Six Feet Under 4.03 - Parallel Play (1 Viewer)

[Robert Ringwald]

New episode tonight everyone. Sadly, I'm going to miss it tonight, I'll have to catch a re-run, or my family will possibly tape it for me.

I'm enjoying where this season is going.

From what I gather, next Sunday isn't a new episode... it's a repeat of the first 3 of this season...

 

[Matthew_S]

What can i say...I've love SFU since day 1. This season hasn't grabbed me that much yet. Nate's storyline is totally not resonating with me. And what was up with that shot of the bed in a wilderness of white snow? Huh? And the "Rico Religious Dream"??? I don't know, like i said i love this show but i'm starting to fret that it's losing it's luster...i sure hope not. The fire at the end also didn't really hit me much. Seemed totally ridiculous. Yet Radiohead's "Lucky" at the end was perfect. Nice to hear them on the show. Always thought they were a good fit for SFU....

 

[Patrick Sun]

I dunno, I'm not feeling it this season. It's gotten to the point that I fold laundry while this show is on.

Rico has to the be the biggest schmuck on TV these days.

Nate Nate Nate, a booty call during "parallel play" isn't the way to go. Pretty soon his daughter won't have any place to play if he keeps up the MILF patrol.

Brenda's gonna be cracking the whip soon...

Arthur, we hardly knew ya!

Keith's foray into celebrity big-headed-ness continues.

David's gonna be working some serious OT.

Claire's going to scratch that bi-curious itch soon.

 

[JonZ]

You cant just pile crap up in ur driveway and light it on fire.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I guess you can in south California...

 

[MarcS]

I found myself switching channels during this episode. They've totally lost the quality from season one that made it compelling. No whimsy, no quirkiness.

For as interesting as the characters are so far, they might as well all be six feet under...unless, Claire and Mena's character "get together"........

 

[Derek Miner]

Patrick, perhaps I didn't take your comment as you intended, but "MILF patrol" says to me Nate was out with ulterior motives. My view is that Nate was honestly out looking for a better way of life for himself and Maya, but he fell into a trap that he is used to, and suddenly the shoe is on the other foot. Nate was usually the one out looking for cheap thrills, but now instead of him taking off on his "partner," he is the one being rejected.

Rethinking some of the episodes so far, I am struck that they might have deeper connections as the season goes on. As I reflect, it resonates more with me, although I do think the show has a different feel than in the past. Finding out the title of the episode was "Parallel Play" was interesting, since the concept applies to how the adults are interacting, not just the toddlers.

With some of the characters, at least, the season seems shaping up to deal with crises of faith. Nate has decided there is no God, and he is finding problems in his life that he never noticed before. Rico has not wavered from his faith, but I think he has taken on something out of guilt and convinced himself that it's missionary in nature. And I'm sure something major will come of the Ruth/George storyline soon. They were married way too fast, and their relationship is not healthy. I think Arthur was innocent, and George has something dark that is going to traumatize Ruth.

In any sense, the major storylines are in motion and the clumsily symbolic fire at the end of this week's show leads me to think twists are coming in the next new episode. It's the end of the first act - time to put everyone up a tree.

 

[Matthew_S]

MarcS...that's exactly how i feel. I couldn't quite come up with the word but lack of whimsy is perfect. It seems to have been sucked out of the show so far. There was a little of it last year, i thought. Here's to hoping the show will come around!

 

[Patrick Sun]

I harken back to episode 4x02 to Nate seeing Nate Sr. nodding to the hottie mom in the park, and Nate smiling back bashfully, but you know it's in the back of his mind.

Nate was just surprised that he was being treated like man-meat by the woman he just slept with, and then he felt confused and cold from this treatment (thus his dream of being stuck in an icy place). The tables got turned on Nate, who was more on the prowl for his next hook-up in the past. Hopefully Nate will be more careful in who he hooks up with if he wants his daughter to have places to play.

 

[Shawn C]

What a boring episode. I guess you need a boring episode every now and then. I think the worst part of this series is the Claire storyline. The whole artsy-fartsy-look-at-me-I'm-an-idiot storyline is just so contrived.

