One of the most compelling TV shows I've ever seen!

NOTE: The bulk of the review below was written a couple of years ago, and only after seeing Season 1. Since that time, I've seen the whole show, and will provide an "update" to my thoughts at the very bottom.

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Thank God for DVDs. We do not have cable in our household, and so we often hear about these great shows on HBO or basic cable, but don't get to see them when they first come out. DVD sets allow my wife and I a great chance to catch up, whether with terrific comedies (CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, RENO 911) or dramas (SOPRANOS), or, in the wonderful case of SIX FEET UNDER, a strange, nearly sublime combination of the two.

By sublime, I don't simply mean "good." Sublime implies something that creates a feeling of ease or relaxation. A good meal can be sublime. And the lovely gelling of the ridiculous and the ordinary, the laughable with the tragic, is what makes SIX FEET UNDER so sublime.

It's a treat to be able to watch the series essentially in a bunch. Although we don't have time for a marathon session (watching them all in one day, for example) we do manage one episode every couple of days. So the emerging story feels great.

Creator Alan Ball mixed similar comedic/tragic events in the terrific film AMERICAN BEAUTY. SIX FEET UNDER explores similar topics of family members at dis-ease with each other...locked into relationships that prevent the individual from persuing their dreams...which Ball would have us believe is the source of our follies and our unhappiness. We do silly, funny, wacky things do allow ourselves to have some "fun" or pursue a personal goal that might not mesh with what everyone else in our immediate social system wants. We also do foolhardy, dangerous and regrettable things for the same reasons. In the process, we bounce off those closest to us, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes destructively or hurtfully. What's great about SIX FEET UNDER is that the creators understand that these two conditions happen SIMULTANEOULSY. To the person they are happening to, it may not feel that way, but for a compassionate observer, the pain is leavened by humor...and the dark humor is shot through with anguish. GOOD STUFF.

In case you don't know, the "jumping off" point of the series is the death of a family patriach, who runs a small funeral home. This funeral home is directly attached to the family home. One son has been at home all along, workind with dad...but must now handle the resentment when his older brother (the one who "left home") returns and takes his place alongside his far more competent brother.

The show is sharply written, and wonderfully cast. Peter Krause and Michael Hall as the two VERY different brothers are quite good. They don't have any problems showing their ugly or at least unattractive sides, but we are able to see the goodness beneath the squabbling. Frances Conroy is wonderfully insane as their mother. Richard Jenkins (deserving of an Oscar nomination for NORTH COUNTRY) as the dead father is laconic, ironic, bitter and very funny. I think the best discovery may be Lauren Ambrose as the teenage sister. Ignored by the rest of her much older family, she may just be too smart for the room. Certainly, she's too smart for her school. A character like this (goofy clothing, unusual car [a green hearse!], smart-aleck mouth) sounds quite clichéd...but in this young lady's hands, she makes it seem original and BELIEVABLE. We see that she's very smart and observant, but also, that she is a kid experiencing some pretty adult things for the first time...on her own.

I also love the theme music.

Very small downsides: we know this is a fractured family, but when they lose their father very suddenly, there should be more signs of grief, or at least mixed emotions. Instead, they mostly seem put off by the inconvenience. Even people who are estranged from their parents almost always muster up more emotion when faced with a sudden death. And yes, I know they're in the funeral business, but that's like saying a doctor can't get emotional over his/her own illness. Also, a key recurring plot point of the "large funeral-home conglomerate" working so hard to drive them out of business is to me a bit cartoonish...an awkwardly concealed dig at Wal-Mart and its ilk. I don't mind the idea of competition from a big corporation...it's the Machiavellian machinations that don't quite fit. These are minor quibbles, though.

We both enjoyed the show immensely. It's been said before, but because it's true, I'll say it again...there's nothing else quite like SIX FEET UNDER. I've only seen Season 1, but can't wait to dive into the second...and third...and fourth!!

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Okay, now that I've seen it all, let me just add a few thoughts...and granted, they are strictly related to Season 1, but I think are relevant nonetheless.

First, the conglomerate subplot I mentioned above also apparently didn't satisfy the creators much either. It becomes far less important and is eventually summarily dispatched. Meanwhile, the family itself becomes more and more complex and goes through more and more "stuff" over the years that one wonders how any of them kept any semblance of sanity. (And actually, not all of them really quite manage it.)

Over the years, not every plot development is as satisfying as all the rest. Some are a little strained, but others are amazingly daring. When Lily Taylor joined the show for a little while, her character's impact on the lives of those around her is remarkable.

The final season takes some twists and turns that remind us that we are in the hands of masters. The final couple of episodes are unsettling and unexpected.

FINALLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: If you watch the first season and you enjoy the show, then PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch them all. The final 15 minutes of the final episode could be the finest ending to any TV show or movie EVER created. I'm literally getting chills at this moment remembering the stunning nerve of the creators and the unmitigated triumph of their risk. It's worth watching the whole darn series to experience the ending scenes. When my wife and I first saw it...we watched it again IMMEDIATELY. And then again! It's stunning.