Everyone's Waiting
Encyclopedia
"Everyone's Waiting" is the 12th episode of the fifth season of the HBO television series
Six Feet Under, the series' 63rd episode overall and the series finale
. The episode was written and directed by Alan Ball
and originally aired in the United States on August 21, 2005. It was met with almost universal acclaim from both critics and viewers alike, often being cited as one of the finest finales for a television series ever.
After Brenda brings Maya back home, it sends Ruth into a depression. George tries to comfort her and promises he will help her get through it. Ruth is helped by a phone call to Maggie, after she tells her that Nate was happy the last night he was alive.
Claire gets back into photography with the help of Ted and later receives a phone call from a stock photography company in New York for a photographer's assistant position. She later finds out that Olivier recommended her for the position. After finding her mother crying, she says she will stay at home to help her, but Ruth insists that she move to New York, so she will not regret it later on. Ruth also unfreezes her trust fund set up by her father. Claire later finds out that the photo company consolidated its operation and her position is no longer available. When thinking of calling off her trip, Nate tells her she needs to go to start a new life in New York anyway.
Rico encourages David to sell the funeral home, but David refuses to sell, and instead he and Keith buy out Rico's 25% share. Rico and Vanessa begin to plan their future and find a small funeral home where they can start up their own business.
David agrees to temporarily leave home and returns to the funeral home with Ruth. During a nightmare, he is confronted by Nathaniel about considering leaving the business and for his sexuality; he is forced to fight his mysterious attacker back and finally sees his own face. David and Keith along with the boys move into the funeral home and redecorate it. Ruth moves in with her sister in Topanga.
The extended Fisher family has a farewell dinner for Claire where they reminisce of Nate telling stories and toasting Nate's memory. The next morning, Claire has a tearful goodbye with her family and drives off into her future.
The episode ends with flashforwards to some milestone events in the main characters' subsequent lives and, ultimately, their deaths; the montage (set to Sia Furler
's "Breathe Me") is intercut with views of Claire driving down the literal and figurative 'road of life', its literal incarnation becoming progressively less crowded, ultimately leaving her alone on the highway concurrently with the depiction of her eventual death.
In the flashforwards, Ruth is seen enjoying life in Topanga; David teaches Durrell about embalming; the extended Fisher family celebrate Willa's birthday; David and Keith get legally married. Ruth dies of old age in the hospital with David, Claire, and George at her side. She sees her deceased husband Nathaniel and son Nate before she passes away. At Ruth's funeral, Claire sees Ted; they later get married. Keith is shot and killed by robbers in his security vehicle. At a family function, David dies from a stroke
after seeing a vision of a young Keith smiling at him. While on a cruise with his wife, Rico has a heart attack and collapses. Brenda dies of old age in her home with her brother Billy. And finally, after living a full life, Claire dies of natural causes.
RUTH O'CONNOR FISHER
1946—2025
KEITH DWAYNE CHARLES
1968–2029
DAVID JAMES FISHER
1969–2044
HECTOR FEDERICO DIAZ
1974–2049
BRENDA CHENOWITH
1969–2051
CLAIRE SIMONE FISHER
1983–2085
nominations at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards
. Creator Alan Ball was nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series and Outstanding Directing in a Drama series; it was also nominated for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series and Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series. It won the award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special.
TV Guide
ranked the episode #22 on its list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time" and also named it one of the best TV moments of the decade. Entertainment Weekly
put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Wrapping up an acclaimed show is pretty much a no-win proposition (e.g., The Sopranos
). But Alan Ball's 2005 coda distilled all that we'd learned about life and death after five seasons with the Fishers."
In 2011, the finale was ranked #8 on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales.
which is played at the end of the pilot episode
.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Six Feet Under, the series' 63rd episode overall and the series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
. The episode was written and directed by Alan Ball
Alan Ball (screenwriter)
Alan E. Ball is an American writer, director, actor and producer for film, theatre and television.-Early life:Ball was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Frank and Mary Ball, an aircraft inspector and a homemaker...
and originally aired in the United States on August 21, 2005. It was met with almost universal acclaim from both critics and viewers alike, often being cited as one of the finest finales for a television series ever.
