SIX FEET UNDER

SEASON FOUR

EPISODE 1: FALLING INTO PLACE

Rated TVMA

SIX FEET UNDER's fourth season begins with a rather groovy acid trip being enjoyed by youngster Bruno Baskerville Walsh and a girl named Sandy or Cindy over 30 years in the past. Having expanded his mind, Bruno plummets to his splattery end.

Nate (Peter Krause), having learned of wife Lisa's fate, got into a brawl in a bar at the end of last season, and seeks shelter with Brenda (Rachel Griffiths), who he instinctively knows is the only person to go to. Ruth (Frances Conroy) and George (James Cromwell) are newly wed, and the home on 22nd Street is too much for Nate to try to cope with. The need for animal comfort leads to a rather joyless coupling between Nate and Brenda, and Nate, ridden with guilt at first light, leaves Brenda alone.

Claire (Lauren Ambrose) and David (Michael C. Hall) are none too thrilled to be in the funeral home. For some reason beyond my comprehension, even after their dirt cheap wedding, Ruth and George choose to have their "honeymoon" at home!!! and the sounds of their wedded bliss filter in through windows and walls and leave the adult children traumatized. David seems eager to reconcile with Keith (Mathew St. Patrick), after their serious issues in Season 3.

Claire's abortion weighs heavily on her mind, even though she knows she made the right decision. Still, her lonliness and uncertainty in the face of all the recent events lead her to a conversation with ex-boyfriend Russell (Ben Foster). She tells him about the abortion, perhaps to punish him further for hurting her, perhaps to share her feelings and confirm that he has feelings himself. Russell is of course very emotional, and it's hard to tell what he feels the most, anger and betrayal or genuine sadness.

Rico (Freddy Rodriguez) and Vanessa (Justina Machado) are still at odds over her freeloading sister An-hell-i-ca (Melissa Masala), and things immediately seem to smooth out when Hell angrily agrees that she's stayed long enough. However, Rico seems to know that sooner or later, his episode with stripper Sophia/Infinity will catch up to him. He visits a priest and confesses.

Brenda offers support to Nate, but he doesn't feel comfortable with her at Lisa's funeral. With her own life to think about, Brenda begins a romantic relationship with her neighbor Joe (Justin Thereaux). He notes that she is distracted, and she tells him, "A friend of mine died."

Arthur (Rainn Wilson) is on hand of course, his character as dull and annoying as ever, as he realizes that his special friend Ruth has moved on with her new life. I really did like this character at the very first, when he was merely an eccentric young employee. His only great moments were in Season Three's THE TRAP. After that, he just didn't appeal to me anymore.

Lisa's folks arrive: her nervous wreck of a mother, her somewhat spineless father, her sister Barb and husband Hoyt, and their children, a set of twin boys, and the pretty but extremely creepy daughter Michaela, who reminds me of Mischa Barton playing a pallid victim of Munchausen's Syndrome in the film THE SIXTH SENSE.

Immediately, conflict arises. Lisa's family is ready to treat their loved one with the traditional cremation and interment at the family tomb in Idaho. Nate, recalling Lisa's green wishes not to be preserved or cut open or burnt up, tells them that she wanted simply to be buried somewhere, with no coffin or anything between her and the good earth. Lisa's mother (Veronica Cartwright) is appalled and visibly shaken as she conjurs up images of worms and bugs. It always amazes me that some people are so repulsed by natural occurence. Nate snaps at Mrs. Kimmell that Lisa was already devoured by shrimp and other oceanic creatures whose sole purpose is to clean up the debris of death. Uncooth, sure, but realistic.

Lisa's remains have indeed been ravaged by scavengers in the six weeks since her disappearance en route to Barb's house. Nate, determined to see Lisa's wishes come true, gives the Kimmells the old ashes of young Bruno Walsh, whose family obviously forgot he was sitting on the shelf for over 30 years.

Keith and David have a touching conversation about starting their relationship "anew". Since I love this couple probably more than any other couple in the show, I am always thrilled to see them together and trying for the best.

I also very much loved the conversation that David and Claire had in her room. "Thank you for listening to me whine about my cushy, alienated life." Sometimes this show puts forth such a cynical, anti-sentiment, matter-of-brutal-fact air, I get a special treat in moments of closeness, intimacy and tenderness. Again, I have to say, that for all their dysfunction and sometimes terrible bickering and fighting, the Fishers are an amazingly close-knit family, way more functional than many other families, especially the infamous Chenowiths.

Nate drives Lisa's awful remains out into a grassy wilderness, and buries them under a tree that has me wondering whether this is the trademark lonely tree in the opening credits. Krause's powerful performance is Emmy-worthy as he screams out the rage and guilt and still has plenty to spare as Season 4 will progress.

If I had anything to nitpick about it would be that several characters kept repeating a single line: "They found Lisa's body...she's dead." "They found Lisa's body...she's dead." "They found Lisa's body...she's dead."

In all a pretty decent start to Season 4. My grade would be A-.