Six Feet Under: Familia

Keith: "I'll wait for you because I love you. But I'm not moving backwards for anybody."

The Opening Death Scene was most likely about the importance of standing up for yourself no matter what it costs you. Like Keith standing up to that phobe in the parking lot. Like David not standing up to that phobe in the parking lot.

David spent the rest of this episode longing to do what Keith did, longing to stand up for himself, which was what all those discussions with the ghost of Manny were about. Manny kept telling David that he had to stand up. In the end, David threatened Gilardi for the sake of his family and his business. But David could still lose Keith if he doesn't come out and stand up for himself.

Brenda came over to meet the familia and check out the funeral biz. ("Not quite as Addams Family as I expected.") Ruth didn't care for Brenda before; walking in on Nate and Brenda having oral sex in the slumber room didn't improve the situation, bath salts from the Beverly Center or no bath salts from the Beverly Center.

Nate channels people's pain, just as Brenda said. He connected with Manny's mother in a big way just by telling the truth as gently as he could. No platitudes, euphemisms, or tactful lies. That final scene with the prayer circle, and the way the gang and the family included the Fishers, was just lovely. And it confirmed that Nate was right. The personal touch is their way to combat Kroehner.

Bits:

— There was mention of two different television families. Claire and Nate were watching a scene from The Partridge Family, which is about as far from the Fishers as you can get. And of course, there was the Addams Family. Nate said that he was usually Gomez and David was always Lurch. I can see that. (I always wanted to be Morticia.)

— The sermon at Keith and David's church, or the part we heard, was (oddly enough) about God lying.

And pieces:

— "Manuel Pedro Antonio Bolin, 1980-2001."

— Brenda's sexually explicit account to the police as to what she and Nate were doing in the house that burned down was a hoot. I think she was deliberately channeling Sharon Stone.

— Claire continued to act out inappropriately by getting high with a gang member in the basement, and it almost got her hurt. Has she gotten high in every episode so far?

— The funeral groupie from the pilot was back. David threw her out.

— Rico was all offended and took it as a racial thing when David asked him for help with the warring family/gang situation. But then Rico handled it so well and diffused a difficult situation. So was David right? Did he just ask too tactlessly?

— I'm confused about the house across the street. I don't remember Nate and Brenda lighting candles. Did Brenda do it, after all?

— David and Nate borrowed money from Ruth, and now she's an investor. Unfortunately, she wants something in return: for David to go to church with her again. What about going to church with Keith?

Quotes:

Nate: "David, we are so white. If we step in, we could totally fuck up."

Ruth: "So you stick your thumbs in people."
Brenda: "No. Well, at least not as part of my job."

Brenda: "Jesus. No accident you guys are undertakers. You take every fucking feeling you have, put it in a box, and bury it."
Nate: "Better that than examine every fucking moment until all the joy is drained out of it."
Now, this is why the two of them will never work as a couple. Nate and Brenda see life in completely different ways. Nate is never going to be what Brenda wants. And vice versa.

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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