Six Feet Under Season 4

Stark

Okay so it's only 4 episodes in but I'm going to be optimistic and argue that it's a return to form after the 3rd season which I found disappointing. Much of that could be due to the abscence of Lisa We're also getting smaller doses of Claire's existentialist teen angst princess whining which has to be a good thing. In fact the dialogue in general seems to have been sharpened up somewhat and the characters no longer tend to ramble like they did in the 3rd season. Ruth especially is delivering her lines with perfect precision. Noone else could make me laugh so much at the talk of turd in the mail

Federico's still a dick but I'm just realising he was always a dick really so that's forgivable. I'm liking Brenda's new beau, her character seems to be most intriguing when she's grounded by someone. Arthur's gone woohoo

One bad point, Keith's new job seems like a shameless excuse to have all the famous guest stars they want on the show :rolleyes:

ApeXaviour

Stark wrote:

Okay so it's only 4 episodes in but I'm going to be optimistic and argue that it's a return to form after the 3rd season which I found disappointing.

Yeah it's much sharper. Snap snap, keeps the interest flowing. I hope it keeps up, the 3rd series nearly turned me off completely.

tk123

yup i agree - it's back on form now! I think Ruth's character just gets better and better!

ApeXaviour

Is that new blonde one (eddy!?) mena suvari? Cos she looks the spit..

RobertFoster

Stark wrote:

One bad point, Keith's new job seems like a shameless excuse to have all the famous guest stars they want on the show :rolleyes:

She's famous? All I hear is name dropping, not actually seen anyone I know...

I'm not too keen on George tbh

ixoy

RobertFoster wrote:

She's famous? All I hear is name dropping, not actually seen anyone I know...

Celeste? Well it's in a spoiler in case she hasn't been shown yet, but she's played by

Michelle Trachentenberg, who played Buffy's sister, Dawn in eh... Buffy. She was also more recently in 'Eurotrip'.

I'm not too keen on George tbh

I don't think you're meant to be keen on him.

Season 4 is a lot more like "regular" 'Six Feet Under' as opposed to the, often unfairly maligned Season 3. Unfortunately I've seen the first eleven episodes so I can't talk too much about it without risking spoilers....

One thing to note folks: Only tweleve episodes this season instead of the regular thirteen. Also a few of them are shorter than normal...

tk123

TELL US WHAT HAPPENS IXOY!!!!!!!!!!!

ixoy

tk123 wrote:

TELL US WHAT HAPPENS IXOY!!!!!!!!!!!

Nah. What I will say is do not miss this week's episode! It's an important one. I'm not kidding. Wait till you see what happens

I'm not too sure about season four. I read somewhere that Alan Ball wanted to tone down the whole season arc storylines and concentrate more on individual episodic storylines. I am lost as to what the whole point of this season for the character will turn out to be. Brenda's rehabilitation and third season redemption has gone on a bit too much, I want to see a return to season two form for her, but I they are making such a point if her not drinking, not taking pot and being reluctant in indulging in sex as much as she did.

Maybe its becuase Claire is around my age and I see a lot of myself in her character, but I have always loved her character the very much. The Edie thing seems a bit too forced for me, and Mena Suvari seems out of place sometimes because she is the famous guest star, but her screentime in the show has been short. The college experience that Claire is going through and the age that she is at is interesting to me.

Its hard watching Celeste because I remember her on that other show, and sometimes her acting is a bit strange, like she is striving for perfection with every single word, but its much interesting to watch Keith in this job than his season three one.

I love the show, and have high hopes for season five and even if seaosn four is a transitional season than I am okay with that. It has to happen sometime, right?

Also, I loved season three. I think it was my favourite. The direction and lighting really made the show look its best, and widescreen is always good.

Stark

Oh my god I couldn't sleep after last night's Six Feet Under. One of the most harrowing things I've seen in ages.

Orion

Stark wrote:

Oh my god I couldn't sleep after last night's Six Feet Under. One of the most harrowing things I've seen in ages.

It was an interesting episode alright - but what was the point again?

Stark

I believe it was to have a **** before you go out driving in case you do something stupid like pick up a gorgeously sexy hitchhiker

Orion

LOL - Good one.

sceptre

Missed it last week, may miss the repeat this week (vijo's on the blink)

The woman whose digs house I live in is always in the living room when I want to watch television and makes me go to bed at 11 each night. Now I can't watch my only show SFU because I have a problem watching alternative programs like that in front of parental figures, the sex, drugs and general gayness would make me blush in front of her.

I hate her.

Stark

I feel embarrassed watching it in front of the parents as well, but thankfully they get bored after 5 minutes of it and leave the room.

