In the fifth season opener, we meet a woman, somewhere perhaps in her 30s, attractive with an average build, talking to her therapist. We find that she is downtrodden, like many of us secretly are. She suffers in silence while her best friend, sister, father and boyfriend complain, compete, love her conditionally and take her for granted. Wow. I so identify with her. But now I'm afraid to take that bold step and make myself heard. Ironically, as soon as this gal opens up, on the advice of her shrink, she is killed for her trouble.
It is now somewhere in late 2004. Nate, at the closer of season four, came home to Brenda, having witnessed the terrible confessions and subsequent suicide of his brother in law Hoyt, and resolved to put this whole horrid chapter in his life behind him. His marriage to Lisa was miserable, but she's gone. It's over now. She's dead and Nate no longer has to worry about appeasing her, much less wonder where she went when she disappeared. Somehow, Lisa's family are not going forward with charges against him for burying Lisa in the desert and deceiving them, but it could be that they are too busy reeling from the fact that Hoyt killed Lisa and then himself. I'm glad the whole thing is over. Too many soap suds.
Now, perhaps just a few short weeks, maybe even a few months, after the suicide, Nate and Brenda are busily preparing for their marriage, and we find out fairly quickly that Brenda is in the family way. For some reason, Brenda decides to watch the video of Nate's first wedding. I have no clue why Brenda would want to see this, but she claims it's because she wants to be sure her wedding isn't a copycat of Lisa's. Please. Brenda could wear the exact same dress and serve the same cake and it wouldn't be like this travesty playing before her. Even on the first day of their union, you can see how idiotic Lisa's family members are, and how UNhappy Nate is. And who picked those atrocious bridesmaids' gowns. Did someone drug Claire to get her to wear hers???!!!
While the happy couple plan and prepare, we get a look at what Ruth's been dealing with for a while. At the tail end of S4, George had been displaying strange, paranoid behaviors. After he moved into the bomb shelter and grew a long white beard, Ruth had had enough, and had him taken away by the little men in their white coats. Aggressive drug therapy proved useless in his case, so he underwent electroconvulsive therapy. Now, he seems much, much better and is ready to go home, the doctor says. Ruth seems to crumple and is overwhelmed with fear, along with many other emotions that we're going to feast our eyes on in the next episodes.
Claire and Billy have finally become a twosome after all the speculations and arguements for and against it in preceding seasons. Claire is basking in her success after the showcase of her photography/sculpture art, and Billy is functioning very well it seems, teaching at LACArts, taking his medication as ordered. In spite of that, of course, Nate doesn't like the idea of Claire and Billy, and as usual, Claire could give a shit.
However, her mother's disapproval is a bit harder to ignore, and Claire has all but moved out of the Fisher home. When Billy invites her to just go ahead and move in with him officially, it triggers even more strife between Ruth and her daughter. Yet it appears that not even Claire can avoid scary daydream scenarios, the idea that inside of the calm, even Billy, there always lurks the tempestuous jagged Billy. She loves him, but with her body language in that one scene, it's clear she's not unafraid of him.
Rico and Vanessa are split up, but remaining civil for the kids' sake. Having learned a harsh lesson from Infinity/Sophia, Rico is now going to match.com to find a new companion. In truth, he misses his wife, but Vanessa seems much happier with the idea of being on her own. The truth is a bit of a sting when she says she believes Rico DOESN'T like being alone. He meets a cute girl and ends up taking her to Nate's wedding as his date.
David and Keith have been through so many hoops and over so many hurdles together...coming to terms with being gay and coming out, breaking up, making up, trying on parenthood with Keith's niece Taylor, dealing with Keith's bigoted father, couples' therapy, sexual experimentation, occasional promiscuity and cheating on each other, terrible battles and soul searching, Keith's anger issues and career path, the harrowing ordeal Dave went through with the guy he helped on the road, and Dave's aggravated assault on some film guy in a restaurant. Now, it seems like all the ruffles are smoothed, all the storm clouds are gone and the sun is shining. Keith has taken a job as the personal bodyguard of the same man David beat up and makes decent buckage. David is still coping with everything he's been through and continues to be haunted by what happened last season. Now, he and Keith have decided that their love has survived beyond a reasonable doubt, and it's time to have children.
As the wedding of Nate and Brenda approaches, Ruth reluctantly takes her husband, who is plagued with long term and short term memory loss, home to the house where they knew too little happiness and too much pain. Now Ruth is definitely sorry she married George before she really knew him, but like many have said, you can be married to someone 40 years and not know who they really are sometimes.
Claire, Billy, David, and Keith have dinner with the soon to be marrieds, and while Claire deals with Nate's ongoing dislike of Billy, David and Keith differ on whether to adopt a child in need, or use a surrogate so that they can have a child that is theirs biologically.
The night before the event, Brenda discovers that she's miscarrying the baby. Stubbornly, she refuses to cancel the wedding. She and Nate have a miserable time trying to cope AND get ready for their huge day. Margaret tries to be a comfort to her daughter, but you know her. I think she really does try, but the woman is a different cut of material. She can't help herself. David stresses the importance of "grieving" this lost child, but Nate insists that the best thing for Brenda is to get pregant again, right away. Of course you see, Nate is screwed up in his reasons for "wanting" this second child.
The wedding is beautiful, with the nicest vows I've ever heard recited. In spite of "my dead baby leaking out of me", Brenda's dress is perfect. Nate is handsome and even with the sadness in the air, looks a sight happier than he did during his first nupitals.
The sadness seems contagious. In fact, Ruth, who you'd think be filled with joy at her son's wedding, has a scowl on her face. Claire is snapping pictures happily, but she notices Billy looking melancholy, and wonders, even after he insists that he is nothing but happy for his sister. Not to long after, George spills a little wine on himself and Claire takes a picture of it, trying to be like Billy, capturing people in moments of life instead of posed portraits. Ruth is furious and slaps Claire upside the head. This woman needs some Ativan really bad. She's consumed by anger, at Claire and mostly at George. She needs to calm down.
Meanwhile, Brenda feels those old demons rising up in her. Guilt, regret, anger. She'll never change the way her parents did her when she was young, but she can't escape all the guilt over what she did to cope. Now she believes that her past has caught up with her, that she's being punished, even though she doesn't believe in God at all. Of course, her old enemy, Lisa, shows up and taunts our bride, telling her she won't ever have kids, that she's a slut-bag who is reaping the whirlwind after all that anonymous cock. Brenda does her best to face down the ghost, but it's a paltry victory, and she clings to what little comfort her new husband gives to her.
David tells Keith that he feels like he's been selfish about the surrogate option, and Keith tells David he too feels that he's been selfish. They decide that they'll take their kids whatever way they are given them.
As Nate and Brenda dance, Nate sees a seagull? helping itself to his wedding cake. We will see that birdlife will have some significance as the season progresses. The symbolic raven needs no explanation, but what of this white gull? What does it foretell?
I am happy to say that Season Five is Six Feet Under back to its roots. The opening episode is wonderful, and gets an A. As the season moves, I've seen the return to good structure in the storylines. The writing is vastly improved and the show has reclaimed its bleak sense of humor, as well as its peerless human poignancy.
SIX FEET UNDER