marathoned Season 5 Friday and Saturday. I loved it.  Throughout the series, even though the characters could be frustrating and you wanted to just give them a good shake, I cared about them.  I'm glad that the series finale showed that they did find that happiness in their various ways.  Just simple, attainable happiness.

[MilkMachine]

So I finished Season 4 on last Thursday and marathoned Season 5 Friday and Saturday. I loved it.  Throughout the series, even though the characters could be frustrating and you wanted to just give them a good shake, I cared about them.  I'm glad that the series finale showed that they did find that happiness in their various ways.  Just simple, attainable happiness.

Agreed. Both times I finished watching the show, I felt grief. Not simply sadness that it was over, but that I missed my friends.

[funkopop]

Did any of you with the final season or complete series dvds get the obituary booklet?  I must say I was a bit surprised to find out that David and to a lesser extent Brenda remarried.  Not that its inconceivable but I did find it a little weird that Keith wasn't even mentioned in David's obituary.  It must have been true to life, though.

[ShellSeeker]

Did any of you with the final season or complete series dvds get the obituary booklet?  I must say I was a bit surprised to find out that David and to a lesser extent Brenda remarried.  Not that its inconceivable but I did find it a little weird that Keith wasn't even mentioned in David's obituary.  It must have been true to life, though.

 

I didn't get it, but those were all on the HBO website for a long time (and may still be there, if there's an SFU page) so I read them after the finale aired. I also read an interview with Alan Ball, and he said even though it wasn't totally clear in the final montage, Brenda actually remarried twice after Nate died. 

[funkopop]

I didn't get it, but those were all on the HBO website for a long time (and may still be there, if there's an SFU page) so I read them after the finale aired. I also read an interview with Alan Ball, and he said even though it wasn't totally clear in the final montage, Brenda actually remarried twice after Nate died. 

 

Interesting!  Love that despite all that, it was Billy she spent her final moments with.   That relationship was all kinds of fucked up but when they were good together they were good together.

 

I listened to the series finale commentary with Alan Ball and he stated that Billy was blabbering about Ted during the montage scene.  

Edited April 22, 2015 by funkopop

[TheRabbi]

Alright, I have started my summer project this morning...rewatching this amazing show!  I discovered it in 2006, after hearing how supposedly great it was.  I rented the first disc of season 1 from a local videostore, and after watching that in a night, went and bought the entire boxset.  It took me about a month to complete, and was my favorite show of all time.  I rewatched it again later that year, and then got my parents to try it, so we'd watch an episode every couple nights.  When we were about halfway through season 5 in mid-2007, my father passed away very unexpectedly (age 51), and while I eventually did finish the series with my mother down the line, it hasn't been watched since.  So bottom line, its been a long time, and I was finally ready to revisit this, now having gone through something similar to what the Fisher siblings went through in the pilot.

 

Now that I'm older and (some would hopefully say) wiser, I can really appreciate how great the pilot episode is.  I've become a television addict in the last five years or so, and watch nearly every pilot at least before deciding if I want to watch the series, and this is still in the top 2 or 3 pilots ever.  Sure some characters you may grow to hate later on in the series, but their introduction to the viewers is fantastic, and you're rooting for them right out of the gate.  I'm looking forward to seeing how I react to the characters as the series goes on, now that I'm 29 with a little more life experience than the last time I saw this.  I'm particularly intrigued by Nate, as he seems to be loathed on this board as the series goes on, but I generally liked on my earlier views.

 

As for the other great pilot episodes, I think my top four of all time are (no particular order): Six Feet Under, Pushing Daisies, Awake, and Lost.  Pushing Daisies is probably my personal favorite, but they are all fantastic introductions to their respective series.

Edited May 25, 2015 by TheRabbi