Six Feet Under (TV Series) Pilot (2001) User Reviews

Great

[juan_17 · 10/10 · 27 February 2009]

This episode, the first one of the series, is simply great. I began watching it a few days ago, and I think this is one of the greatest things there have been in television. The pilot episode doesn't get boring at any time, and keeps you awaiting for what happens in the next scene.

The characters are probably among the best I have seen in a television program. It reminds you of the film "American Beauty", also written by Alan Ball. The freak mother, with their sons: the runaway, the repressed one, the teenage girl. The initial situation (the death of the father), unleashes one situation after the other, told in an excellent way, and the inclusions of phony ads makes way for the laughs, although there are several moments that will make you laugh. The performances can't get better, neither the script.

Great.

Great start to the greatest series ever

[tv_is_my_parent · 10/10 · 17 January 2011]

The pilot episodes mostly normal and tells the show is about what and what we are going to watch.

But the pilot of Six Feet Under is totally changes that idea. First of all the scene where Ruth screams after finds out her husband's dead. I was shocked and said to myself this is not a normal show. And i was totally right the black comedy and the emotional funeral scene of Nathaniel Fisher was one of the most beautiful things i've seen on the show.

If you're planning to watch the show you're about to watch an amazing pilot episode, believe me. 10/10.

Pure

[BadNewsBen · 9/10 · 17 May 2010]

Simply put, this was one of the best Pilot's I've ever seen. Never has a show ever been able to put itself on track so quickly as "Six Feet Under" did here. A lot of credit goes to the performances which were simply brilliant. There were a lot of laughs, thrills and dramatic pieces set throughout which isn't something you often see episode 1 of a show.

The irony of death is what makes this first episode so fantastic. The family is brought together by the death of their father, who had previously run a family owned funeral home. So this in particular episode revolves around death, within a death. The script was rarely shoddy, and often quick witted which is why I easily can give it 9*.

Amazing start

[Red_Identity · 3 November 2013]

This Pilot episode pretty much has it all. It has a clear inciting incident that will serve to be the drive for the series, and that is, the death of the father. This serves to bring up all of these characters in full view and all have their own, distinct characteristics. In particular, Frances Conroy and Michael C Hall stand out as the best in this episode. I've known about this show for quite some time, but I can't believe I took so long to give it a try. I can't wait to see how the series develops from here, and can't wait to see what its described by many as the "greatest series finale ever made". I'm excited, this is definitely recommended.

Best Pilot Ever

[hugocaetano · 10/10 · 25 April 2020]

I thought no show could start better than "Lost" or "Breaking Bad". But I was wrong. First of all we are given these little funny commercial ads that are hilarious. The theme and the concept of this show wouldn't be easy to take in, since death is not something we are used to. But somehow, the episode makes a funeral funny. Of course there's so much more to it, but making someone laugh about death is something that really surprised me.

Apart from that, the characters gripped me to the show. I had never been so interested in TV characters this way with just an hour of television. Therefore, I was immediately addicted, and Six Feet Under would become my first TV priority for a long time...

"we put the 'fun' back in funeral!"

[framptonhollis · 9/10 · 5 September 2017]

I haven't really watched many T.V. shows and the ones that I have watched have been anthologies, sketch comedies, sitcoms, or just really short, but after loving both series of "Twin Peaks" and now having nothing left to watch after the season three finale, I decided to finally begin exploring the acclaimed dramedy "Six Feet Under", which has been one my watchlist for quite some time.

The series was created by Alan Ball, who also wrote the screenplay for "American Beauty", which continues to be one of my all time favorite films, no matter how many times I see it. Based on the first episode alone, this series seems to have quite a few similarities with "American Beauty" including a powerful examination of themes of life, love, loneliness, death, secrets, etc., as well as a brilliantly black sense of humor and the occasional satirical wink. Also like "American Beauty", many scenes in this pilot episode are simultaneously sad and funny, which is something I am always impressed heavily by whenever it is done right, and I think that it is pulled off even better and more noticeably here than it is in "Beauty".

It's a very engaging watch for the first time viewer. Right away, we are faced with a hectic situation and are introduced to the cast of complicated and dysfunctional characters in a way that really entertained me while also being genuinely and heavily emotional throughout. I both laughed out loud and cried over the course of this over sixty hour long show's first hour, which is quite impressive and has me hyped for more!