Actually, would anyone be willing to tape the show for me? I would supply the tapes, envelopes and a little something extra. I really need to get to see the rest of the season! PM me if interested!

EDIT: It just crossed my mind, would this be in breach of the boards charter?

SprostonGreen

I hate Brenda's new boyfriend and the two of them together do my head in.

Arthur was a great character, I'm sorry he's gone. All in all, one of my favourite ever shows.

mycroft

Just watched last weeks episode.....

Spoiler

nate's quiet desperation at the depression group, was brilliant underplayed and had true pathos. Claire, how six feet under have made watching a group of teenagers study art into intelligent watchable drama is beyond me, it's totally class,

And then David's Journey into hell. Dear Jeebus god in heaven one of the most disturbing hellish and harrowing piece of TV in recent memory. His rant to his kidnapper about empathy and pain was brilliant, and the sheer pausibility of suddenly having your life descend into utter hell by the random appearance of a psychopath.

I had my concerns about this series at the start it's seemed so disjointed and having trouble finding it's feet, I think this episode will echo for quiet a while and it's such a disturbing event alot of stuff will anchor itself back to it.

Seriously impressed.

ixoy

See I wasn't all that impressed with last week's in some ways. Certain bits nagged me:

David had numerous chances to get away, for example. OK, I understand he was frightened but there was one too many that he avoided

.

Also there was some moments of implausibility, and almost clichéd scenes that seemed there solely to drive the storyline

It's L.A. - why did they have to drive so long to find an ATM? Just purely to create a story, of course but it was too forced. US viewers complained that ATMs are far more prominent than this show would have you believe. Then there's the chase in the truck yard - as featured in ten thousand kidnap movies

.

There's a certain sense that the whole thing was designed solely to

push David over the edge. I found it unnessecarily brutal and cruel. Sure that's half the point but it seemed as if the writers were struggling to create a new storyline for his character, from what they had going so they had to introduce a random element from off centre

.

Having said that I like where they take the story following on from this and hope to get my videotape of the finale today or tomorrow...

John R

I have to agree with that^^^ He was just too much of a wimp, he had lots of opportunities to get away or get the better of the situation.

Stark

It's L.A. - why did they have to drive so long to find an ATM? Just purely to create a story, of course but it was too forced. US viewers complained that ATMs are far more prominent than this show would have you believe. Then there's the chase in the truck yard - as featured in ten thousand kidnap movies .

I allowed them that one. For one thing the psycho wasn't majorly interested in an ATM machine, he was playing an ad-hoc game, making it up as he went along. The ATM excuse was just a way of prolonging the car ride till he could think of what to do next. When it finally came round to having to actually go to an ATM he worked it in his favour and robbed David. He even admitted himself "I just decided to do that that second!". The further out from the city the better for him as well, less cops, less places for David to escape to.

David on the other hand was letting his dick rule his head and wanted to spend as much time with the guy as possible so wasn't on the major lookout for an ATM either. In fact after they had driven a good bit out it was a case of "Oh yeah, the ATM machine".

mycroft

I have to agree with that^^^ He was just too much of a wimp, he had lots of opportunities to get away or get the better of the situation.

Having had a gun pointed at me, I can assure you you do freeze.

It's very easy to say I could take him, but frankly what goes through you head is "If we fight the gun could go off by accident". Combine that with the

doing crack for the first time

with the adrenaline, you're just going to be too f*cked up to think straight. Incidently once again 6feet under really was the

first US series in which I've seen a lead actor do crack, (excluding Oz) Again I'm sure Ioxy will be able to furnish us with the details of this because I'm sure it'll impact to Davids recuperation to this trauma

I mean they kept on the driving around thing going for a bit too long, but I'll forgive that for the sake of narrative.

As for Ioxy theory about the David storyline, I dunno. Six feet unders writers have always come up with imaginative and unusual plot twists over the years, suddenly pushing the plot in wildly different directions. Richo's flirtation, Ruth's marriage, David's tumor, Brenda's addiction. I have a theory that Chase is making a greater point re america and american foreign policy with this story line, but I could be reading too much into this.

Time will tell.

Only four days till the next one.

Stark

He was just too much of a wimp, he had lots of opportunities to get away or get the better of the situation.

Yes, but since when was David a perfect character. It's one of the things I like about him, he takes a lot of qualities that would normally be considered negative in typical American culture and makes them endearing.

ixoy

mycroft wrote:

It's very easy to say

I could take him, but frankly what goes through you head is "If we fight the gun could go off by accident".

