Where Does Six Feet Under Rank?
Last night Jen and I finished watching the fifth and final season of the Six Feet Under boxed set. I have to say that it was a glorious five seasons. I didn’t know much about the show prior to jumping into it, but after watching it, I have to say that it is one of the best television shows that I have ever watched. The story lines were consistently good. The acting was consistently stellar. There were truly funny and sad moments. Most importantly, the show wasn’t afraid to make you feel a little bit of discomfort through its legendary dream sequences. On top of all that, it had some of the best use of music in a TV show ever.
In the early seasons of the show, the producers used relative unknowns in the music world to create the soundtrack. So you can imagine my surprise when we are watching an early episode of the show and a song by local Cleveland heroes Coinmonster came screaming across my television’s speakers. Coinmonster is a band from western Pennsylvania that came to Cleveland to play all the time and I must have seen them thirty or forty times in my life.
Coinmonster aside, the producers used the song “Lucky” by Radiohead in one of the turning point scenes of the entire series during a cathartic bonfire where everyone burns the remnants of a garage sale that held symbolism to a lot of their problems. They poked fun at the stupidity of drugged-up people using “Transatlanticism” by Death Cab for Cutie. They used a song by The Arcade Fire. Finally, they used a relative unknown, Sia, whose gorgeous song “Breathe Me” capped the entire series.
The music was just a small part of it, but it is very representative of the entire series. Everything worked on some level. They were never afraid to back off of something that wasn’t working. They used some incredibly creative storytelling devices, including the use of premonitions from dead people that showed up as figments of each character’s imagination to give them an insight to their own thoughts. It was a brilliant way to make each character’s psychology more apparent to the viewers at home, kind of like a less heavy-handed version of Tony Soprano’s Dr. Melfi.
Speaking of Dr. Melfi, I am trying to figure out where on the list of TV shows in my life that Six Feet Under fits. The things that really works in its favor is how it maintained a consistency in characters. It developed them naturally for five seasons. Finally, it didn’t stick around too long.
So, I don’t know where exactly Six Feet Under fits into the list of my favorite TV shows of all time, but it is way up there. That list includes all the shows listed below, although I am sure I am forgetting at least one. Also, one item that I have excluded is Band of Brothers because it was a mini-series, but it should almost be included as a one-season TV show.
The Wire
Lost
Six Feet Under
Battlestar Galactica
The Office (British)
Weeds
Dexter
The Sopranos
NYPD Blue
Entourage
Smallville
The 4400
Comments
2 Responses to “Where Does Six Feet Under Rank?”
Leave a Reply
Sideblog 
- Top Gun 2???!?!?!??!?!? Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 5:50 am
According to reports, the plot outline is, (wait for it) “The idea is Maverick is at the Top Gun school as an instructor — and this time it is he who has to deal with a cocky new female pilot.” - Be Afraid Utah Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 7:26 am
Carlos Boozer is a snake and one of the most dishonorable people in professional sports history. I guess I am not over this just yet. - How much you wanna bet… Thursday, 3 July 2008, 9:18 pm
That this 4-day work week will actually increase the amount of gasoline that these employees will be using? Instead of commuting to work, they will now be going to the grocery store, going to do som. […] - In-Car DVD Players are Stupid Thursday, 26 June 2008, 10:15 am
At least they will be when we get a load of in-car wifi!!!!! (I am such a geek.) - George Carlin is Gone Monday, 23 June 2008, 4:34 am
I once bet a guy in college that I could watch a George Carlin special on HBO without laughing. I did it, but it wasn’t at all easy. There is going to be a void left by Carlin dying. - Accepted Behaviors Tend to Increase Thursday, 19 June 2008, 12:15 pm
If you become too accepting of a condition that you really don’t want to encourage, you might just end up with unintended consequences. - Note to Potential Buyers… Thursday, 19 June 2008, 9:59 am
Our house is on the market and we keep getting feedback from people who look at our house. I have some notes for anyone looking at my house. This is one of them. I don’t know what you were expec. […] - Seattle Sonics Trial About to Begin Monday, 16 June 2008, 5:43 am
I have pledged my support for the city of Seattle to keep their basketball team. Now, as the trial date looms, I read that Seattle plans to use many of the same arguments that were used in Cleveland t. […] - Metallica Hates Bloggers Wednesday, 11 June 2008, 5:12 am
Metallica was against Napster back in the 90’s and today, they appear to be against bloggers. After inviting music bloggers to listen to six tracks of their upcoming album, the band has now gone aro. […] - Pat Forde is a Hack Volume II Tuesday, 10 June 2008, 5:29 am
I don’t know how many volumes we will have to run out here before someone gets their head out of their turd-cutter and cuts this turd from the roster of writers at ESPN. Forde lambasted Ohio State a. […]
I just downloaded Breathe Me by Sia. Thank you! Love it.
Glad you dig it. I can’t speak to the rest of her catalog, but that one is really beautiful.