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Alright, let’s be real—when HBO’s best shows come up in conversation, Six Feet Under rarely gets a mention, because people almost always toss around the usual suspects: The Sopranos, The Wire, Game of Thrones, Succession, and more recently, The Last of Us. All brilliant in their own right—no argument there.
But hiding quietly in HBO’s early 2000s catalog is Six Feet Under—a series that somehow slipped under the radar for a lot of folks. This show doesn’t throw big battles or epic plot twists at you. Instead, it takes something we all try to avoid—death—and stares it right in the face.
Six Feet Under is about the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in LA, and the way they deal with grief, love, loss, and all the weird, wonderful, painful moments in between. It's dark, for sure—but it's also funny, tender, and real in a way that most shows wouldn’t dare attempt.
So if you’ve never seen it, or forgot how brilliant it was—here are 7 episodes that prove it’s not just underrated, it’s unforgettable!
The 7 most unforgettable episodes of Six Feet Under
1) “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)
"Welcome to the family business... also—your dad’s dead." This opener doesn’t just set the tone—it drags you straight into the deep end. Nathaniel Fisher Sr., the father and funeral director, dies in a car crash on Christmas Eve—while driving the hearse, because of course he is.
Suddenly, his son Nate is pulled back into the world he ran from, while his brother David tries to keep things together with white-knuckled intensity. Ruth, the mom, starts emotionally unraveling, and Claire (the teen) deals with grief the way only teenagers can—by getting high and breaking stuff.
It’s dark, awkward, funny, and beautifully uncomfortable. The pilot of Six Feet Under doesn’t ease you in—it grabs you by the collar and says, “We’re all going to die. Now let’s talk about it!”
2) “The Room” (Season 1, Episode 6)
One dead clown... and zero emotional stability—this episode opens with a literal clown dying at a birthday party. But instead of playing it for shock value, Six Feet Under uses the absurdity to peel back something raw in each of the characters.
David is deep in denial about his s*xuality and spiraling in silence. Nate’s starting to realize he might be wasting his life. Ruth tries dating again—awkwardly—and Claire keeps finding herself drawn to people who are as lost as she is.
It’s weird, reflective, and oddly moving. Who knew a dead clown could set off this much soul-searching?
3) “In Place of Anger” (Season 2, Episode 8)
Ruth Fisher joins a self-help group—and chaos gently ensues. This is the episode where Ruth, finally sick of bottling everything up, signs up for a personal growth program called The Plan. Think group therapy, but with more hugging and slightly more awkwardness.
She doesn’t quite fit in—at all—but watching her try is the most endearing thing. Meanwhile, David and Keith are navigating rocky relationship waters, Nate’s falling into deeper confusion with Brenda, and Claire is... well, Claire-ing.
What makes this episode of Six Feet Under land is its honesty—it doesn’t make fun of people trying to improve themselves, it just shows how hard it is to change when you're not even sure who you are yet.
4) “I’m Sorry, I’m Lost” (Season 3, Episode 13)
The weight of mortality gets real in this one—Nate’s living with the looming fear that his brain condition—Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)—might kill him. It’s not a dramatic breakdown kind of fear—it’s the quiet, creeping kind that gnaws at you over time.
He has visions of his dead father, but these aren’t warm-and-fuzzy ghost chats. They’re cryptic, unsettling, and a little too honest. David, meanwhile, is pushing his own anxieties aside, and Brenda’s trying to hold things together while falling apart herself.
It’s the kind of episode where not much happens on paper, but emotionally... it hits hard. The tension is internal, and that’s what makes it powerful.
5) “That’s My Dog” (Season 4, Episode 5)
If anxiety were an episode of TV... this would be it. David stops to help a stranger on the road, and you expect him to get back home safe in a few scenes. But nope—the guy turns out to be unhinged, and what follows is a slow, terrifying descent into a hostage situation.
There are no side plots, no relief—just one man’s horrifying night, played out in real time. It’s raw and unsettling—not because of what’s shown, but because of how helpless you feel watching it.
This is the Six Feet Under episode that sticks, and long after the show ends, this one will still haunt you a little... maybe even more than a little.
6) “Untitled” (Season 4, Episode 12)
Grief gets messy and abstract in this one, because this episode of Six Feet Under feels like walking through someone’s mental breakdown. Brenda is treating a young artist who’s projecting all his trauma into chaotic installations. Meanwhile, everyone else is unraveling in their own unique way.
Nate is still reeling after Lisa’s death, Claire is drifting, and Ruth starts doubting the man she thought she could build a future with.
The whole episode has a surreal vibe—cuts come at odd moments, characters zone out, and conversations derail. But it’s not random; it mirrors how grief actually feels: disjointed, disorienting, and a little bit surreal.
7) “Everyone’s Waiting” (Season 5, Episode 12)
Talk about the perfect ending, because let’s not beat around the bush: this is one of the greatest series finales in TV history—period.
Instead of leaving viewers with open-ended questions, Six Feet Under flashes forward and gives you the ultimate closure—showing how each major character eventually dies. You watch them age, fall in love, struggle, find peace, and ultimately, pass on.
The last few minutes, set to Sia’s Breathe Me, are pure emotional devastation—in the best way possible. It’s not sad for the sake of it—it’s honest, and it’s beautiful. If you’re not crying by the end, double-check that you’re not secretly a robot.
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Conclusion
Six Feet Under didn’t shout for attention—it just quietly delivered some of the most powerful storytelling TV’s ever seen. These episodes show how fear, love, and loss shape who we are. So if you’ve missed this one, now’s the perfect time to dig it up.
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