Six Feet Under - Complete Season 2  (2002)

Starring: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Rachel Griffiths, Freddy Rodriguez, Matthew St. Patrick, Lili Taylor, Richard Jenkins

Creator: Alan Ball

Rating: NR

Distributor: HBO Home Video

Release Date: July 6, 2004
Review posted: July 8, 2004

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

SYNOPSIS

When death is your business, what is your life? For Nate, David, Ruth and Claire, the world outside the Fisher & Sons Funeral Home continues to be at least as challenging-and far less predictable-as the one inside.

CRITIQUE

I didn't get into Six Feet Under until its second season premiere back in 2002, but I immediately began to like it a whole lot. Luckily I was able to catch up on the first season later on when HBO aired reruns so that season three would be all new. And, of course, the fourth season premiered just last month on June 13.

As far as drama, humor and entertainment goes, Six Feet Under is synonymous with all three of those terms. It's also so very well written, stories, dialogue, and relationships are just terrific. But most importantly it's about the great cast of characters. At the top is a dysfunctional family that finds it hard to express themselves whenever they're angry or sad. Each family member deals with situations in a different way, and it's also usually their way to find somebody outside of the family to talk to or find solace in, yet there are also times when things just implode and a character throws a tantrum. The supporting characters are really good, too, and their individual connections to the family members feel real and important. In short, Six Feet Under is as realistic a drama as you are ever likely to see.

There are so many things to this show that work I can't even begin to list them. Well, okay, there's the great writing. But the thing that stands out most, theatrically speaking, is the acting. The actors really inhabit their characters, and handle the material very well. Peter Krause is most amazing, and both Michael C. Hall and Frances Conroy are really great. So, you know, there you have it, basically, in a nutshell: Six Feet Under is a great show. Now go ahead and check it out for yourself if you haven't already, in which case what I'm saying now are things you would already know.

Disc One:
201 - In The Game - optional commentary with director Rodrigo Garcia
202 - Out, Out Brief Candle

Disc Two:
203 - The Plan
204 - Driving Mr. Mossback
205 - The Invisible Woman

Disc Three:
206 - In Place of Anger
207 - Back to the Garden - optional commentary with director Dan Attias
208 - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Disc Four:
209 - Someone Else's Eyes
210 - The Secret - optional commentary with producer/director Alan Poul
211 - The Liar and the Whore

Disc Five:
212 - I'll Take You - optional commentary with writer Jill Soloway
213 - The Last Time - optional commentary with creator/director Alan Ball

THE VIDEO

HBO presents Six Feet Under in 1.33:1 fullscreen format. Colors are bright and well-saturated, although the show's color palette is not all too vivid. Image quality is quite nice, sharpness and detail look good, and the print is mostly clean. Some images are a bit soft, but generally the lighting looks pretty good. Grain is minimal, and there are no issues with compression artifacts and edge enhancement. Overall, I find the presentation looks pretty good. Optional subtitles are English, French and Spanish.

THE AUDIO

HBO presents Six Feet Under in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. There are no disruptions or noises in the presentation. Surround sound is evident a few times in the score and during the natural sounds. Overall, it's a nice audio presentation. Also available are French and Spanish 2.0 stereo dub tracks.

THE EXTRAS

There are audio commentaries on episodes 1, 7, 10, 12, and 13. They're generally decent tracks with some good information here and there, such as background info on scenes, plot analysis, stories, etc. There's some silence in between the talking and the commentators sometimes watch the show, but that's alright, I think.

Anatomy of a Working Stiff: Life as a Dead Body (20:36) is a cool and informative behind-the-scenes look at the making of the... well, dead bodies on the show. The featurette covers the process of creating them, such as getting the actor into the studio to take head shots and apply the molding (it usually stays on for about fifteen minutes). The impression is then converted to a silicone version of the actor's head, and details of the wounds or brains are then painted on. There are interviews with creator Alan Ball, executive producer Alan Poul, director Jeremy Podeswa, MastersFX founder Todd Masters, three actors who played dead people, a mortician who acts as an advisor, etc. The featurette spoils some of the deaths so don't watch it until you have completed the second season. Overall, Anatomy is a good and informative extra.

Rounding out the extras is a Season One recap feature that's well-edited, Season Two previews and recaps for each episode, and a limited edition trading card, although I don't think it's anything special.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Six Feet Under is a great show. The second season is not as good as the first, some subplots are not that fascinating, but the season remains very good nevertheless and comes highly recommended. The DVD presentation is very nice with good video/audio and an informative behind-the-scenes featurette.

VERDICT: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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