Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot, 3 June 2001
Ball, Alan, Michael Cuesta, Joshua Marston, Jeremy Podeswa, Alan Poul, Adam Davidson, Mary Harrom, Matt Shakman, Daniel Attais, Rodrigo Garcia, and Dan Minahan. "Pilot." Six Feet Under. HBO. 3 June 2001. Television.
- A family in the funeral business is forced to face their dysfunctions when their husband and father dies. They have to handle this death in a professional matter all while handling their own individual grief. The common death care practices and rituals are questioned in this show and also by particular characters. A representation of their father follows all of them around and interacts with them; this aspect touches on the possibility of staying connected to the earth in the afterlife.
Ball, Alan, Michael Cuesta, Joshua Marston, Jeremy Podeswa, Alan Poul, Adam Davidson, Mary Harrom, Matt Shakman, Daniel Attais, Rodrigo Garcia, and Dan Minahan. "Pilot." Six Feet Under. HBO. 3 June 2001. Television.
- A family in the funeral business is forced to face their dysfunctions when their husband and father dies. They have to handle this death in a professional matter all while handling their own individual grief. The common death care practices and rituals are questioned in this show and also by particular characters. A representation of their father follows all of them around and interacts with them; this aspect touches on the possibility of staying connected to the earth in the afterlife.
Season 1, Episode 2: The Will,10 June 2001
Ball, Alan, Michael Cuesta, Joshua Marston, Jeremy Podeswa, Alan Poul, Adam Davidson, Mary Harrom, Matt Shakman, Daniel Attais, Rodrigo Garcia, and Dan Minahan. "The Will." Six Feet Under. HBO. 10 June 2001. Television.
- While still dealing with their grievances, the family is deciding what to do with their futures and the future of their funeral business. This stress is putting a strain on their relationships between loved ones and each other. They are offered to be bought out by a national cooperate funeral chain which represents how the funeral business is becoming more industrialized. Whether or not they agree to this deal, the cooperates plan to run them out of business which is always the case in highly industrialized fields.
- While still dealing with their grievances, the family is deciding what to do with their futures and the future of their funeral business. This stress is putting a strain on their relationships between loved ones and each other. They are offered to be bought out by a national cooperate funeral chain which represents how the funeral business is becoming more industrialized. Whether or not they agree to this deal, the cooperates plan to run them out of business which is always the case in highly industrialized fields.
Season 1, Episode 3: The Foot, 17 June 2001
Ball, Alan, Michael Cuesta, Joshua Marston, Jeremy Podeswa, Alan Poul, Adam Davidson, Mary Harrom, Matt Shakman, Daniel Attais, Rodrigo Garcia, and Dan Minahan. "The Foot." Six Feet Under. HBO. 17 June 2001. Television.
- Although Nate had spent his entire life trying to run away from the family funeral business, he realizes that it is his purpose in life and that he not willing to sell it. David on the other hand has spent his life working at the funeral home and is open to the new opportunities selling the business would offer. This episode shows that the death industry views the funeral business a pure steady profit. They cannot offer the same amount of empathy for the dead and the grieving.
Ball, Alan, Michael Cuesta, Joshua Marston, Jeremy Podeswa, Alan Poul, Adam Davidson, Mary Harrom, Matt Shakman, Daniel Attais, Rodrigo Garcia, and Dan Minahan. "The Foot." Six Feet Under. HBO. 17 June 2001. Television.
- Although Nate had spent his entire life trying to run away from the family funeral business, he realizes that it is his purpose in life and that he not willing to sell it. David on the other hand has spent his life working at the funeral home and is open to the new opportunities selling the business would offer. This episode shows that the death industry views the funeral business a pure steady profit. They cannot offer the same amount of empathy for the dead and the grieving.
Being born into the funeral business seems to be a common occurrence in this industry and often funeral homes a partially family legacies. The reason this show is so interesting is because it gives a relatable perspective of the families who are born into this business. Majority of the remaining family members are for selling their family business, which I think is because the more our culture separates us from the dead the more appealing it must be for them to do the same. But what puts them at odds is the symbolic family meaning behind it. It makes me question how many people in the death care field who were born into it actually want to stay in it?
This show also analyzes the cooperate take over in this "industry". The potential buyer of this family's funeral home is interpreted as a sleazy businessman counting up the dead like dollar bills. The show is definitely trying to vilify this growing industry of funeral chains. Although family businesses are still businesses, they show more concern for the family of the deceived than any cooperate worker will. What is scary about this portrayal is that the death care industry is growing in our country without any of our knowledge because we would rather not focus on the dead. I wonder how accurate the depiction of the death care industry representative is?
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