:: Six Feet Under is one of the many brilliant series on HBO, but I have found the fifth season to be the most depressing of the series' run to date. In Episode 59, one of the supporting characters tells Brenda to shut the f*ck up, because she's sick of listening to Brenda whine and complain about her failing relationship with Nate. Brenda is expecting a child with Nate, and there may be complications with the baby. Meanwhile, Nate has befriended Maggie, the daughter of George, the now-estranged husband of Nate's mother, Ruth. Maggie has invited Nate to attend a Quaker service, in hopes that he might find some peace of mind there. Brenda reluctantly goes with him.
The next night, Nate goes to pick up Maggie for the service, but instead ends up sleeping with her, further fracturing his marriage to Brenda. Meanwhile, David and Keith continue to struggle with their adopted sons, Durrell and Anthony. The relationship between Keith and Durrell hits an all-time low when Durrell pulls a knife on Keith, who disarms him, slamming him into the kitchen table. Claire has left her art career, and is miserable while temping in a large law office. Rico has moved back into his house with Vanessa, but she is cold and distant, barely tolerating his presence.
So far so good. But at the end of each episode in the fifth and final season, I find myself in a sour mood, angry at the continuing torment each character is facing. For a show that has been so good for so long, there is a complete and utter lack of joy in the episodes this year. The characters, while predictably and naturally flawed, seem collectively bitter and disgusted with life. Initially, I was hoping it was an aberration, but I've seen no change as the season has progressed.
In Canada, we have yet to see Episode 60, which is airing in the US this week, so I don't know if anything changes for the better. In the few episodes left, we can expect various character resolutions to happen. Withing those resolutions, I hope something positive will emerge by the show's end.
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