That episode of Six Feet Under where Dexter almost dies

There’s this episode of HBO’s Six Feet Under where David’s kidnapped by a crackhead. I don’t know what season it’s in or what it’s called (I’m waiting until I finish writing this before finding out). I’ve only seen a handful of episodes top to bottom and watched a few in passing; my girlfriend’s really into the show. It’s an excellent show, much better than Alan Ball’s other show (True Blood), but I haven’t sat down with it. Personally I find it a bit morbid. Every episode begins with death and ends with uncertainty, leaving the path open to life’s endless possibilities. Like the tree in the opening credits, everything on the show springs from death – both literally and figuratively.

This particular episode is devastating. A young man, out of gas and money, catches a ride with David (Michael C. Hall) up to a gas station. After a few dubious statements about his ATM card not working and so forth, David drives him to a convenience store with an ATM machine. The man promptly pulls a gun on David, forcing him inside to withdraw all his money. The sense of anxiety the show creates is infectious; I just wanted David to escape, for him to leave David alone or for a forceful retaliation, leading to emancipation. It doesn’t end here.