Six Feet Under: The Complete Fourth Season

For some strange reason unbeknownst to me, many people seem to find this season "too depressing," "slow," "boring," etc, etc. I'm in complete disagreement with this.

In my opinion, while the season is a bit darker than the last three, it perfects the morbid, slightly-depressed and slightly-humourous tone the series always had. A little less humor, yes. A little more drama, you bet. But why is that such a bad thing when the drama is so good?

Personal highlights: When David finds unrelenting terror in "That's My Dog," Claire and her high antics with her artsy friends in "Terror Starts at Home," and the sinister atmosphere in most of the season finale "Untitled."

Highly recommended.

If you have not seen Season 4 yet, please be warned that many of the user reviews are FILLED WITH SPOILERS!!! Especially the August 25 review by Nicholas Y. B. Wong.

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In four seasons, I've come to love these characters like they're my dear friends. When a season ends, it's as if I've finished a really long, really fantastic novel that I wish never ended, and hate that I have to wait untold months until the next season. I subscribed to HBO in time to watch Season 5, and I'm very sad now that 6FU is now gone forever.

I'm very pleased to tell you that Season 4 is quite a bit happier than Season 3. Oh, bad stuff happens, people hurt, people suffer, just like in life. But you don't have to worry about Nate going through another downward spiral like in Season 3. Season 4 brings more of the dark, quirky, off-beat humor that seemed almost absent from Season 3 (look for the helium-inflated life-sized bimbo dolls!!).

Season 4 picks up immediately where Season 3 left off, with Nate, all beat up and bloody, at Brenda's door. Over the next 4-5 episodes, Nate is working through the grieving process, dealing with his pain, his loss, and his complicated feelings about Lisa and their relationship. His path to healing is uneven and rough, and he never quite gets over the loss (no one would). But Nate does get it together, and once again becomes the old Nate that we all knew and loved so much before the tragic events of Season 3.

Brenda is working through her own issues; her regret of mistakes she made in Season 2 influences her behavior in a new relationship; she wants desperately to have a simple, "normal" relationship. But she finds that leaving the past is not so easy.

David and Keith are still together. Unusual for 6FU, there's an episode that focuses almost completely on David and something rather intense that happens to him, that will have implications for the rest of Season 4 (and even Season 5). This episode is visceral - it really gets under your skin, and not completely in a good way.

The newlyweds Ruth and George eventually discover each other's warts, which the initial infatuation hid so well (as it often does in real life). Kathy Bates shows up again for a few episodes, providing a pleasant distraction for Ruth at a time when she really needs it.

Claire, on the other hand, is still suffering from the betrayals she endured in Season 3. One of my favorite characters in Seasons 1-3, Claire becomes much less likable by the end of Season 4.

Season 4 has a few notable guest stars. Kathy Bates returns for a few episodes. Mena Suarve (from American Beauty and American Pie - a very patriotic actress judging by the titles of movies she's in) appears for about 5 episodes as Claire's friend, influence, and maybe something more.... Nicole Richie even does a self-deprecating cameo as herself.

Most 6FU fans are not squeamish. Yet, I feel compelled to warn you: Season 4 contains images and scenes that are more explicit than anything I've ever seen on TV. Some of the bodies on Rico's table make CSI look like Sesame Street. There's also a scene where someone puts a gun in their mouth, pulls the trigger, and we see EVERYTHING. There's a scene where someone picks up a freshly used condom off the floor, holds it up for himself - and us - to see. And the most explicit man-on-man sex scenes 6FU has ever shown.

If you can stomach these kinds of things, and if you're even a casual fan of Six Feet Under, I highly recommend Season 4.

In My opinion, fourth season is by far the best season yet. The characters have never been so real. Anyone who ever had a troubled relationship with family/lovers can rely on this show. Because it feels so real, I think that makes of SFU, one of the best TV shows ever made. This is strong, funny, sad, full of hopes, full of despair, just like life is...

Too bad it's almost over for the Fisher family. Without givin' away plots for those who haven't watched it yet, all I can say about my favourite episodes is that...

"Falling Into Pieces" almost made me cry. Peter Krause has never been better!

"That's My Dog" proves that Michael C. Hall is really an amazing actor and the plot is so twisted I could not believe I was actually watching a SFU episode.

"The Dare" is one of the most "relationship-based" episode and has a really fine storyline with almost every couple running on a very thin line...

"Untitled" has the nicest and most shoking twist of the season. Also kind of let you think that it's time for Claire to get herself together.

Arrrf... Now we just have to wait...

Unfortunatly: "Everything. Everyone. Everywhere. Ends." :'-(

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 66 reviews  4.2 out of 5 stars