 

[Matt Stone]

I'm with Derek on this one. I'm liking the beginning of this season better than the early episodes of last season. I just hope Arthur isn't gone for good.

 

[Marc Fedderman]

For the first time in 3+ seasons, I find myself tempted to change the channel (or at least distracted to boredom) every time Rico and his "friend" appear on screen. I was going to refer to her as his concubine, but as far as I can tell, their's is an asexual relationship (with one glaring exception). Derek's suggestion that Rico has some sort of missionary complex makes sense, especially in light of the heady religious symbolism in the dream scene. Still, I find the whole storyline banal and uninteresting; two words I never anticipated using in referring to Six Feet Under . Does anyone find the Rico affair compelling, or even bearable?

I like the Nate and Claire story lines. Both characters are at crossroads in their respective lives. In the wake (pun intended ) of Lisa's demise, Nate is experiencing crises of both faith (he's lost it)and sensual love (he's looking to recapture it with?). Claire seems to be questioning her sexuality. These are big themes, and I'm interested to see how they play out.

In a show filled with creepy neurotics, George is, by far, the creepiest of the bunch. I agree with Derek, George has got a whole graveyard's worth in his closet.

 

[Patrick Sun]

"Humdrum" is the word I used to describe the season so far.

 

[Scott Van Dyke]

My wife and I laughed our asses off at Rico: "I'd like to know what the fuck is so funny." When he was working on the girl's mouth.

Something was just hilareous about that scene.

I am hating anything that has to do with Claire and her miserable friends and their miserable existence. Everyone seems so opressed and "goth". If this is a direct reflection of how 20 year-olds really view life, we're all fucked.



To true, to true.

 

[ScottH]

I completely disagree with the statements that the show has lost it's luster. The characters have become more complex, so there is indeed more scenes driven by emotion and dialog. I will say, however, that the whole Brenda/Neighbor storyline is uninteresting and seemingly pointless. And I also hope we haven't seen the last of Arthur!

 

[MarcS]

But...even if the characters are becoming more complex, without the uniqueness of the earlier seasons, it becomes just another soap opera--all about peoples' problems that happens to be set in a funeral home, which seems to be a backdrop no longer used much for additional impact or storyline development.

What sets this show apart any more? (compared to season one?)

There was an irreverence in season one heavily linked to the family business. It just seems uninspired so far...

I'd rather watch re-runs of Carnivale.

YMMV of course.......

 

[Derek Miner]

I think I misread something... so I took out my post...

 

[Jean D]

I agree. he comes off as a smart old man. But he's 3/4 bullshitter. and Arthur found out (since he memorized the damn encyclopedia's description of Formica) as far as the "gift crap" the 2nd time it came, George said he had enemies due to the oil industry to Claire. Way to hype up your life. In all seriousness, it probably came from his children probably pissed off at him for getting married.

Rico is a fool. That tramp doesnt need implants. You would know if you had leakage. and besides that, as far as I know they dont do Silicone implants on the first try unless its medically nessisary (i.e. like one side is really small and the other is normal). Otherwise you can opt to get silcone the second time around. Anyway, I used to think Rico was a smart guy. I mean, yeah his wife ignored him for 6 months and basically pushed him into annother girls arms. but damn, you know when your getting played.

Parrallel Play was one of those set-up episodes that sets the ball in motion. things will get interesting now. Nate moves into the house, Claire gets her own loft where she can experiment with feministic lesbians (boring plot btw)

Does anyone think that Claires new friend is gonna try to have sex with Nate? Perhaps Nate had a change of heart and will turn her away in favor for what he now misses.

I wonder if Arthur will try to find out Georges past and expose him to prove to Ruth that he couldnt send "poop" to anyone.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I looked over to my wife tonight and Proclaimed the SFU has jumped the Shark. Yes the magic is missing and really has been since the end of S2. I guess it had alot to the way they resolved S2 that left a bad taste in my mouth. It's not a total Jumping there's still alot I liked, like the inclusion of Arthur. But overall the series has lost the whimsey that it used to have and it feels like more of a conventional drama

 

[ScottH]

Ugh! Now there I'd have to strenuously disagree! Once was enough for me!