When it comes to opening scenes, few shows make as much of an impact as HBO’s Six Feet Under. Featuring a death in every episode, they range from the downright tragic to the strangest of circumstances. And running a funeral home for a living, the Fisher family have certainly seen their fair share of passings. However, it’s these ends of lives that allow them to reflect on their own existence, and for five seasons, the Fishers have had plenty to reflect on.
Six Feet Under is a stark reminder that death doesn’t always wait for the right time. Starting with the most affecting of all, the patriarch of the family, we look back at nine of the most heart-wrenching deaths throughout the seasons.
RELATED: ‘Six Feet Under’ Follow-Up in the Works at HBO
Nathaniel Fisher Sr. - Season 1, Episode 1
Setting the show’s theme of death in motion is the most prominent passing of the series – Nathaniel Fisher Sr. (Richard Jenkins). The patriarch of the family is taken out by a bus whilst driving the family business hearse on Christmas Eve. In the moments preceding the accident, we see him on the phone with his wife, Ruth (Frances Conroy), who is quarreling with him about his smoking habit. Telling him it’ll result in cancer, leading to a “slow and horrible death” only brings about the irony of life. In the next second, we see him lighting his last cigarette, unaware of the approaching bus that ultimately leads to his instant death. From then on, the Fisher family’s world is altered completely.
Anthony Finelli - Season 1, Episode 9
A gun, a child, and no supervision is clearly a recipe for tragedy. And this is exactly what befalls the Finelli family after seven-year-old Anthony (Jake Gridley) finds a gun under his mother’s bed and accidentally fires it. Switching from him finding the gun to his older brother, Gabe (Eric Balfour), getting high in the next room to the sound of a gunshot makes the scene all the more traumatic. We witness Gabe break down at the sight of his unresponsive little brother, the tragic aftermath of telling him to play in his mom’s room. This episode also serves as a turning point for Gabe and the youngest Fisher sibling, Claire’s (Lauren Ambrose), relationship. After messing her around, trying to keep his cool appearance at school, Gabe now seeks solace in Claire’s affection.
Jonathan Arthur Hanley - Season 1, Episode 10
We all know the type. That person who talks non-stop, seemingly oblivious to what others are thinking. However, we don’t all know the type who shuts them up for good. As Jonathan Arthur Hanley (John Billingsley) is deep into yet another story that never seems to end, we see his wife cooking his breakfast behind him in silence. But this time, she refuses to wait for his punchline. She takes the frying pan and delivers a fatal blow to her husband’s head and simply sits down to eat breakfast. Questioned as to why she did it, her only response was that “he was boring.” This episode sees the Fishers begin to take stock of their own relationships, terrified by the fate of the Hanleys.
Marcus Foster Jr. - Season 1, Episode 12
Beaten to death after what should have been a blissful night at the movies with his partner, the homophobic killing of Marcus Foster Jr. (Brian Poth) was not only impactful as the death of a young man, but it was also an all too familiar reminder that society still has a long way to go when it comes to acceptance. When news of this death reaches the Fishers, it becomes an important catalyst for closeted David (Michael C. Hall), who struggles with accepting his own sexuality. This is the episode we see him come out to his mother, Ruth, and become just that bit prouder of who he is.
Emily Previn - Season 2, Episode 5
There is something truly effective about watching someone die doing one of the most prominent actions for survival – eating. This is Emily Previn’s (Christine Estabrook) fate as she sits down to a microwaveable meal and a crossword, only to end up choking to death. And as she led a solitary life, her body is not discovered until a week later. This chilling thought sets the tone of the episode which explores that elusive word - "intimacy." With Ruth relating to Emily’s feeling of invisibility, she puts together a dignified send-off for her, picking out her outfit and getting the Fisher family to attend. We also see the eldest son, Nate (Peter Krause), questioning his own inability to truly connect to others. This episode peels back even more layers to the Fishers.
Jeanette Louise Bradford - Season 3, Episode 10
What should have been a joyous family picnic turns tragic when 75-year-old Jeanette Louise Bradford (Ann Weldon) suffers a fatal bee sting. This scene serves as an important reminder of how fragile life really is. Being the great aunt of David’s boyfriend, Keith (Mathew St. Patrick), they both go to San Diego for the funeral. However, it seems that it takes a death to force some important family truths to the surface. Keith decides the time has finally come to confront his father for the abuse he inflicted on him and his sister during their childhood.
Daniel Grant Showalter - Season 3, Episode 2
Daniel Grant Showalter (Matt Ross), a disgruntled former employee of a telemarketing company comes back for revenge. He guns down three workers before turning the gun on himself in what is one of the most violent openings in the series. But when the body of the shooter arrives at Fisher & Sons Funeral Home, it leads to a moral dilemma, and tension between business partners, Rico (Freddy Rodriguez) and David, who have differing views about taking him in. This one shines a light on the unsettling fragility of people’s mental health and the frightening consequences of what that can result in.
Lawrence Tuttle - Season 4, Episode 9
Avid comic book collector Lawrence Tuttle (Michael Cornacchia) dies aged just 35, after being crushed by a bookshelf as he struggles to reach for one of his prized possessions. Unwilling to part with this rare comic even to pay his rent, it is carried with him in death. As it lies in the coffin with him, this life cut short serves as a terrifying warning that death often creeps up in the most unexpected ways.
Paul Ronald Duncan - Season 5, Episode 11
Opening to a shot of a car donning a bumper sticker, which reads “support our troops,” we then see a woman sobbing uncontrollably inside. The reason for this, we soon find out, is that she is about to supply her Iraqi war veteran brother with the injection that will end his life. After a quick check that her brother is sure, she hands it over to him. This is a sobering look at the devastation inflicted by war. Triple amputee, Paul Ronald Duncan (Billy Lush), sits alone in a dark hospital room and pulls out the needle. With one pierce into the heart, we watch a man, who has been plagued by the atrocities of war, slip into the peace he was craving.
