Diary of a Six Feet Under Virgin – Season Three begins and it’s a whole new show

(Season 3, Episodes 1-3)

While watching season 2 of Six Feet Under, I mentioned how it blended so well with the first season that they seemed like one entity. Having started season 3, I can safely say that the transition from season 2 was nowhere near as smooth. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing; in fact I’m really enjoying season 3 so far. It was just a bit of a shock to see the premiere, which fast forwarded slightly in time: Nate and Lisa (not Brenda) are now married and raising their daughter together after Nate’s successful surgery, Claire is in art school, Ruth is a doting grandmother, Rico is a partner at the funeral home, and David and Keith are in counseling. The best part so far is the near complete absence of Brenda (yay!). I have a feeling that’s not going to last, though.

“Perfect Circles”

What an amazing episode. Aside from being jerked around about whether or not Nate was actually dead, I really loved it. The whole surreal, parallel universe trip through the underworld (or was it just the anesthesia?) was really well done, and very cool. I liked how so many of scenes were mirrored in the rest of the episode, giving Nate a sense of deja vu.

The other thing that struck me about this episode was the title and how it played out in the episode. Claire had a homework assignment to practice drawing perfect circles, which she would have to demonstrate in class. I thought it was a great metaphor for all the toiling that we do in an effort to reach perfection in our lives when perfection is something that can never be attained. It seems to pertain to many of these characters; David and Keith are striving for perfection in their relationship, Nate is struggling to do the right thing for a “perfect” life with his daughter, and Ruth is trying (too hard) to be a perfect grandmother.

“You Never Know”

Guest stars galore! Through the first few episodes of the season, I’ve really been enjoying the additions of Catherine O’Hara and Kathy Bates to the show. O’Hara is perfect as the parody of a Hollywood personality and adds a great levity to the series. I hope that Bates will be sticking around as one of Sarah’s friends, as she and Ruth really seemed to hit it off and I think Ruth could use someone in her life.

I’m enjoying Claire and Phil together, but what is up with him not wanting to commit to being exclusive? That’s just not cool, not to mention unsanitary. I certainly hope that she respects herself enough not to put up with that. Maybe things will work out, though.

As much as I didn’t like Nate with Brenda, it’s clear that he and Lisa aren’t really perfect for each other. Brenda was many things, but she was not passive-aggressive.

“The Eye Inside”

I was happy to see Claire send Phil to the curb in this episode. As cute as they were together, and as much as he genuinely seemed to care about and “get” Claire, I think it was too much to ask to let him sleep around with other girls.

I also enjoyed seeing Ruth and Bettina hanging out with each other, which included some light shoplifting. I think Bettina is exactly the kind of friend that Ruth need to help loosen her up. I did think it was interesting that she was talking to Claire about her relationship with Bettina like it was a romantic thing. Foreshadowing, perhaps?

There was a brilliant moment at the end of the episode. When David and Keith were returning from their vacation together (where they genuinely seemed to rekindle their relationship), they hit traffic. It seemed like such a small thing, but they immediately fell back into the real world, and their relationship problems just bubbled right back up to the surface. It was a very real representation of that feeling of returning from a vacation.

In any case, I’m loving season 3 so far.

Clacked by Bob Degon
on May 28, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT