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Six Feet Under Season 5 Episode 1

A Coat of White Primer

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 6/6/05

Andrea Kuhn
1963-2004

Ruth dreads George's return from the hospital in light of his recent diagnosis; Nate and Brenda prep for a big day, but an emergency makes them reconsider; David and Keith bring up alternative parenting options for discussion; Rico navigates new waters via internet dating; and Claire enjoys domestic bliss, but crosses a line with her camera, inciting an attack from Ruth.

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Fan Episode Reviews (7)

Season 5 premiere.

9.0

By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Oct 31, 2011

I'm approaching the fifth season of Six Feet Under with a heavy heart. For the last three months or so, this show has been the one constant thing in the middle of work and college related stuff, and as sad as it is at times, it's also uplifting at others. And it's not as if the third and fourth seasons were bad, but sometimes, the show would seem to create drama out of nothing to fit the story when the first two seasons seem to organically grow their drama. It never felt false... more as if the drama existed the whole time and the characters just needed the right circumstances for it to come out. However, Seasons three and four found Rico cheating on Vanessa with a stripper he met and then taking care of her and her daughter, Lisa dying and later discovering that she was killed by her sister's husband, who was actually somewhat having an affair with her (this plot was actually enjoyable.. it just felt like a way to get Nate and Brenda back together), Brenda dating a musician who she cheated on with Nate, Claire experimenting with the other sex and a dozen other plots that came and went. One of my favorite ones, a very subtle plot, was involving George Sibley. James Cromwell played him very well, and while I thought the show didn't give him a lot of to do at first, his character blossomed into something worth watching. He went from being an intelligent, semi-nerdy man to a paranoid, depressed husband who Ruth learns is suffering from a psychological disorder.

I apologize for the long rant but I haven't reviewed the show in awhile. I had strong feelings, both positive and negative, for the past two seasons, but after seeing the Season 5 premiere, I was sucked back in. It was a fantastic look into all of the characters and was a perfect progression of where all of the characters were at the end of last season.

The biggest change is that Nate and Brenda are engaged and pregnant. Nate still suffers from Lisa's death, but he's ready to move on and marry Brenda. Meanwhile, David and Keith are getting closer and closer to adopting a baby while Claire is dating Billy, Brenda's brother. She's also still heavily into doing her art and seems to be hesitant to move forward with Billy, fully expecting him to devolve into his old crazy self. Rico has started dating again and seems to be on okay terms with Vanessa.

Once again, the MVP for the premiere, for doing extremely subtle and heart-breaking work, is Claire and George. As it turns out, George has some sort of depressive psychosis that has lasted for years and years. He got hit hard in Season 4 and his psychosis was a slow progression, one of the first real plots that the show had that season. In the premiere, George returns from the hospital after having ECT and different medications. Ruth is hesitant to move forward with him, seeing him as a child and an invalid, and watching Ruth treat him like a baby even if he is healing. It's incredibly sad and I was never expecting the show to go in this direction for these characters.

There's other stuff going on in the episode, such as Brenda's eventual miscarriage and her near-breakdown after the marriage goes through... I could go on and on, but I won't. Let's just say that this was a fantastic start to Season 5.moreless
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Dead Lady, Dead Baby Andrea Kuhn 1963-2004 Written by Kate Robin Directed by Rodrigo Garcia

10

By DFisher2005, May 16, 2011

"I'm bitter... who's drunk and yelling at a dead woman?"--Lisa

Welcome back everybody! It has been 9 months since the last SFU and I'm glad it's back. After SFU ended it's fourth season on September 12, 2004, there has been so much activity and so many new and interesting things on the tube for the 2004-2005 season. ABC ressurected with a bang with smash hits, "Desperate Housewives" (my personal favorite with SFU) and "Lost". An amazing second season of "Deadwood". An excellent season of Carnivale which was then canned. Pope John Paul II passed on, Pope Benedict XVI elected. South Park entered it's 9th season. NO SOPRANOS till 2006. Carrie Underwood won Idol 2005, (Thank God) and the shocking announcement that Alan Ball will be ending SFU after it's upcoming 5th Season. Now that hit home hard.

Looking back in time to last year's shocking and amusing season finale, "Untitled", I never thought they would come back with an episode so well written, directed and shot. It was very refreshing.

I felt bad for the woman in the opening death, (Andrea). She was only doing what was being told of her by her therapist to make amends with the people close to her and then her boyfriend throws her into brass andirons. Tragic.

Nate is preparing for his wedding, David is pinning a flower on Nate's shirt as they prepare for his wedding. Claire then starts to interview family and friends on Nate's wedding. It all sounds as if this is Nate and Brenda's wedding until Barb and Carol come back into the picture. Turns out Brenda is watching a 2002 home video of Nate and "Lisa"'s wedding. Brenda is also pregnant and nauseous (she looks beautiful, might I add)

Also in "A Coat of White Primer"

-Nate and Brenda prepare for their wedding which is in 2 days. The evening before Brenda miscarries.

-Ruth is upset when George comes back home from the hospital.

-David and Keith discuss adoption/surrogacy.

-Claire drops out of college and moves in with Billy.

This episode truly shows that "Six Feet" is back and better then ever. I enjoyed every minute. Welcome back!moreless
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The final season begins the right way.

8.5

By PabloExobar, Jul 19, 2008

Very good episode. Loved the Ruth flashbacks that showed how George lost it. I felt really sorry for him: and his memory loss actually managed to give us some funnies in the present time.

Brenda lost her baby which was a good twist but I felt it wasn't exploited well enough. THe vision she had with Lisa was great though and I have to say I agree with Lisa.... lol. The conflict with Claire and Ruth was very good too. I just hope she won't dump George because there are certain difficulties with him, that would be out of character.

Nate and Brenda got married. Yay? Brenda didn't look so good, Rachel Griffiths has so many manly facial features, the makeup department shouldve tried hard for the wedding scenes.

Overall, good episode, nice premiere. Sets up the storylines for the final season very well.moreless
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An excellent start to the final season, new storylines seem promising. I'm looking forward to the next 11 episodes.

10

By stewie1423, Jun 23, 2008

I loved this episode, it had everything I love about the show. Humour, drama and realistic situations. It was great that it jumped six months in time, almost felt like a new beginning for the show. The characters had moved on from the finale, I was interested throughout to see how they were coping.

I felt even more sorry for Ruth here than I did in the previous episode 'Untitled'. It was so sad to watch her go through this, George being taken away was upsetting too. It was believable how she wanted him to not come back home, when he did it did become clear that he will need a lot of effort put into him. Her outburst was well done and showed her feelings.

Nate and Brenda being happy really satisfied me, I just kept thinking, this is what I've wanted to see. While the miscarriage was sad, I think it should have happened, give us some interesting storylines along the way. The wedding was very entertaining and I loved Brenda's conversation with the dead Lisa, very funny but was so needed. There great together, Nate and Brenda.

Claire and Billy seem happy but it seemed to imply that things may go downhill soon. Billy is a very interesting character and I think I'll enjoy seeing more of him, especially with Claire - who has changed from last season, when she was a bit, unlike herself sometimes. Claire's estrangement from Ruth was quite funny, Ruth slapping her was classic.

David and Keith adopting will be so entertaining, I can't wait. I liked how David had to handle and get used to the surrogate idea, which he did, there going to adopt as well - big step. Rico and Vanessa being friendly was good and I liked them that way. Funny seeing Rico with the online dating, I'm interested to see if his girlfriend (Pam from The Office) will remain.

The dinner party was great as per usual with this show. Next week looks just as good, can't wait.moreless
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Review

8.8

By cavanagh15, Jan 09, 2007

A lot has happened since we have last seen the Fisher family, which is a lot to talk in for just a one hour premeire. Ruth is sturggling to try and invite George back into the house. He hardly knows what is going on and ruth is beginning to see that this may be a little harder then she may have first thought.

Rico seems to have finnaly begun to get over Vanessa, as the two has been seperated for quite a while now.

Nate + Brenda seemed to have everything going right for them, which is unheard of on Six Feet Under. However, by episodes end Brenda loses the baby, which is fine by me as I thought it was a good twist.

Claire was boring in this episode, which dropped it to an 8.8 for memoreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Justina Machado	Vanessa Diaz
Peter Krause	Nate Fisher
James Cromwell	George Sibley (episode 40+, recurring previously)
Mathew St. Patrick	Keith Charles
Frances Conroy	Ruth Fisher
Lauren Ambrose	Claire Fisher

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Jenna Fischer	Sharon	Guest Star
Veronica Cartwright	Peg Kimmel	Guest Star
Jeff Yagher	Hoyt	Guest Star
Steffani Brass	Michaela	Recurring Role
Brenna Tosh	Maya	Recurring Role
Bronwyn Tosh	Maya	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (4)
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- Brenda: You're just bitter because you had to get pregnant to get Nate to marry you.
  Lisa: I'm bitter? Who's drunk and yelling at a dead woman?
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- Lisa: Oh, please. Every time you try to have a nice normal life, you fuck it up. You're never gonna have your little Happily Ever After moment, no matter how many white veils you put on, honey. You're just too fucked up for all that. Maybe you should just accept that instead of trying to be something you're not.
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- Brenda: The only way I get to get married in a long white gown is to have my dead baby leaking out of me all day. That's me. That's what I get for my wedding.
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- David: They all say being gay helps you get chosen faster.
  Billy: In this backward country?
  David: The birth mothers have to look at thousands of pictures of straight white people.
  Keith: So we kind of pop out.
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NOTES (3)
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- First season opener to feature both Margaret and Olivier.
  
  Set six months after "Untitled".
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- First episode in the history of the show to be aired on a Monday instead of Sunday since its debut in 2001.
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- The second season premiere out of five not to be written by series creator, Alan Ball.
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