Six Feet Under was tops from beginning to end, despite a few (shallow) valleys in the later seasons. Alan Ball has a tendency to slip little profundities into his dialogue that get people nodding. Sure, it was contrived – when was the last time anything profound came out of a conversation you had with a coworker, a friend, a family member? But still, I nodded along with everyone else.
Near the end of the series (before that finale that is beyond superlatives), Claire talked about her relief when she left art school to be an office temp, the noble career of Donna Noble. Relief at the prospect of not having to create, not having the pressure to make something of value even when you know 90 percent of everything is crud (thank you Sturgeon). I am paraphrasing for Claire – or maybe I am projecting. I never thought about it before – fight the impulse, save yourself the frustration, and live a normal life. Do what smart people do in the morning and on weekends – and don’t spend your spare time staring at abysmal stories on a computer screen. Because it is a slog. With no guarantee that it will be meaningful to anyone.
