While writing up my review for Grey's Anatomy this morning, and thinking about all the euphemisms I've heard for abortions on recent TV shows, I started wondering about the political fallout of having an abortion on TV. The characters never seem to say the word (it's almost like Lucy and her never-voiced "pregnancy"), it's "going to the clinic" or "the procedure" or "not keeping the baby" or "they say someone has to drive me home afterward..." Someone even commented that all women who have abortions on TV end up dying. Heck, they couldn't even do an abortion on Sex and the City, and that's on cable!

I found this piece on abortions on TV, which brought up some history (in the 70s and 80s, abortions happened frequently in adult dramas) talked about the "convenient miscarriage" plot device (there was one recently on Over There). Evidently, only one modern TV character has undergone an abortion without suffering any long-lasting psychological problems: Claire on Six Feet Under. So, do you think abortions are possible - without fallout - on modern primetime TV? Will Cristina have one? If she does, what will happen to her - and the show?

I haven't seen one minute of Six Feet Under, so I have no idea what the hell it means. But if you're a fan you do, and now you can get this cool shirt (on the right) and show that you're proud to be a fan of the show and you're sad to see it go.

[via USA Today's Hip Clicks]

On Tuesday, Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball did an interview with Terry Gross, host of NPR's Fresh Air.

During the interview (link to the audio archive launch page below this post) Ball mentions eight plot and character-destiny details that didn't come up during the course of the series - or even in the final obits posted on the Six Feet Under website.

 

Have you read Everything Bad Is Good For You, the book by Steven Berlin Johnson that gives a persuasive argument that everything that the so-called experts say is bad for you - especially video games and television - is actually good for you? It's a great book, the kind that gets you thinking about things in a different way. I was on MSNBC earlier this year during TV Turnoff Week (debating a rep from TV Turnoff Week), and Johnson's book was brought up. I said that Johnson's theory about how the different structure of modern television can actually help people think in a better way was a fine argument for why TV can be a good thing.

Now at his site, Johnson has a nice little summary of what made Six Feet Under so good over the past five years. It's a must-read for SFU fans. 

If you've watched last night's series-ending episode of Six Feet Under, you'll already know that the story line did not end with Claire Fisher driving to New York in pursuit of an art career. But even if you did watch the last ten minutes of "Everyone's Waiting" to see how each character is to die, I'll bet you missed some details that were not available until today. Read on for the scoop.

Yes, it is over, as it was and is meant to be.

And what a worthy send off it was. Pure art, a thing of beauty.

The final episode of Six Feet Under started out with an arc of thwarted change...

OK everyone, take a deep breath and just relax--it's a TV show, not the end of world. OMG it's about to start!

Post your thoughts during and after the show in the comments below.

Some Six Feet Under links:
Photos of the house on Flickr, plus the SIXFEETUNDER tags: Flickr | Technorati | IceRocket

HBO.com is running a poll asking fans for their favorite episode of Six Feet Under. There are only five to choose from so if you don't see your favorite listed there, why don't you tell us what it was. Remember, we here at TVSquad are here to listen to you. 

[Via AdFreak]

With some sort of grand character-arc closure possible in next week's 75-minute series-ender, "Static" represented one final opportunity for Six Feet Under to episodically explore how Nate's death evokes even new dimensions of character angst among his grieving survivors.

To me, the beauty of "Static" hangs on two almost incaluably tense and stunning moments involving two of these survivors.

"All Alone" is far more an acting episode than a plot-driven story line.

That's because we already knew- or at least thought we knew - what was going to happen. Nate, who died last week in "Ecotone", would now be buried. And because grief was the understandably dominant emotion, the outpouring of grief required and indeed got, some great acting.

As most of you know, Nate's death was depicted at the conclusion of "Ecotone," last week's Six Feet Under episode. Scores of you have been commenting on this development, and wondering what it means for the remaining three episodes (you can see results of the last poll on Nate's fate here).

One thing is certain- or at least as certain as certain can be in this quixotic show. Given that Six Feet Under is centered around a funeral home, the decision on how and where to bury Nate will surely be a major component of  SFU's concluding story arc.

There are many possibilities. We have some clues. You can cast your vote below.

If you haven't seen "Ecotone" yet, I won't spoil it for you. Not at least - to use a newspaper term for the top half of the front page - above the fold.

But if you have already seen "Ecotone," or even perhaps if you haven't, then you will want to read on.

At the end of Six Feet Under's most recent episode "Singing For Our Lives," Nate collapses and appears to be fighting for his own life.

Will Nate die?

We have some clues.

OK, now here's a doozy of a question for your moral compass.

When you are on the downside of a turbulent or failing marriage - but still married- is it ever OK to seek shelter in the arms of a seemingly gentle lover?

Theologians, family counselors, lawyers, bartenders and hair stylists would all have their answers to that most thorny of dilemmas-one that was played out not once, but twice on "Singing For Our Lives."

The concept of "The Silence" refers to the Quaker practice of mostly silent, meditative contemplation at meetings- rather than the verbal sermons and the singing of hymns at church services.  Peter Thomas Burns, who passed on at the start of this memorable episode, was a Quaker. My profound and very similar personal experience with this "silence" struck a deep chord with me, but that's for another conversation at another time and place.

But the overall concept of "silence" can be extended to at least one of this intricate episode's other plot lines.