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+ Best Continuing TV-series of the Year + Best Drama of the Year + Best Los Angeles Title of the Year
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| The Fishers and their closest others are gathered in a curiously profound vacuum with many-colored roses surrounding their darkness on this terrific poster for the third season of Alan Ball's Six Feet Under |
The third season of creator Alan Ball's (Oh, Grow Up (1999, TV-series)) drama series, which centers on the Los Angeles-centered Fisher family, who run their funeral home business as best they can in the wake of the sudden death of their husband and father and head of the business, Nathaniel, continues as a powerful and intense life's drama.
The following recount includes several SPOILERS:
As the season kicks off we make a leap forward in time: Despite uncertainty-sparking déjà-vus, Nate Fisher's (Peter Krause (Civic Duty (2006))) brain tumor removal operation goes well, and in the period around it his mercurial lover Brenda (Rachel Griffiths (Cosi (1996))) has left him, and he has instead married his old Seattle flame Lisa (a brilliantly acted portrayal of a nervously disturbed woman by Lili Taylor (Pecker (1998))) and together they have created a little gemstone in a baby girl named Maya.
The season introduces a string of new characters: Nathaniel's widow Ruth Fisher's (Frances Conroy (Queen (1993, miniseries))) rebellious friend Bettina (Kathy Bates (The Waterboy (1998))), the funeral home's new intern Arthur (Rainn Wilson (Dominion (2006)) plays the strange bird with humor and sincerity), whom their solid restoration expert Rico (excellent Freddy Rodríguez (Ugly Betty (2007-10))) dubs "very home-schooled", and whom Ruth has a weird crush on for a while. - That is before she happens upon the charismatic, six-times-married George (James Cromwell (Marshall (2017))) at a weak moment following a funeral, whom she later marries, rather impulsively. Her independent art student daughter Claire Fisher (Lauren Ambrose (The Return of Jezebel James (2008, TV-series))) enjoys her new life at the LAC Arts school, where she strikes up a relationship with co-student Russell, (Ben Foster (The Program (2015)) is terrific as the ambiguously masculine deceiver), who screws his male teacher, lies about it and gets the boot.
Brenda is eventually reintroduced to Nate's life, as her new celibate life dictates her taking rounds and excusing her past mistakes. She begins dating her neighbor (Justin Theroux (On the Basis of Sex (2018))), before Nate turns up on her doorstep, busted up and in disintegration: His and Lisa's marriage has slowly deteriorated, and despite a recent reunification at Claire's art school event, Lisa goes missing and stays missing for 3 torturously good episodes (episodes #11-#13, the season's last), - until she is found dead.
In the meantime, Rico's wife Vanessa (Justina Machado (Bones (2010, TV-series))) has become a depressed pill-addict; and the Nate's brother, working bee David (Michael C. Hall (Gamer (2009))) has broken up his long relationship with cop boyfriend Keith (Matthew St. Patrick (Ice Cream in the Cupboard (2019))), - and gotten happily back together with him again.
The performances are all terrific, and the dramatic weight episode for episode is impressive, - somehow without marring the show's realism and authenticity. TV-series only very rarely reach the heights that Six Feet Under steadily navigates.
Best episodes:
11. Death Works Overtime - Written by Rick Cleveland (Inhumans (2017, miniseries)), Nancy Oliver (Lars and the Real Girl (2007)); directed by Daniel Attias (The Americans (2014-18))
Nate files a missing person's report for Lisa, and her disappearance takes its toll on him.
12. Twilight - Written by Craig Wright (Greenleaf (2016-19)), Oliver; directed by Kathy Bates (Have Mercy (2006))
Nate continues to be miserable in a state of unknowing; and Brenda helps Claire have an abortion.
13. I'm Sorry, I'm Lost - Written by Jill Soloway (I Love Dick (2016-17)), Oliver; directed by Alan Ball (True Blood (2008, TV-series))
Nate snaps and unravels in the stress of Lisa's disappearance, when finally definitive news arrive.
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Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV-series
= Uncertain
[Six Feet Under - season 3 was originally broadcasted from 2 March - 1 June 2003 at HBO and runs 13 x 55 minute episodes, totaling approximately 715 minutes. Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles. The season averaged 4.7 mil. viewers in the US, where the season marked the show's decline, as its 5.6 mil. peak with season 2 thereafter diminished to 2.5 mil. by the last, 5th season. Besides the ratings the show has enjoyed a solid afterlife on home video and now streaming platforms, generating more revenue. The season was nominated for 9 Emmys and 5 Creative Emmys, winning one; it was also nominated for 3 Golden Globes. The show returned in on 13 June 2004 with season 4. Ball returned with something different with Towelhead (2007), which he adapted, produced and directed. Krause returned in We Don't Live Here Anymore (2004); Hall in Paycheck (2003) and Bereft (2004); Conroy in Die, Mommy, Die! (2003), and Ambrose in Admissions (2004). Six Feet Under - season 3 is the show's 3rd-highest rated; it is fresh at 92 % it has a 6.75/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
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