A superb pilot episode that strikes a fine balance between drama and comedy, both of which revolve around the subject matter of death and mortality

[SLionsCricketreviews · 10/10 · 26 January 2018]

Before I go any further, I must state two things. One, I have never before seen 'Six Feet Under' so the task of reviewing a pilot to a show that I have never been exposed to is difficult for me. And secondly, I have given this episode a distinguished star rating that I very rarely give to movies or TV shows/episodes and for this episode, a pilot, to earn it must say something about how much of an immediate impression the series has made with this one episode.

The opening credits is the viewer's first glimpse into this series and right here, I was glued to this show. The hypnotic, mildly dark and gloomy score combined with the elegant, stylized cinematography that invites the viewer into the world of the show completely spoke to me. By the end of the opening credits, I was invested into the series before a moment of 'actual' footage began. There's only one other pilot to a show that accomplished a similar feat for me personally and that was 'Twin Peaks'.

To combine such contrasting tones of humour and drama around the sensitive and deeply personal subject matter of death is a risky endeavour to put it simply and the end result could have very easily been a disaster. But because of realistic characters at the forefront as well as a restrained use of black comedy within the script, Alan Ball has created a wholesome work.

All the characters introduced here are simply fantastic and I mean no hyperbole. Among all, my favourites were Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall as brothers Nate and David Fischer respectively. There's immediately such high tension between the two characters that I cannot wait to see play out during the show and both Krause and Hall are simply magnificent here. I hope the quality level of their performances do not drop because they translate such wonderful humanity to the characters from script to screen.

The cinematography deserves another mention outside of simply the opening credits. This is a beautifully shot episode, superbly framed (many great uses of high angle shots and tight framing) and beautifully lit (whether it's having the camera bask in the warmth of the daylight or immersing the camera into gloomy scenarios) and the direction is equally fantastic. The cinematography serves the direction and the direction does a stellar job of bringing the material to life.

I absolutely adore this pilot episode. It's one I was hoping to enjoy but for it to have made such a high immediate impression was not something I was necessarily expecting. The world that is created here by Alan Ball is one that I find totally immersive once this first hour ends and the pacing within the hour is perfect. It's an episode that hits the nail on the head for both the drama and the comedy, an uneasy task and in doing so, creates such a uniquely engaging world. The characters all feel so sincere, credit to excellent writing and wonderfully honest lead performances. I cannot sing praises enough for this episode and am curious how it holds up in the context of 'Six Feet Under' as a whole.

Cannot recommend highly enough.

Flawless

[cuddlesatusc · 9/10 · 19 November 2021]

Without a doubt one of the best pilots I have ever seen. The hour makes you laugh and also reflect on the dilemmas of each character. I am hooked from the beginning, I really have to commend the writing and acting. In terms of visuals, many of the scenes arise through rich compositions, which I am sure will be improved upon over next episodes. I'm just so surprised that this is a great pilot.

Old school TV: Amazing pilot.

[JustHavingALook · 8/10 · 25 September 2023]

This is how they used to make TV series. Solid. Well written. Tight. Entertaining and meaningful.

Yes, it took me a while to watch it (20 years?) but what a ride!

The classic "inciting incident" is a precise crash that send the father of 3 to a better life.

Who's gonna take care of the family business? I.e. A funeral home?

How we start to understand the different traits of the family members (wife, old brother, middle brother, younger sister) is so smooth and well put together, that I found myself laughing and crying at the same time.

This is a masterclass in brewing conflicts (hard work vs creativity, humanity vs business, virtues vs vices etc), setting expectations, presenting secondary characters and locations. Love it. There are several people who take the spotlight here and there and the pacing is just right.

The touch with the deceased father appearing here and there to give his family a hard time is gold. The tv commercials about a funeral home products are fairly dated and cheesy, and they dont work that well as transitions between scenes, but anyway.

A death in the family

[Seras11123 · 8/10 · 2 March 2021]

Remnants of the Fischer family try and fail to piece themselves together for the holidays after a death in the family. Via Hyperlink Cinema fashion our characters all collide into each others lives with less than mixed results. Just love seeing well defined characters from word go and there's no hesitancy in its dark comedy/drama lambasting of "inhuman" grieving. Six Feet Under lasts an hour but the brakes never falter as there's a persistent need of movement. Our dysfunctional four (Claire, Nate, Dave, Ruth) are in coping mode and we're privy to see how it progresses. Lows are unwelcome glimpses of 2000's overacting, and the clunky fake ad fillers but otherwise a mighty fine pilot.

