We just saw the last episode of the third season of Six Feet Under. We probably won't see the last two, because I recall that the show jumped the shark at the start of the fourth season. I could write a whole post about what went wrong with it, and of course will.
Remember American Beauty, the movie written by Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball? The story involved Kevin Spacey being attracted to blond teenager Mena Suvari, though in the end he didn't go all the way with her. (Typical tease story.) In the fourth season Claire meets a blond lesbian at art school and gets attracted to her, but in the end doesn't go all the way. In case you didn't notice the similarity, she's played by Mena Suvari! That art school milieu was kind of interesting in the third season, but in the fourth season it gets unpleasant.
Claire finally creates a work of art that sells, which is a photographic portrait except that you replace the eyes with black with points of light like a night sky. It's remarkably ugly imagery, further proof that the art market has no taste. The catch is that Claire swiped the idea from her loathed, pitiful ex-boyfriend Russell, to his anger. If I'd been Russell, I would have paid Claire not to tell people that such an eyesore was my idea!
Keith has become a celebrity bodyguard, the sort of thing you do when you're running out of ideas. Ruth's new husband (James Cromwell, always a welcome addition) has a daughter who hates him, and they get a package in the mail full of poop! That's Alan Ball's idea of a clever development.
The musical numbers and surreal scenes and offbeat touches that seemed original in the show's beginning seem old by the end. The low point came in the last season after Claire had to get in a job in a bank after she left art school and her education money got cut off. Her panty hose is uncomfortable so she sings "You Ride up My Thighs" to the tune of "You Light up My Life." Sux to be her!
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