Well actually

I wouldn't expect David to fight him. I know I wouldn't. But he had a few chances during which he could have run for his life. Again, I imagine he could be just frozen with terror so maybe that's what they were thinking...

As for Ioxy theory about the David storyline, I dunno. Six feet unders writers have always come up with imaginative and unusual plot twists over the years, suddenly pushing the plot in wildly different directions. Richo's flirtation, Ruth's marriage, David's tumor, Brenda's addiction.

... But I felt generally all those plot points had a basis somewhere, even if it was only symbolic foreshadowing. Ruth's marriage made sense given her loneliness and need to love when set against her family's introverted nature. Rico's flirtation was being built up slowly. Brenda's addictions make sense given her past. I just feel David's flew out of nowhere. Now of course such things do but there was something, something in it that didn't 100% ring true to my mind...

I have a theory that Chase is making a greater point re america and american foreign policy with this story line, but I could be reading too much into this.

Chase? Huh? You mean Alan Ball? I'm not sure there's much to be read into this...

Whatever I feel about how they introduced, I do think it provides an interesting arc for David's character, which you'll see over the next while. It may have come from nowhere but it provides some freshness and leads - IMHO - to, later on, one of the finest acting moments I've ever seen...

Stark

I just feel David's flew out of nowhere. Now of course such things do but there was something, something in it that didn't 100% ring true to my mind...

I think David's came out of his increasing desire for danger and excitement, brought on by his repressed relationship with Keith. He wasn't getting all he needed from Keith so they both sought the quick fix solution of "sleeping with plumbers" etc. When David passed that guy in the car, instead of letting his head rule and being ultra-careful. He could still have been nice and played it safe, he could have driven to the gas station on his own and brought back the gas can. Instead he let the guy into the van with him, and concentrated more on chatting him up and he did on maintaining his safety. The fact that it all blew up in his face made it all the more excrutiating and humiliating. The psycho guy's occasional comments of "what, did you think we were going to make out? fagit" are there in case you didn't get it already.

mycroft

Chase? Huh? You mean Alan Ball? I'm not sure there's much to be read into this...

Yeah yeah yeah show up my ignorance whydontcha....

I just think he could be making a point about the random nature of violence and the implication that at any point our life can wander into a world of pain and violence that we really never had experienced before. But I could just be talking *****.

But I felt generally all those plot points had a basis somewhere, even if it was only symbolic foreshadowing. Ruth's marriage made sense given her loneliness and need to love when set against her family's introverted nature. Rico's flirtation was being built up slowly. Brenda's addictions make sense given her past. I just feel David's flew out of nowhere. Now of course such things do but there was something, something in it that didn't 100% ring true to my mind...

And theres a flip side, starting an entire series with Nate married to Lisa utterly disorientated me, plus I found it incredibly annoying as watching Nate and Brenda is a television high point of the last few years. It was the best relationship on TV (my high point being during season 2 and Brenda's Australia ex, Nate's freak out, and his apology the next day "If it's any consolation I think I was hallucinating") again it came out of no where. I've gotten used to on six feet under, glorious slow burning plots combined with the unexpected plot equivlent of a block of froze poo flying from a plane loo

to, later on, one of the finest acting moments I've ever seen...

Again and it's lost after the drama of latter events in the episode I'm constantly blown away by the series ability to make good watchable drama about Clare trying to make art, and talking about art. And Nate is giving a wonderfully subdued performance as a man numb with pain.

daveg

David Lynch wrote:

Actually, would anyone be willing to tape the show for me? I would supply the tapes, envelopes and a little something extra. I really need to get to see the rest of the season! PM me if interested!

EDIT: It just crossed my mind, would this be in breach of the boards charter?

PM me. I have a DVD recorder and can record them direct to a DVD-R.

s8n

what did people think of last weeks ep and the whole

nata and brenda reunion

tk123

Predictable - It was going to happen. The other guy annoys me so she's better off with Nate!

Stark

I like the other guy, he's cute and he's something different.

Last week's ep was pretty slow I thought and the stoned family member of the week bit is getting old.

verdidnt

So what did everyone think of last nights episode? I though it was the best of the season by far. So much happeneing to all the main characters...

tk123

Yup I thought it was good - apart from the Claire story lines - i find them a bit boring...

Orion

verdidnt wrote:

So what did everyone think of last nights episode? I though it was the best of the season by far. So much happeneing to all the main characters...

You just liked the

lesbian scenes

darkangel

it is indeed mena suvari but im prety sure you found that out before reading my message!!

verdidnt

Macros42 wrote:

You just liked the

lesbian scenes

heh, not really.....the gay scenes do a bit more for me