Very Solid Pilot

[Vanilladietcoke · 9/10 · 23 March 2023]

I've seen a lot of TV Shows that deal with death at this point, and this series is definitely something else when it comes to addressing the intensity of loss and despair. I mean, growing up in funeral business is kind of traumatizing, and there were many absurd scenes in this episode that I wouldn't even imagine, but occurred anyways (and seemed logical in the situation. I'm referring to when the Dad gives the kid gloves to touch dead bodies or different ways the family grieves someone dying despite dealing with death constantly. Big highlights include the funny ads, the amazing song accompanied with the ending scene, and the spectacular acting between damn near everyone. Definitely not 10/10 material, but an amazing start to a show that really hooked me in and has me excited for what is to come.

Where are the roles for these actors

[stlgem · 10/10 · 19 July 2023]

It's 2023 and I'm rewatching the show for the first time. This is the first series ever where I saw the preview and said & understood that THIS is the show for me. GOT was the 2nd.

As I rewatch episode 1, I see and vividly remember the actors Mathew St. Patrick and Dina Spybey-Waters. They did such justice to their roles (Spybey-Waters with a much smaller role) yet so memorable. Why have they not been cast in even more notable parts since then. Once this strike is over, I hope & pray that things turn more in their favor.

I say this because for me to have such memorable sentiments towards them both nearly 20 years later speaks volumes to their portrayals on screen. I looks forward to seeing their future works.

Pilot

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 16 May 2020]

Created by Alan Ball who won an Oscar for his screenplay for American Beauty.

Ball also directs the pilot. It is more of the same with a touch of David Lynch surrealism. Those glamorous adverts for morticians products.

It is a dark comical drama of a middle class dysfunctional family. Nathaniel Fisher runs a family funeral home who dies in a car crash while lighting a cigarette.

He was on his way to the airport to pick up his son Nate who fled the family business. Nate was busy making out with Brenda who he just met.

Uptight David was stuck with helping out with the funeral home which took him away from his dreams. Their sister Claire was high on meths when she heard the bad news. Mother Ruth confesses to cheating on her husband on the day of the funeral.

It is a family in the grief management business that looks like it is about to fall apart by their father's sudden demise.

David so believes in the appearance of calm in the funerals they carry out, he expects the same at his own father's funeral. He wants no display of emotions. He even keeps his boyfriend at arm's length when he shows up, afraid that people might find out about his sexuality.

Six Foot Under is another show which I doubt would had been made if American television was not revolutionised in 1990 by Twin Peaks. The standout character in the first episode is repressed David, you just feel that he is so wound up that he is going to unravel in future episodes.

One of the best pilots.

[jaegersteven · 10/10 · 17 September 2021]

Wow this pilot is one of the best pilots I have ever seen, it keeps you interested and you wanna watch the other episodes .

Maybe the best pilot I have ever seen

[garrettkelley-91059 · 10/10 · 21 June 2021]

I have watched a whole lot of pilots. This is absolutely one of the best. The car crash at the beginning, the familial dynamics, just absolutely phenomenal. Endlessly rewatchable.

Strong Pilot

[internaldeathstar · 10/10 · 8 August 2022]

There are many shows that I love that have good enough starts to continue, but Six Feet Under may have the strongest pilot I've ever seen for a TV show next to Mr. Robot.

A perfect episode

[Zachaban · 10/10 · 19 February 2015]

This would have been an absolutely excellent movie. Sure, the characters are amazing and it's great to see them develop over the following seasons, but the pilot has absolutely everything.

A perfect, warts-and-all, emotional portrayal of a death and how it's affecting the immediate family members, all of whom have something in their life they are trying to hide. In spite of that, the characters are 100% believable, unlike some other series where character problems seem forced or far-fetched and are thus less relatable.

Great script, great acting. 'Six Feet Under' is a good, not a great series as far as I'm concerned. As far as single episodes go, however, this is probably one of the best ever produced.

I'm gonna be one of those losers who ends up in his death bed saying: "Where'd my life go"?

[taikutsu-61174 · 10/10 · 12 February 2024]

The Pilot of the series plunged me into a world where death becomes the starting point for contemplating life. Nathaniel Fisher's initial moments of death not only shock but also inspire profound reflections on the fragility of life. Each character is vividly portrayed, and their individual stories weave the fabric of family relationships, creating a captivating emotional landscape. The shock effect here is not just for dramatic purposes; rather, it sets the tone for a series boldly exploring existential questions that permeate our human existence. This episode not only establishes the tone for the series but also prompts contemplation on the meaning of existence and the importance of connections with loved ones.