Plot
The episode begins like no other episode—without a death—but with the birth of Willa Fisher Chenowith. The baby is born prematurely and Brenda is plagued by visions of Nate who conveys her internal fears that the child will not survive and insists that he cannot accept it if she does make it and is that she is "damaged". Ruth stays by Brenda's side and comforts her and tells her Maya can now live with her. Brenda awakens to see Nate and Nathaniel holding Willa, where Nate shows his love for his daughter.After Brenda brings Maya back home, it sends Ruth into a depression. George tries to comfort her and promises he will help her get through it. Ruth is helped by a phone call to Maggie, after she tells her that Nate was happy the last night he was alive.
Claire gets back into photography with the help of Ted and later receives a phone call from a stock photography company in New York for a photographer's assistant position. She later finds out that Olivier recommended her for the position. After finding her mother crying, she says she will stay at home to help her, but Ruth insists that she move to New York, so she will not regret it later on. Ruth also unfreezes her trust fund set up by her father. Claire later finds out that the photo company consolidated its operation and her position is no longer available. When thinking of calling off her trip, Nate tells her she needs to go to start a new life in New York anyway.
Rico encourages David to sell the funeral home, but David refuses to sell, and instead he and Keith buy out Rico's 25% share. Rico and Vanessa begin to plan their future and find a small funeral home where they can start up their own business.
The extended Fisher family has a farewell dinner for Claire where they reminisce of Nate telling stories and toasting Nate's memory. The next morning, Claire has a tearful goodbye with her family and drives off into her future.
The episode ends with flashforwards to some milestone events in the main characters' subsequent lives and, ultimately, their deaths; the montage (set to Sia Furler
Sia Furler
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler or simply Sia, is an Australian pop, downtempo, and jazz singer and songwriter. In 2000, her single, "Taken for Granted" was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. Her 2008 album, Some People Have Real Problems peaked in the top 30 on the Billboard 200...
's "Breathe Me") is intercut with views of Claire driving down the literal and figurative 'road of life', its literal incarnation becoming progressively less crowded, ultimately leaving her alone on the highway concurrently with the depiction of her eventual death.
In the flashforwards, Ruth is seen enjoying life in Topanga; David teaches Durrell about embalming; the extended Fisher family celebrate Willa's birthday; David and Keith get legally married. Ruth dies of old age in the hospital with David, Claire, and George at her side. She sees her deceased husband Nathaniel and son Nate before she passes away. At Ruth's funeral, Claire sees Ted; they later get married. Keith is shot and killed by robbers in his security vehicle. At a family function, David dies from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
after seeing a vision of a young Keith smiling at him. While on a cruise with his wife, Rico has a heart attack and collapses. Brenda dies of old age in her home with her brother Billy. And finally, after living a full life, Claire dies of natural causes.
RUTH O'CONNOR FISHER
1946—2025
KEITH DWAYNE CHARLES
1968–2029
DAVID JAMES FISHER
1969–2044
HECTOR FEDERICO DIAZ
1974–2049
BRENDA CHENOWITH
1969–2051
CLAIRE SIMONE FISHER
1983–2085
Reception
The episode received five Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards
58th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on Sunday, August 27, 2006 on NBC at 8:00pm ET with Conan O'Brien hosting the show...
. Creator Alan Ball was nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series and Outstanding Directing in a Drama series; it was also nominated for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series and Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series. It won the award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special.
TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranked the episode #22 on its list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time" and also named it one of the best TV moments of the decade. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Wrapping up an acclaimed show is pretty much a no-win proposition (e.g., The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
). But Alan Ball's 2005 coda distilled all that we'd learned about life and death after five seasons with the Fishers."
In 2011, the finale was ranked #8 on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales.
Title reference
The episode's title refers to what Nate says to Claire in a vision before she is about to leave to New York. It also refers to the song "Waiting" by The DevlinsThe Devlins
The Devlins are an alternative rock band originating from Dublin, Ireland. Their most recognized songs are Waiting, featured in remix form on the 2002 Six Feet Under soundtrack, but originally from their 1997 release Waiting; and World Outside, which was included in the 2004 drama Closer and also...
which is played at the end of the pilot episode
Pilot (Six Feet Under)
"Pilot" is the original pilot episode of the American drama television series Six Feet Under. It premiered in the United States on the premium cable network HBO on June 3, 2001. The episode was written and directed by series creator Alan Ball.-Premise:On Christmas Eve 2000, patriarch Nathaniel...
.
External links
- "Everyone's Waiting" at HBO