A tad behind in watching the third episode of the final season of Six Feet Under. A couple of weeks ago I lamented that the premiere had been deeply depressing... and not much as changed over the past two episodes. Like I said, this show has never been an "upper" but there always seemed some kind of quirkiness/fun to offset any of the heavy stuff. Not so, this season. I have always looked forward to a new SFU episode each week, but it is getting really difficult to psyche myself up for such "downer" subject matter.
It just seems like each character is a crash-test dummy sitting strapped in a car waiting for some technician to hit a button and send them crashing into the wall. Intriguing? Perhaps. Entertaining? Eeeeh.
So here are a run-down and some speculation (I am not privy to any spoilers and like it that way)...
David & Keith - I assume this is supposed to be some of the "lighter" material as they had a freaky interview with a freaky surrogate. It was frustrating to have David lash out at Keith for not squashing his own indiscretion with the Vegas prostitute from several seasons ago. Despite appearances, this relationship still does not strike me as terribly sound. I am getting the feeling they think having a baby is going to "fix" things (a common "hetero" scenario).
Nate - Nate's a bit distant these days, huh? Again, another instance where it seems like the focus is on having a baby and soon... always have to question that. Like Brenda, Nate is anti-establishment... so I suspect he is already having problems with immersing himself into married life (he didn't seem to want to commit to getting back in time for a home-cooked meal)... and Nate's discussion with George's daughter Maggie about their recent losses makes me think something may happen between those two.
Brenda - While Nate who seems to be subconsciously trying to avoid "normal" Brenda seems to be on a mission to get it... a baby, family dinners, a career... and we all know that ain't Brenda's M.O. Don't really know where this is going... but it is only a matter of time before her little house of cards starts to crumble.
Claire - We all know the Billy relationship is doomed (so won't even bother to discuss him separately). But what a moment it was when Claire caught Ruth's hand mid-face slap (something I did with my own mom one time!)... and screamed "I will hit you back this time" (something I did NOT do). That literally made me gasp.
Ruth - Ah, Ruth... I am so conflicted over her this season. Part of me wants to shake her because she can at least attempt to handle husband George's failing mental health a bit better... but the other part of me knows (from my own family's experiences) that this kind of care-taking does destroy one's spirit and can lead to heavy doses of bitterness, irrationality, and resentfulness. But it was certainly ominous when Ruth headed up to bed and mistakenly said "goodbye" instead of "good night."
So as you see I am still "into" the show... but that doesn't make it any easier to watch.

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