Most fans of the series Six Feet Under, which ended just shy of 15 years ago, will agree that the series went out with a bang. It had arguably one of the best closing seasons of all time, with a grand finale which got fans talking and speculating - the result most directors dream of as they close off a well-thought-out TV series.
Still, the show closed with some big questions hanging in the air. Here are just 10 of the most common questions fans of the show were left with after the series ended.
What happened to Lisa?
The fate of Nate’s ex Lisa is never fully explained to viewers. Fans are made to believe she has died, but how and when? In the narrative, Lisa disappeared after a short road trip, leaving Nate in huge distress.
Her remains were eventually washed up on the shore of a beach close by to where she was last seen. Or so says the narrators (we still can’t decide if we have been told the whole story). The question remains: How did she drown? Why did writers leave this pertinent detail out?
Creative Decisions
Some fans might have lingering questions around certain creative choices, such as the offensiveness of certain characters and some casting decisions. One such character is Ruth. Director Alan Ball explained his decision for the casting and wardrobe of Ruth, saying how he had screened many actresses, over 50 years of age, for the character.
He said when Frances Conroy came in she was "wearing weird little socks and sandals and a gardening hat." He thought to himself, who was this kooky person? Despite her eccentricities, Ball knew straight away that he had found his Ruth. The writers even incorporated the garden hat and weird sandals into her wardrobe for the show.
Why so much focus on death?
Director Alan Ball was so challenged by the death of his sister, he wanted to vent and put all of his feelings into something he considered meaningful. The result? Six Feet Under. Ball was inspired to write the series as a direct result of losing his sister and the questions he had as a result of her untimely death.
The death of a loved one impacts everyone differently. For Ball, his sister's passing led to him wrestling with the meaning of death and its implications, as expressed through the popular series.
Progressively confusing storylines
Some fans have criticized the series' writers for the storylines progressively getting more and more complicated. To give an example, one episode in the later seasons has a man being mercilessly murdered after his home is robbed.
This appears to be for no reason and writers don't explain anything further to viewers, who learn nothing more about the situation. In earlier seasons, writers went into greater detail and reached greater depths in their explanations so that the full scenario around the deaths were understood.
Why Los Angeles?
All of the show's action is set in Los Angeles, California, but is there any reason behind this choice? Viewers must have pondered this question long after the series came to a close since Los Angeles seems so full of life and like the least suitable place for all the death and trauma in the series to occur.
The showrunners have stated that the Los Angeles area was handpicked for the series. This is because, as series creator Alan Ball explained, Los Angeles is the world capital of the denial of death.
The title says it all
In the episode "Untitled," scriptwriters deliberately left questions answered. The storyline is one that is controversial and in many ways, over the top. It begins with someone being cut in half by an elevator and sees Nate dealing with some serious issues, especially concerning Lisa's death and subsequently having to watch Lisa's brother-in-law kill himself.
Everything in the episode seems out of place, except for the realistic reaction to Vanessa and Rico's disintegrating marriage. While Nate tries to find answers, it suggests that there isn't a reason for everything - storylines being unresolved is part of life's narrative.
Craziness ahoy!
Viewers will undoubtedly be left with many, many questions concerning Brenda's odd behavior and decisions throughout the show. The creators have given some insight into her peculiar personality and the decisions she made throughout the series which left everyone wondering - how, why, and what?
Apparently, the character of Brenda was molded around someone with Borderline Personality Disorder. This personality disorder is characterized by fluctuating mood, self-image issues, and potentially erratic behavior. Considering this disorder, questions around Brenda's puzzling disposition are amazingly resolved.
Maggie in the waiting room
The finale of the series doesn't make it quite clear why Maggie is in the waiting room. There have been speculations that she might have been pregnant at the time. In this concluding sequence of the narrative, she is in the waiting room when Ruth calls to find out about Nate.
Due to Maggie working as a pharmaceutical representative, it is likely that Maggie was in the waiting room for work purposes, however, this hasn't stopped fans from speculating.
Nate's love life
Viewers will agree - Nate has an intriguing love life. Still, the question remains, would Nate and Maggie have made it had he not passed on in the third to last episode of the series? Fans were left wondering what might have been after the series’ grand finale.
The general consensus on Nate and Maggie seems to be that they wouldn't have made it, since, in Brenda's words, Nate was always out looking for the next best thing. Also, Maggie's darker side would have eventually destroyed their blissful union. Looks like viewers will never know.
A finale worth writing home about
Most comments about the show are focused on the curious finale. Six Feet Under's conclusion has been described as "brilliant." Still, there have been questions as to why this brilliant but still controversial finale ended the way it did.
What happened was that directors were seeking to create the grand finale to end all grand finales, therefore, since death had taken center stage from the show's beginning, someone suggested killing all the characters. The show's director, Alan Ball, believed this was the best way to go and the rest you could say, was history.