There are a lot of layers to the groundbreaking HBO series Six Feet Under. Ultimately the show, created by Alan Ball, is about death, and this list explores some of the crazier ones from the series.
Throughout five seasons, nearly all of the 63 episodes begin with a random death that provides the backdrop to each show. Eventually, the body ends up at Fisher & Sons funeral home. The deaths occur in various and unexpected ways, and you are never quite sure how each person is going to meet their end. Here are the 10 Craziest Opening Death Scenes On Six Feet Under.
NATHANIEL SAMUEL FISHER (1943-2000)
The death of the Fisher family patriarch kicked off the entire series and sent shockwaves throughout his family. When Nathaniel Fisher was hit by a bus, the impact not only killed him, but it changed the lives of his loved ones.
His wife Ruth has to learn to be independent for the first time in 30 years. Eldest son Nate has to give up his nomadic lifestyle and assume new responsibilities. His closeted son David now runs a business he never really wanted and misfit child Claire has to navigate her awkward teen years while dealing with the loss of her father.
DANIEL GRANT SHOWALTER (1968-2003)
A disgruntled telemarketer goes on a shooting rampage at his workplace and kills four of his co-workers before shooting himself. The scene was one of the most violent sequences in the show’s history and felt all too real due to the various shootings frequently reported in the news.
Of the four dead office workers, the shooter winds up at Fisher & Sons. Bringing him into the funeral home causes tension between David and Rico due to their personal beliefs about working on a murderer.
JESSE RAY JOHNSTON (1944-2001)
It’s the Christmas season and Jesse landed a job as a mall Santa. As he rides his motorcycle to work, dressed as St. Nick, he takes his eyes off the road to wave at children. As he turns back he is hit by a pick-up truck in a scene that will most likely land the child witnesses in therapy someday.
Jesse’s family pulls out all the stops to honor him and puts on a wild Christmas funeral. At first, the festivities seem inappropriate to the Fishers, but it turns out to be just what they need as they approach the anniversary of Nathaniel’s death.
BRUNO BASKERVILLE WALSH (1951-1972)
Bruno and Cindy have made their way to the rooftop of an apartment complex shortly after dropping LSD. Bruno, thinking he can fly, leaps from the building as Cindy watches with wonder. Thinking Bruno is floating until she looks over the ledge and sees that he has fallen to his death.
The screen reveals Bruno’s date of death as 1972. The story eventually comes together in the present when Nate gives ashes to the parents of his deceased wife. It’s later revealed the ashes were Bruno’s unclaimed remains, which Nate passed off as his wife’s so he could give her the burial she requested while not going against her parents’ wishes for cremation.
ANAHID HOVANESSIAN (1951-2003)
Sometimes Six Feet Under would trick you during the opening death scene. Just when you thought someone was about to bite the dust, they would survive, and a different person would end up dead. These sequences often illustrated how random death can be. That was the case with the opening to the season three finale, “I’m sorry, I’m Lost”.
The scene begins with a father releasing a wounded pigeon that his daughter seemingly nursed back to health. As the bird flies away, we are introduced to a man on his way to an acting audition when the bird suddenly craps on his head. The man goes into a convenience store bathroom to clean up. Upon leaving, he complains to the store owner about a broken toilet. The store owner calls home to his wife, but as they are speaking, she is killed by a piece of blue ice that fell from an overhead plane.
MARCUS FOSTER JR. (1978-2001)
A gay couple out on date become of the victims of a hate crime after being attacked by a group of homophobic men. Before unleashing their violent assault, the lead bigot says to “read a bible.” One of the victims, Marcus, is beaten to death.
The attack weighs heavily on David, who is still trying to deal with his sexuality. While preparing Marcus for viewing, he imagines talking with him about his doubts and fears. Marcus, who appears to David with wounds still fresh from his attack, encourages him to be honest about who he is.
DILLON MICHAEL COOPER (2001-2001)
A mother and father have just put their newborn baby in his crib at bedtime. The scene is shot through the child’s point of view. The baby looks up at his doting parents as they walk off-screen. His focus shifts to his mobile above the crib as a lullaby plays softly. The screen slowly fades out, revealing the all too familiar title card informing the viewer that Dillion Michael Cooper, a three-week-old baby, has just died.
While the death was handled in the tenderest of ways that did not lessen the effect. The passing of young Dillon due to SIDS was just as impactful as any of the violent deaths we’ve seen on the show.
ANTHONY CHRISTOPHER FINELLI (1994-2001)
The younger brother of Claire’s ex-boyfriend Gabe dies after accidentally shooting himself with a handgun he found while snooping around. Thankfully the audience is spared from seeing the actual death. For viewers of Six Feet Under, sometimes what you don’t see is worse than what you do.
Instead, the scene is told through Gabe’s point of view, who hears the gunshot from the living room. As he rushes to the bedroom, Gabe screams in horror upon seeing the grizzly aftermath. Anthony’s death brings him back into Claire’s life, and she begins to see him in a new light upon seeing Gabe’s softer side.
THOMAS ALFREDO ROMANO (1944-2001)
The death of Thomas Alfredo Romano showed viewers that when it comes to meeting your end, Six Feet Under was not pulling any punches. Thomas was chopped to pieces when a giant dough mixing machine was accidentally turned on while he was cleaning the inside.
In an amusing chain of events, Claire steals Thomas’s foot from the funeral home. She places the body part in Gabe’s locker to get back at him for blabbing to his friends about their sex life.
KENNETH MCDONALD HENDERSON (1954-2004)
In a scene straight out of a gruesome horror movie, a man is split in half by an elevator while trying to pull a pregnant woman to safety. You can hear the screams, followed by some pretty gruesome crunching noises and finally the splattering of blood on the faces of those still in the elevator.
There have been more deaths than you can count in the award-winning series, but with the demise of Kenneth McDonald Henderson, the show proved there is absolutely no way of meeting one’s end they won’t explore.
