I hadn't seen Six Feet Under while it was on HBO and decided to order the box set after getting hooked on Dexter (Showtime, with Michael Hall), and we were also big fans of Sports Night with Peter Krause. This is by far one of HBO's best efforts. I liked it far better then Sopranos. I found the Fishers to have much more depth and interest.

I enjoyed this series when it was on TV. I find all the extras on the DVD nice and also enjoy watching favorite parts again. On review I found out I had missed several episodes. The series has perhaps the best ending I've seen. Don't let anyone spoil it for you by telling the end.
Enjoy!

I don't want to talk about the events in the series, as 1) that's not the purpose of a review, and 2) the less you know about this series, the better. You need to watch it for yourself, from start to finish. No commercials, no edits, no distractions. I made this a Sunday night ritual. One episode, at the very end of the day. I dragged it out for two-and-a-half years. I finally finished the series the other day and I cannot let go of it.

That finale is a real mind-blower.

As rich as I am for having experienced it--and having experienced it over a lengthy, staggered duration--I certainly do envy those who have the chance to newly experience what I have just concluded. And I will say that fiction will never be the same. Nor will I.

This is AS GOOD AS IT GETS. It's cheaper than (but no substitute for) therapy.

LIP (live in peace) before you RIP.

When "Six Feet Under" first aired in 2001, people were adamant about the idea of a Family-Run Funeral home, of which is supposed to make good television drama and with its satirical dark humour and very real characters. It seemed like a lot to gauge for a show that would constantly display death. Then again, death is a touchy subject to everyone, where do we go, what of the soul and more importantly, how we deal with it, and do we ever deal with it.

Funnily enough the idea for this show is original, who ever had the idea first wins in that respect; they get to clarify an unlooked upbringing of a Family Business and way of life for those who `cater' the dearly departed.

Result; This great show has introduced us to the Fisher Family. A lovable, quirky, witty retort type of what can be called "dysfunctional" clique, which would evidently be used as a comparison for future generations of TV clans.

You may think it would be depressing, when in fact the show is surrounded in clairvoyance. The episodic structure follows that of some random loved (or unloved) person dying at the beginning of the episode through to the eventuality that the Fishers are the one who take care of the recently passed.

The Cast; An excellently played bunch of mishaps that are such a winning cliché with each other that they come together to depict an idea of family. Peter Krause plays older extroverted son Nate Fisher Jr., named after his dearly departed father who starts off the first series (season). Nate is not built for the job but finds that being drafted as funeral director may have its merits. Nate also introduces us to his on and off love of his life Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths) whom is an Australian actor with a killing worked state-side accent. She's a pious talking sexually inhibited deviant and we love her, and she develops into a wonderfully woven character.

Middle child now fully licensed Funeral Director David Fisher (Michael C. Hall) a character pushed into a business role vacated by a late father, but doesn't gloat and makes it worth something to him. He plays the in-closet Homosexual whom is seeing his supportive and well played character and partner to be Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick). The grieving mother and wife, quirky and lovable Ruth Fisher, played by Frances Conroy who's variety of theatre acting pays off every little bit. And finally the youngest Claire Fisher, played by the gorgeous Lauren Ambrose, who just about reflects teenage life without giving off the false sense of adolescence played by stereotypical teens in say The OC. The inevitable wild-child, whose dalliances with an array of class A substances give us a comedy and just all round fun experiences.

Families on TV, especially American TV could learn much from this, and have. It's easy to spot the similarities in shows like "Dirty Sexy Money", "Dexter" and "Brothers & Sisters". TV drama found a mark that explored more boundaries than Scott Bakula did in Quantum Leap, more frontiers than Star Trek.
It's hard to go back to the atypical TV-centred families of so called modern life. A dark satirical backdrop of a Family-Run Funeral home opens up a more accurate approximation of current life and all its density.

Verdict:

Short but sweet, stays with you like the memory of a loved one. 10/10. Six Feet Under, you will be sadly and forever missed.

I bought this for $150 cheaper than retail value and it came in perfect condition. It even came with 2 soundtrack CDs! I received the set right on time as well! Thank you, thank you! :)