SIX FEET UNDER: THE TRAP (TV)
Summary
One in this series about the Fisher clan, a loving -- if dysfunctional -- family struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy in the face of the stressful day-to-day operations of the eccentric family business, a funeral home in Los Angeles. In this episode, a couple on a hike finds the skeletal remains of Will Jaffe, dead since 1975. During class, Russell invites Claire to be his date to a wedding, though Olivier interrupts and asks Claire to be his assistant, which thrills her. Will's widow attempts to plan his funeral, explaining that she has long believed that he abandoned her due to their shaky marriage. Rico tells Nate and David that they should take on an apprentice to replace Claire, pointing out that they will gain "free labor" in doing so, though Ruth is unsure about allowing a stranger to live in the house. At chorus rehearsal, Dennis tells David to "relax" about his solo, and while out for drinks, David's fellow singers agree that his performance is somewhat "prissy." Terry then mentions his and David's random sexual encounter from several years earlier, though David nervously denies that it happened. At home, Lisa reads through some of Nate's "problem purchases" on their credit card, and he is upset when she states that she does not intend to return to work for some time.
David seems relieved when Keith tells him that he cannot attend his upcoming concert, and Keith complains that his life feels "meaningless" because of his frustrating job. Rico hires Arthur Martin, an eccentric but courteous mortician-in-training, and Nate feels guilty when he considers another frivolous purchase. Claire discovers that she is really serving as Olivier's chauffeur, as he recently lost his license, but he ends up confiding in her about a lost love as they drive together and tells her that she is "doomed" if she focuses on a relationship instead of on her art. Nate is disturbed when Will's adult son, who never knew his father, stops by the home, and Ruth organizes a tidy meal schedule so that she and Arthur can dine separately. Nate is shocked when Brenda suddenly returns and formally makes amends for cheating on him, and they share a drink as he tells her about his life with Lisa and Maya, admitting that he experiences "prison moments" in between the happy times. Keith is called to a would-be crime scene and is treated rudely by the policemen, and he meets an equally-disgruntled fellow security guard, Dion. The two of them relax in one of the rich tenants' vacant homes, but when Dion eagerly suggests damaging the home as revenge, Keith gets too violent in his attempt to stop him, prompting Dion to guess that he was once a cop himself.
Lisa is angered to hear about Nate's afternoon with Brenda, feeling that he should have told her ahead of time, though he objects to "asking permission." David performs his solo at the concert and then admits to Terry that he remembers their hookup after all, explaining that he was having a hard time dealing with his sexuality at the time. Lisa finds more evidence of Nate's irresponsible behavior, and Ruth is saddened when Bettina prepares to leave town to help her troubled daughter, and the two briefly spy on oddball Arthur together. Will's friends eulogize him at his funeral, though Will tells Nate that his death was the best thing for everyone, as he and his wife would have damaged their son with their unhappy marriage as Nate and Lisa will do with Maya. He observes that Nate feels trapped and often wishes to flee, though Nate angrily denies it. Affected by Olivier's words, Claire tells Russell that they should not date after all, to which he hastily agrees. Ruth decides to spend time with Arthur after all, and they are both strangely affected when a mouse is caught in a trap in the kitchen. Keith tells David that he is ready to "make a move" and find a new job, and Nate briefly entertains a fantasy of hitting the open road with Will before returning home to his wife and child.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: March 30, 2003 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:54:59
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:77113
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Comedy; Families; LGBT Collection
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2001-2005
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Robert Greenblatt … Executive Producer
- David Janollari … Executive Producer
- Alan Poul … Executive Producer
- Alan Ball … Executive Producer, Created by
- Bruce Eric Kaplan … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Jill Soloway … Supervising Producer
- Scott Buck … Supervising Producer
- Rick Cleveland … Supervising Producer
- Robert Del Valle … Producer
- Kate Robin … Producer
- Lori Jo Nemhauser … Co-Producer
- Michael Carroll … Associate Producer
- Jeremy Podeswa … Director
- Richard Marvin … Music by
- Thomas Newman … Theme Music by
- Peter Krause … Cast, Nate Fisher
- Michael C. Hall … Cast, David Fisher
- Frances Conroy … Cast, Ruth Fisher
- Lauren Ambrose … Cast, Claire Fisher
- Freddy Rodriguez … Cast, Federico Diaz
- Mathew St. Patrick … Cast, Keith Charles
- Rachel Griffiths … Cast, Brenda Chenowith
- Lili Taylor … Cast, Lisa Kimmel Fisher
- Ben Foster … Cast, Russell Corwin
- Kathy Bates … Cast, Bettina
- Rainn Wilson … Cast, Arthur Martin
- Peter Macdissi … Cast, Olivier Castro-Staal
- Josh Radnor … Cast, Will Jaffe
- Silas Weir Mitchell … Cast, Dion Corelli
- Matt Winston … Cast, Terry
- David Hornsby … Cast, Patrick
- Jason Graae … Cast, Dennis
- Terri Hanauer … Cast, Diane Buckner
- Dennis Cockrum … Cast, Chris Buckner
- Christina Cabot … Cast, Hiking Woman
- Ben Weber … Cast, Hiking Man
- Michael Hagerty … Cast, Tom Jaffe
- Nick Toth … Cast, Will's Eulogizer
- Anastasia Basil … Cast, Record Store Cashier
- Bill Doyle … Cast, Policeman
- Baron Rogers … Cast, The Waiter
- Ron Roggé … Cast, Smog Check Technician
- The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles … Cast, Themselves