Six Feet Under: The Complete Series [DVD] [2006]

The series:I had seen a few episodes of Six Feet Under after here and there on TV and had always meant to get into the series properly. I decided to take a chance in buying the whole series boxset after many of the 5 star reviews and I can honestly say that I am very glad I did.The series was innovative and thought provoking and managed (in my opinion) to convey perfectly the death of a loved one and the impact on those left behind. At no point did I feel that the show was preachy or "the most depressing thing I have ever seen" as it was crafted so beautifully to make you feel at all the right moments without the constant need for a box of tissues by your side.Having bought the series as a whole and watched it more-or-less back to back over a month I can't honestly say I noticed a difference in the look or feel of the show which is a good thing as it was already spot-on to begin with.The characters are interesting but flawed in the way that many of us are - making rash decisions, not being honest with others and keeping our true feelings hidden. But despite all that I found I could still relate to Claire (Lauren Ambrose) who portayed a coming of age teenager exactly as real teenagers behave, or the storylines of Nate and David where the two clearly have a different approach towards death and how someone's passing is handled. The same level of praise needs to be extended towards the cast who are all exceptional and wonderful to watch on screen.For obvious reasons I don't want to give away anything about the major storylines or character development but what I will say is that the ending, which received almost universal fan and critical acclaim is well deserving of such an accolade. It not only ended brilliantly from a storyline perspective but also from a legacy perspective. What I mean is that it's nice for a show to end while it's at the very top of it's game without the need for TV networks to run it into the ground. No spin offs, no specials, so sequels. Perfect.The product:The version of the series that I received was made to look like a tombstone (the same as the current product image in fact) which sits very nicely on a shelf with all my other DVD boxsets (LOST, Band Of Brothers etc.,) and so thankfully isn't monstrously big and difficult to tidy away. Inside were the 5 seasons as they appeared on separate retail release. One thing to note is that I DID NOT receive the black covers over the cases which I have seen in the product images but I don't care as I didn't buy this series for a bunch of cardboard sleaves.I would have liked a little bit more in the way of "Behind The Scenes" style features but all-in-all I can't complain as there are a few documentary shorts and "Making Of.." featurettes. I was also impressed with the amount of audio commentaries that this series has! Plenty to get your teeth into and get a different perspective on how the creators or actors view a scene.Summary:If you liked American Beauty (another of Alan Ball's creations) and you don't like lazy-writing where everything is "fine and dandy" at the end of each episode then this is a series you'll most likely enjoy. Things achieve a recognition and following for a reason and Six Feet Under is a perfect example of this. Once again, brilliant from beginning to end and well worth having.Everything, Everyone, Everywhere, Ends.

Extraordinarily well-written, with stellar performances across the board, I truly believe this is my favorite television show of all time.Most of the main characters have depth, the kind of depth that can only come from struggles and the hardships of life, and we accompany these characters through some of those struggles. And none of it feels tacked on or fake; it all has an organic flow to it. And that is down to both the writers and the actors.Whenever I watch a television show or a movie, I'm always "adding things up" . . . either on a base level (ex. "How can a clerk at a book store live, alone, in a fantastic, spacious apartment in a hip part of town?"), or a psychological one (explain to me how Kate Winslet's character married that guy in "Little Children" in the first place? It would just never happen. She wouldn't have lasted one date with that guy).But I digress . . . I haven't said much about the actual show because I don't want to give anything away, and I'm sure you're aware of the basic premise. But the thing to keep in mind is that it's not a gimmick . . . they flesh these people out, and have them live their lives in front of the rather moving, yet absurd, yet also somehow always completely appropriate backdrop of funerals and the (family) business of death.It's as if death itself is a member of the family.Having said all of this, there were a few silly side-plots that I could've done without (paintball), and a few of those side-plot actors definitely weren't up to snuff.Also, the show is quite gay. Gay clubs, gay choirs, gay adoption, gay parties, gay paintball . . . gay, gay, gay! There's a gay couple on the show who kiss more than any other television couple has ever kissed. We get it: you're gay! Move on, please. The gay stuff didn't make me uncomfortable; it just wasn't interesting. That's the . . . I don't know if catch-22 is the right word, I don't know if conundrum is, but the gays already know about shenanigans in Sears and movie queen parties, and the straights don't care. So who's it for, really? It's kind of an insular dead end, creatively speaking . . . no pun intended.I also want to take a moment and single out Rachel Griffiths' wonderful performance in this show. She is Brenda to the bone. She should've received top billing, as you might find, as I did upon reflection, that it's really her show.I was following Nate's story above everybody else's, but Brenda is who I was actually waiting for to come on screen.Lastly, and I think this is so very important, but so often overlooked, it's the only show I can think of that didn't overstay its welcome or end too soon. It's so supremely appropriate that a show focusing on and around death knew how and when to die.

Wow! Everyone here has said such good things about Six Feet Under. I've just watched the last episode having been addicted to getting through all the DVDs in this boxed set. Without hesitation, this is the best ... entertainment? No, it's far, far more than just that. This story is education, therapy, poignant, moving, touching, dark and a whole number of other rich nouns. There will be issues covered in this amazingly brilliant series that will relate to your life in probably more ways than just one. The acting is completely for real, the script is genius. All the characters soldier on through their lives, the interplay is complex, clever and thoroughly engaging. I felt I had to watch the entire series as soon as I could, not content with rationing myself to one a night. At some stage the characters become so familiar, you almost feel you're there sharing a glass of wine with them. A lot of rights and wrongs are done. It demonstrates how death comes in so many forms and believe me there are a variety of ways in which to die! They have all happened too. The passing of time, children growing up, parenthood, relationships, it's all in there. There is much to be learned. The conclusion re-states the stunngingly obvious that most of us miss out on every day in our hum-drum take-it-for-granted-lives: death is certain, death is final. We truly SHOULD celebrate every day of life. And grown and learn.Miss this series and you miss out on more than I could explain here. Forget therapy, forget books. Just watch this entire series and learn, cry, laugh, be entertained and be educated about life and death and everything in between.