In the Game (Six Feet Under)
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| "In the Game" | |
|---|---|
| Six Feet Under episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Rodrigo García |
| Written by | Alan Ball |
| Cinematography by | Alan Caso |
| Editing by | Michael Ruscio |
| Original release date | March 3, 2002 |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"In the Game" is the first episode of the second season of the American drama television series Six Feet Under. It is the fourteenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Alan Ball, and directed by Rodrigo García. It originally aired on HBO on March 3, 2002.
The series is set in Los Angeles, and depicts the lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home, along with their friends and lovers. It explores the conflicts that arise after the family's patriarch, Nathaniel, dies in a car accident. In the episode, Nate struggles with his new diagnosis, while David and Claire continue feeling challenges in their relationships.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 6.24 million household viewers and gained a Nielsen household rating of 4.0. The episode received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and writing. For the episode, Peter Krause received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 54th Primetime Emmy Awards.
A woman is stalked and brutally killed by a man who breaks into her house. This is shown to be part of a movie premiere, with the actress Rebecca Milford (Alexandra Holden) delighted with reactions. She goes to the bathroom, where she starts snorting cocaine. However, she suffers a fatal overdose and dies alone in her stall.
Rebecca's boyfriend, Brody Farrell (Shawn Hatosy), visits Fisher & Sons to arrange her funeral, as he knows Federico (Freddy Rodriguez) through his sister-in-law. Her real name was Becky Maxwell, and her celebrity friends will help cover costs of the funeral. David (Michael C. Hall) has tried dating, but has not found an ideal match, and he has also been diagnosed with gonorrhea. As she still recovers from the car crash, Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) has been feeling unsatisfied while having sex with Nate (Peter Krause), who has not told his family about his medical diagnosis.
Feeling discontent with his love life, David visits Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) at his church, finding him with Eddie. He later calls Keith to catch up, but Keith makes it clear he has moved on from him. Claire (Lauren Ambrose) and Gabe (Eric Balfour) continue dating, but Claire is worried that Gabe is ditching his future by skipping classes. To get close, Gabe decides to check Fisher & Sons, including the morgue. After attending Becky's funeral, they go to the theater to watch her horror movie.
Ruth (Frances Conroy) starts reading a book to understand gay culture, and invites Nikolai (Ed O'Ross) to dine with her family, leading to an awkward meeting when she talks about her sexual life. During this, Nate starts using aspirin, unaware that David replaced them for ecstasy, causing him to try to flirt with Brenda during dinner. Later, Nate finds himself conversing with Nathaniel (Richard Jenkins), as well as two entities representing Life and Death. Nate goes to the beach with Brenda, who has to leave after staying with him. David calls Nate and reveals he has passed the Funeral Director exam. As he stares at the ocean, Nathaniel appears and tells him, "You're in the game now, buddy boy, whether you like it or not."
Production
Development
The episode was written by series creator Alan Ball, and directed by Rodrigo García. This was Ball's fourth writing credit, and García's third directing credit.[1]