A look at Six Feet Under’s Fishers

I am fairly confident that the Fishers from Six Feet Under will go down in television history as one of the most interesting, well shaped characters to ever grace the small screen. Certainly that statement sounds a little grandiose, but I also believe it 100%. The four members of the family that the audience followed through the eun of the show (matriarch Ruth, brothers Nate and David, and the little sister Claire) were all unique and three dimensional characters that had amazing chemistry with each other.

I always found Ruth to be a fascinating woman. At the beginning of the series, she lost her husband, which launched her on a journey of self discovery. It was a fun ride watching her explore her own being after living for so long for her family while ignoring herself. Yes, it included bizarre trips like The Plan, a self help seminar, and a head-rubbing relationship with a much younger budding mortician. Whatever trouble Ruth was getting herself into, however, it was fun to watch. I especially enjoyed the strained relationship that she had with her daughter and the way that it evolved and found its way throughout the run of the show. And who could forget the good times that she had with Bettina, wonderfully embodied by Kathy Bates? Francis Conroy’s performance as Ruth was always spot on, putting just the right emphasis on the crazy or the maternal depending on the situation.

As much as all the Fishers were featured on the show, Nate, the elder brother, was really the backbone of Six Feet Under. I had seen Peter Krause in other things before, but I never realized what a great actor he was until I watched Six Feet Under. In Nate Fisher, he really had a platform for his talents. We, as the audience, got to see him through incredible highs and lows: fatherhood, the fear and trauma of medical issues, marriage, infidelity, and the long slow realization that he was a good funeral director. His journey was a tragic one, and it seemed like so much of the actions of the rest of the family stemmed from Nate. While Ruth may have been the matriarch, after the death of his father, Nate was the true focal point.

That didn’t mean that younger brother David was pushed to the background, however. David’s character arc was an interesting, if not sometimes controversial one. David’s love story with Keith was a great one. It did have it’s up and downs, but followed David from a closeted, up tight man, to being in an open and loving relationship, building a family. Sure, there were breakups along the way, but overall, Keith and David were a great couple, and a good example of how a happy ending can work on television. David’s story became controversial when he was kidnapped and tortured and traumatized by a drug addled hitchhiker. The episode that featured the event was one of the most tense hours I have ever watched on television, but the plot line didn’t go over without any criticism. Regardless, the event helped shape the character in the later seasons of the show. I haven’t watched any of Dexter, but I’m not sure how I would feel watching Michael C. Hall in any role other than David Fisher.

Finally, there is Claire. I admit that at the beginning of the show I didn’t really understand where Claire fit in, but it soon became evident that she was an integral part of the family. In fact, one could argue that it is really her journey to adulthood that was most complete throughout Six Feet Under’s run. She begins the series as a troubled, artsy high school student, and goes through art school, tastes success, and is plummeted back to reality. She finally matures and moves on from the funeral home. The final scenes of the series involve her leaving California for New York City, to make a life for herself. I loved Claire’s arc. I loved watching her evolve, find where she was supposed to be in life, and interact with all the crazy art types along the way. I loved all her flaws. Her hubris, her bad attitude through high school, her curious choice in men. Maybe it’s because I’m the youngest in my own family, but I really appreciated her story, even if it often felt in the background. I still hope that Lauren Ambrose will find another show that will be worth her talents; I loved her on Six Feet Under.

What did you love about the Fishers?

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Aug 16, 2011 @ 10:00 EST5EDT