Six Feet Under: Perfect Circles

August 9, 2019 8:26 PM - Season 3, Episode 1

Nate has brain surgery, the surgery does not go smoothly, and his brain flashes through various possible outcomes for the surgery and his reality. Then, seven months post-surgery, he and Lisa settle into married life together and cope with Lisa's crazy boss, Ruth revels in being a grandmother, Rico flexes his business partner muscles, David and Keith try couples counselling, David tries out for a gay men's chorus, Claire is unenthused about art school, agrees to drive a body to the crematorium, and meets a musically inclined crematorium employee.

Strangely, there's an obituary for this episode:

Nathaniel Samuel Fisher Jr. (1965-2002)

Fisher, Nathaniel Samuel Jr, beloved son of Ruth Fisher and loving brother to David and Claire, passed away on January 8th, 2002. Nate is also survived by his daughter, Maya.

Nate was born on September 30, 1965 in Los Angeles. He graduated from Bonaventure High School in 1982. His love of hiking and travel took him to Europe, across the U.S. and eventually to Seattle, Washington, where he worked as an assistant manager at Nature's Prime Food Co-op for four years. In 2000, Nate returned to Los Angeles to help run Fisher & Sons Funeral Home, following the death of his father, Nathaniel Samuel, Sr.

Viewing is on June 19, 2002 at 2 p.m. at Fisher & Sons Funeral Home. Funeral to follow at Fairhaven Memorial Park.

posted by orange swan (4 comments total)

Nate's alternate reality visions were fun and even a little mind-bending. I particularly enjoyed Redneck Nate, and I got the definite feeling Peter Krause did too.

I am not buying that Nate would marry Lisa. I could see him moving in with her or something like that.

Lisa's "we've been together for eight years, on and off" was outright delusional, and her "no peanut butter before 2" rule is no longer medically recommended. This is one of the first of a few times during the run of this show that Ruth gets criticized unfairly for her care of her grandchildren.

Carol is one of those characters one loves to hate, and Lisa is never more sympathetic than when she's putting up with all her crap. Hey Lisa, I want you to cook dinner for 30 people tomorrow night, your husband can't park in the driveway, and I don't want your husband here at all or you baby, and don't look at me. It is nice to see Nate taking Lisa's side through it all.

Ruth tells Maya some of the things she's never been able to tell anyone, and Nate hears his birth was an accident. I don't know how this could be news to him. He surely must have known what his parents' wedding date was and would have done the math on that by the age of 37, and known full well that his mother would not have gotten pregnant out of wedlock in 1964/1965.

I seriously could never work with Rico, as talented and hard-working as he is, because I could not stand the entitlement or the bitching. He even acts pissy over Nate and David's arrangement of hiring Claire to drive a body to the morgue.

How does David not have any friends or any interests outside of work? That counsellor does really seem to be helping him and Keith, and it was good that he spotted that problem, and that David promptly did something about it.

I cringe for poor Keith having to spend his days toadying to rich assholes. The guy needs a new career plan.

Now, instead of griping about high school, Claire is griping about art school.
posted by orange swan at 12:49 PM on August 11, 2019

*your baby
*his mother would not have deliberately gotten pregnant out of wedlock in 1964/1965
posted by orange swan at 1:40 PM on August 11, 2019

Nate was very likable in this one, especially when he pretended he didn't hear Ruth telling Maya his origin story. (Indeed yes, he should already know the timing details of his conception.) It wasn't very hard for me to believe he would marry Maya's mother, just another example of him trying to do the right thing.

Regarding Carol, I'd be tempted to buy a rusting hulk just to park it in front of her house when I visited. I've never been good at putting up with people like her.

Yes, Claire is even playing hooky.

I missed Taylor. I was thinking how much David likes her and wanted her to be part of his relationship with Keith.
posted by kingless at 4:33 AM on August 13, 2019

Nate hears his birth was an accident. I don't know how this could be news to him. He surely must have known what his parents' wedding date was and would have done the math on that by the age of 37, and known full well that his mother would not have gotten pregnant out of wedlock in 1964/1965.

I note that Nate and I share the same birthday - and he might have worked out - as I did - that September 30th implies a New Years Eve conception.
posted by rongorongo at 10:20 AM on April 16, 2022