Six Feet Under - The Complete Second Season (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you haven't seen Season One, stop reading this right now and go watch it. You're in for a real treat, as 6FU is one of the most well-written TV dramas ever.
If you watched Season Two when it originally aired and are considering purchasing this set, you should know that the DVD extras are not plentiful. Several of the 13 episodes have optional commentaries you can listen to while you're watching the episode; I find this is a big investment of time for a small payoff, but that's just me. Plus, the last disc contains a short documentary "anatomy of a stiff," which is worth watching once, but not really that compelling. Another factor that might affect your purchase decision is that the episodes themselves are rich and stand up to repeated viewings, unlike most of the tripe on television. Plus, watching the episodes on DVD - on YOUR schedule - makes for a much better experience than waiting a week or more between episodes as they are aired on HBO.
If you've seen Season One but not Season Two yet, the best indicator of whether you'll like Two is how much you liked One. Yes, it's true, fans disagree over which of the first two seasons was better. But the overwhelming majority that liked One a lot also liked Two a lot.
I think both of the first two seasons were EXCELLENT, but a bit different. Almost every episode of the first season was very good or excellent. The second season had the same average quality as the first season, but more variability - that is, a few episodes or storylines were a bit weaker than what we typically saw in Season One, but other episodes and storylines were even better than those in Season One. The last two episodes of Season Two rank among the best television I've ever seen.
I will try to set up the events of Season Two without giving anything away. At the end of Season One, Nate was coming to grips with a newly diagnosed brain condition that could cause seizures, or even a stroke and death. Nate and Brenda had declared their love for each other, despite a fairly complicated and sometimes rocky relationship. David was single and struggling in his love life, and coming to terms with being "out." He and Keith were still friends, and it was clear that they still had feelings for each other. These storylines are developed further in Season Two, with many interesting twists and turns along the way. Of course, there are also storylines involving Ruth and Claire. Ruth's growth in Season Two is nonlinear - she seems to make progress in one episode, but then reverts back to her depressed, repressed, controlling self in the next. Claire has interesting relationships with different people, each of which shapes her in some way, good or bad, and she gets a bit of direction in her life toward the end of Season Two.
One of the things that makes 6FU so great is that it's so real. The characters are 3-dimensional, flawed, and (mostly) likeable. Whenever I watch the show after not having seen it for a month or more, it's like getting together again with old friends. I also respect the show for taking seriously the issues of religion and minority sexual orientation (Amazon.com has previously censored me for using the word that begins with "h"). Half of the main characters are religious, and their views are treated very respectfully. One or two of the main characters are g__ (again trying to avoid the censor) and they are portrayed as real people, with the same joys and sorrows and problems as straight folks.
Bottom line: If you haven't seen 6FU season two yet, you are in for a real treat. Be patient through the first two episodes, though, as their slightly lower quality is not representative of the rest of this outstanding season.

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When death is your business, what is your life? For Nate, David, Ruth and Claire, the world outside the Fisher & Sons Funeral Home continues to be at least as challenging-and far less predictable-as the one inside.DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentaries with Alan Ball, writers and directors on Episodes 1,7,10,12,13Episodic PreviewsEpisodic Recaps:Season 1 RecapFeaturette

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Six Feet Under - The Complete Third Season (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)After hearing about and reading a lot of the hype surrounding this show, I thought it noteworthy to check out. Unfortunately for me, I have no cable television with which to view HBO. Therefore, I was stuck waiting until this show came out on DVD. When season one finally did come out on DVD, I rushed out and rented disc one. After only watching the first couple episodes, I was completely hooked, and decided to buy the DVD set. Since then, Six Feet Under has become my favorite shows.
Season three is definitely a pivotal season. Alan Ball does less of the writing, and this is easily noted within many episodes. Much of the quirkiness of the Fischer family seems lost, or at least altered. There seems to be far more drama with less of the fun comic relief that was always present in the first two seasons. The ebbing ups and downs seem to pique much more drastically, making season three quite a roller coaster ride of emotions, reaching it's crescendo with a dramatic cliffhanger finale that leaves you anxious to see what happens in season four.
Each and every character undergoes growth and maturity throughout the season, as in previous seasons. Claire is busy adjusting to art school, while David is trying desperately to patch up his relationship with Keith. Nate approaches life with a newfound appreciation after his brain surgery, and Brenda doesn't seem to be a part of his new plans. Ruth longingly seeks companionship after breaking things off with Nicolai, and finds it in some rather odd places. Federico is trying to find his place in the business as a new partner, while also trying to deal with troubles of his own at home. Brenda, after a brief excursion, attempts to find her way in the world without Nate. Each and every character and sub-plot is a completely unique and enticing character study of it's own, and the incredible acting from everyone involved makes each and every character totally believable.
Regardless of a few minor quibbles with this season, I still maintain that this is on of the best television shows I've ever seen. Never before have I viewed a television series that so accurately portrays the sheer rawness of human sentiment, spanning the gamut of emotional intensity with such fervor and wit. Even though this isn't my favorite season of the series, it still makes for far better viewing than the vast majority of shows that plague our television sets these days.
This single show is almost enough to make me want to fork out the money to get cable, but thanks to the DVD releases, that isn't necessary. I'm only sad this show is going to end after a mere five seasons. Overall, a very highly recommended series.

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(HBO Dramatic Series) Life. Death. Guilt. Afterlife. For the Fishers, the more things stay the same, the more they change. Get ready to break new emotional ground with Six Feet Under: The Complete Third Season. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:5 Audio commentaries w/ Alan Ball, writers and directors on episodes 3, 4, 5, 11 and 13 Interviews:"A Birdseye View of the Third Season" : An in-depth interview with show creator Alan Ball including the original HBO trailer

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