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Six Feet Under: Making Love Work

Lisa: "Sometimes I feel like, when we're having sex, he secretly hates me."

Well, Lisa, that's because he does.

The title, "Making Love Work," can be interpreted three ways. 1. Actually putting work into a loving relationship that you expect to last; 2. making your relationship harder than it was ever intended to be; and 3. the act of lovemaking as work, instead of pleasure. I'd say Nate fell into categories two and three. Nate's marriage to Lisa is a cold, hard rock; it was their literal and figurative marriage bed in this episode.

Nate told Todd that what he had with Lisa was his first real adult relationship, but notice how he had to get stuff about Brenda into the conversation? Not to mention that dream Nate had when he finally got to Suicide Rock. Nate wanted Brenda to pursue him because he wants her to rescue him from this situation. Nate apparently associates Brenda with freedom. And possibly suicide. Suicide is the ultimate act of self-involvement, after all.

Claire and Russell hooking up was inevitable, but his virginity was a surprise. Or was it? David, who dated women for a long time, was certain Russell was gay. Russell said he felt safe with Claire. If he were truly in love, wouldn't he feel a bit more anxious about Claire, edgy and unsure? Plus, how many straight guys can you really trust to dye your hair blue?

Ruth was clearly smitten with odd little Arthur. He was loudly blowing his nose at the table and she actually complimented him on his hankie, of all things. Arthur loved Silent Running and she went out of the way to rent it for him. I've seen it; it's a odd little thought-provoking sci-fi movie, the sort of movie Ruth would probably like. Maybe she and Arthur have potential. Except they were both completely weirded out by the little bit of porn stuck on the end of the tape. Neither of them seem all that sexual, and I can't see them in bed together. Or is that just bigotry on my part toward older women and nerds?

Bits:

— Our opening death died of a nosebleed that was created by an old nose job. She faked a pretty nose and it came back to bite her, so to speak.

— A snake came into the campsite, and Nate beat it to death. I don't think symbolism gets any more obvious than that.

— The huge guy falling out of casket probably symbolized a problem that was big and obvious, as well as impossible to contain. And I absolutely loved the four of them trying to get the guy back in the casket. The Fishers just don't have problems like anyone else's.

And pieces:

— "Karen Postell Pepper, 1964-2003." Her question for the Dr. Dave show was, "How can I stop feeling so competitive with my mother-in-law?" Lisa sort of is her mother-in-law.

— Olivier continued being a lousy teacher. His method appeared to be making his students feel bad about everything they created, because they will never be good enough. Claire and Russell need to stop buying into it. I think they were moving in that direction.

— There are triple X caskets? I'd guess there would have to be.

— This episode was directed by Kathy Bates, whose character is in Montana.

Quotes:

Lisa: "How often does Jesus come up?"
Todd: "Pretty rarely. But whenever he does, they always remind us that he was black."
I've been to Unitarian Universalist services several times, and they never once told me Jesus was black. :)

Rico: "Hey, don't think just because you're living here you have to do things with the Munsters up there."

Claire: "Mom, not all progress is bad. There's Kleenex. Hello?"

David: "What about Willem for a boy and Coco for a girl? Or Willem and Max if we have twin boys? Or if we have twin girls, Coco and Clementine?"
Keith: "Are you sure they didn't know you were gay?"

Every episode of SFU is good, but I liked this one less. Two stars?

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

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