Six Feet Under: Complete HBO Season 5

See Larger Image	List Price: £49.99 Our Price: £17.98 Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Manufacturer: Warner Home Video Starring: Frances Conroy, Freddy Rodriguez, Lauren Ambrose, Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause Average Customer Rating:


Audience Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 7321900764629 Format: Box set Label: Warner Home Video Manufacturer: Warner Home Video Number Of Items: 5 Publisher: Warner Home Video Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2006-04-10 Studio: Warner Home Video
Related Items Six Feet Under: Complete HBO Season 4 Six Feet Under: Complete HBO Season 3 Six Feet Under : Complete HBO Season 1 The Wire: Complete HBO Season 3 Mad Men
Editorial Reviews: So much anticipation pools up around the concluding episode of this concluding season that you might be tempted to head straight for said finale, titled "Everyone's Waiting" (and it's so rich you'll find yourself drawn to repeated viewings). But if you can avoid that impulse, it's worth following the full build-up of one crisis after another to get the real payoff. On an episode-by-episode basis, Six Feet Under's fifth season has a decidedly uneven quality, shifting in tone far more drastically, say, than the intensely dark season 4. Character traits that have already been developed at length begin to seem annoyingly repetitious--Nate's (Peter Krause) self-centered frustration and furious lashings out, Billy's (Jeremy Sisto) resurgent psychosis--like leitmotifs run amuck. But this season also benefits from the knowledge we've developed, over the years, of the Fisher family and their loved ones, so that what they end up facing has a real emotional wallop, sometimes jump-starting the drama just where it seems to be in danger of churning itself into circles. It's hardly a spoiler to mention that 6fu's final season, though bookended by the promise of new beginnings (a wedding in episode 1 to a departure for new prospects in the 12th episode), centers around loss and a pivotal death. The scripts contain more than an occasional sense of inconsequential filler, while some of the recurring thematics seem forced (we see David continue to cope with the scars from his abduction in the previous episode via over-obvious imagery of facing his "inner demons"). Other issues receive especially compelling treatment, above all Brenda's (Rachel Griffiths) desire to have a child and David and Keith's (Mathew St. Patrick) choice to adopt. But the real strength of this season lies in several gripping performances. Ruth (Frances Conroy) touches off a complex series of reactions, simultaneously sympathetic and judgmental, transcending the tendency to appear as a neurotic caricature. The super-talented Lauren Ambrose brings off Claire's emerging self-awareness and maturity with moving touches (she's also got some of the funniest moments as she takes on a stint as a temp in scenes that call to mind the hysterics of The Office). Griffiths' Brenda for her part undergoes a parallel maturing process. And as George's daughter Maggie, Tina Holmes adds a welcome tone of contrast. 6fu, of course, has always been about the paradoxes of finality. But anyone who has developed an attachment to the show's unique tone and creative sensibility will have a tough time saying goodbye. Alan Ball outdoes himself with his script (and direction) for the finale, "Everyone's Waiting," seeding it with echoes from the pilot episode that will enchant aficionados. And the famous fast-forward visions coursing through Claire's imagination as she heads down the highway give the perfect seal to this set of characters. Extras include especially insightful commentaries, including Ball on the finale, retrospectives, and a mini-feature on 6fu's cultural impact. It's safe to say that the show leaves some pretty unforgettable impressions in its wake. --Thomas May
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: RIP Comment: As a person normally totally disillusioned and turned off by television programes, "Six Feet Under" was something out of the ordinary that revived some hope within me that commercial television could actually produce outstanding programs of real value if it wanted to. Accolades must go to HBO for that, as they've been responsible for some other gems apart from "Six Feet Under". The Sopranos comes immediately to mind. However, this review is of the final season of "Six Feet Under" when in the true spirit of the show all things came to an end. I remember watching "Six Feet Under" for the first time and it just captivated me with its sheer audacity, honesty and moments of quiet reflection. The program struck a resonance, potentially within us all, as to the frailty,imperfection, and finality of the human condition. The final season, after some wayward moments in season 3 and 4, brought a conclusiveness to the program that it needed. None of us wanted it to end but knew it had to. It would have been crass if it had continued on in some other form. Alan Ball is to be congratulated for his timing and insight with his bringing the series to an end. The last program has some truly moving moments in it. For instance, the scene where the Fisher family members remember Nate in their own way and toast his memory, with the closing drawing away camera shot of the family dining table and David's quiet, almost inaudible, "May he rest in peace" murmur. Customer Rating: Summary: Tears and Death Comment: I have memories of watching the last episode and shrinking into a ball of tears. But aferward everything was ok. Thats the beauty of nostalgia. However i'm sure i could have been living my own interesting life instead of watching this. Still giving it 5 starst though. Customer Rating: Summary: Very Disappointing... Comment: I felt relieved when this series ended because the whole thing had sadly descended into some kind of soap opera. Talk about trying to cram everything in: pick a subject, it's all in here! In the end it seemed like the writers were making up some of the stories as they went along - and then changing them, with the help of too many silly dream sequences. Don't get me wrong, at times it makes for enjoyable viewing but the sense of it being something really special is gone. The final episode is a litle ridiculous - and truly disappointing, but maybe it shouldn't be, this once great series had died long before then. Customer Rating: Summary: Wonderfully final Comment: If you've addictively followed 6 feet under as I have, but never seen this last series, I can't recommend it enough. As always, the characters are treated with enaging realism, the sometimes ruthless plot twists will not disappoint, and there is more than enough psychological anguish to go around, but the final episode transcends the series as a masterpiece. If you are tired of finale's that are repetitive, copouts, or that just don't seem to know what to do with themselves (a la Friends), this will be a breath of fresh air. Beautifully shot, fantastic writing, original and so wonderfully final - this will leave you utterly satisfied, if sorry to see the last of the Fisher family. Customer Rating: Summary: I feel very sad for anyone who will never see this series! Comment: Quite simply the most amazing season finale to The Best Series in the History of the Universe. Years after having finished it for the first time, I am ironically - for a show about death - still in mourning for its End. RIP The Fishers and Co - I miss you lots. More Reviews