July 18, 2005

This post is for "Six Feet Under" fans only.

With five episodes left to go in this, the last, season of "Six Feet Under," it's time to get serious about predicting deaths. I hate to say it, Durrell, but I think you're doomed. In the newest episode, you played an elm tree in the school "biodiversity" play, with some lines about Dutch Elm Disease killing off elms that are planted together. So unless you run away from home, you're high on the list of most likely to die.

Even more likely to die is Brenda's fetus. First, Nate is going astray, attracted to Maggie, so he's going to need to be punished. He's pushing Brenda to get amniocentesis after a test came back bad, and she doesn't want the test because of the risk of miscarriage. Nates's very callous about expressing hostility about having to take care of a disabled child. Either Brenda will have the amniocentesis, which will cause a miscarriage of what will surely then turn out not to be a defective fetus. Or maybe Brenda will have some sort of terrible accident on the way to having the test, and the baby will be saved, and Nate -- with Maggie's help -- will turn altruistic and dedicate himself to taking care of Maya and the new baby. In this scenario, the baby will surely be seriously disabled.

Claire, I think, was flirting with her murderer last night. The creepy lawyer guy -- he's going to go "American Psycho" on her, right? If not, Ruth had better double lock the doors, as George is likely to show up to bang on them again in a big rage. But I think Ruth will survive. We need her around in the last frames of the show to look on with her inimitable pained expression.

Am I forgetting anything? Yes, something must tie up the Rico-Vanessa story. I think it would be hard to manipulate these characters into a position where either kills the other, but what else can happen? Maybe all the Fishers need to die so Rico can inherit the whole business, which would at least give him something substantial to do. But I don't believe David will die. I think David and Keith will be given a happy ending, as a family of three, with the good son Anthony. Again, Durrell, sorry. It's an omen I read in the tree.

6 comments:

I'm Full of Soup said...

Anne:
Do not read this unless you want to hear the latest ending. Is there a very significant time delay in Wisconsin?? Nate's wife had a miscarriage about 2-3 weeks ago according to my TV.

Ann Althouse said...

Al: Yes, and then she got pregnant again.

Ann Althouse said...

Grumpy: I'd forgotten all about Nate's illness. The subject hasn't been part of an episode in a long time. Maybe his current bad behavior will turn out to be caused by his illness.

Rick Lee said...

I've assumed that Claire was going to be killed by Billy (off his meds) in some sort of murder/suicide event. Perhaps Brenda too? Nate has that disease where his heart can just explode (or something). I totally missed the significance of that Dutch Elm Disease reference. [slapping forehead]

Did you see the last moments of the show during the Quaker service quiet time? It seemed that Nate heard God speaking to him (as alluded to earlier) and I assumed this meant he had come to terms with the possibility of a disabled child. Brenda bought a maternity top so apparently she is determinded to go forward with the pregnancy.

I had heard a rumor that ALL the major characters would die... but I don't believe it.

Ann Althouse said...

Grumpy: I guess we'll get an "American Graffiti" style summary at least.

Rick: The Dutch Elm thing only hit me as I was walking up Bascom Hill today, seeing how big the oaks were that have one by one replaced the elms that have succumbed. There are still quite a few elms left. I've felt bad about each elm that has gone in the 20 years I've spent overlooking the hill.

I realize my post doesn't have enough for Billy to do. I guess he's good for one more freakout cycle.

Shawn Anderson said...

After having ultra-Billy all season, it's weird for him to be a peripheral character again.

I'm sure Billy will see Claire and Ted together in the future... then Billy will (figuratively) cut off someone's tatoo.

I got the impression from the ending that Nate didn't hear God. But instead decided to pursue Maggie. He was still thinking about Brenda's order to "do what he wants to do for once." Perhaps he's confusing the two: thinking about what he wants to do, he sees Maggie smile as a Quaker and thinks he wants to try and be a Quaker (she's a Quaker, he's a Quaker, wouldn't you like to be a Quaker too.) To be closer to Maggie, of course.

It was a nice piece of silent and visual storytelling, with Brenda simultaneously making her choice at the same time, by buying the maternity blouse.

I think they both see their marriage as over, and now are just playing out their roles to that end.