The Room (Six Feet Under)
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Episode 6
| "The Room" | |
|---|---|
| Six Feet Under episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Rodrigo García |
| Written by | Christian Taylor |
| Cinematography by | Alan Caso |
| Editing by | Michael Ruscio |
| Original release date | July 8, 2001 |
| Running time | 58 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Room" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American drama television series Six Feet Under. The episode was written by producer Christian Taylor, and directed by Rodrigo García. It originally aired on HBO on July 8, 2001.
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 discovers that his father had a secret room unbeknownst to the family, while David reluctantly goes on a date.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 5.29 million household viewers and gained a Nielsen household rating of 3.7. The episode received critical acclaim, who praised the performances, writing, and themes.
At his house, Mr. Jones (Bill Cobbs) wakes up. He tries to awake his wife, Mildred “Hattie” Jones, but realizes that she has died in her sleep.
Mr. Jones visits Fisher & Sons to arrange the funeral, and his attitude annoys David (Michael C. Hall) and Nate (Peter Krause). He also refuses to pay for the quota, which David reminds it is the bare minimum for the funeral. While checking the finances, Nate discovers some errors in his father's ledger. Investigating further, he finds that Nathaniel (Richard Jenkins) traded funeral services for favors, such as getting marijuana from a local businesswoman and renting a room above an Indian restaurant, leading Nate to ponder just how well he really knew his father. When he brings Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) and David to check it, they both tell him that there is nothing wrong with not knowing what his father was doing.
When Ruth (Frances Conroy) ignores him, Hiram (Ed Begley Jr.) asks David for help, but he refuses. Ruth experiences nostalgia when flowers remind her of her young children, and when she finds naked pictures of herself taken by Nathaniel. Later, David reluctantly goes on a date with Tracy, a woman who has a crush on him, but whose personality annoys him. The date ends badly when David finally concludes he feels lonely without Keith. He goes to a gay bar, where he pretends to care for a man. The man takes David to his house, and gives him oral sex.
Claire (Lauren Ambrose) meets Billy (Jeremy Sisto), immediately taking an interest in him, and he gets her introduced to photography. Brenda opposes to this, as she worries that this could end up badly for Claire. Claire later calls him up, but it becomes clear that Billy is not interested in anything serious. Brenda consoles Claire, smoking marijuana with her. That night, Ruth finally visits Hiram at his house, reconciling.
Production
Development
The episode was written by producer Christian Taylor, and directed by Rodrigo García. This was Taylor's first writing credit, and García's first directing credit.[1]