George R.R. Martin may have written the books that inspired the iconic fantasy seriesGame of Thrones, but the famous author has sung his praises for another HBO series —Six Feet Under. Premiering in 2001,Six Feet Underis a drama centered aroundthe Fisher family, who run a funeral home and are left reeling at the death of patriarch Nathaniel.
Created by Alan Ball,Six Feet Underran for five seasons and received widespread critical acclaim. The HBO series was hailed for its insightful, darkly funny exploration of death and the stellar performances ofSix Feet Under’s main cast. In total,Six Feet Undertook home nine Primetime Emmy awards during its run.
While many fans are likely more interested inwhen George R.R. Martin will finishThe Winds of Winter, the highly anticipated sixth novel in hisA Song of Ice and Fireseries, it’s still worth hearing which series the celebrated author enjoys, and why. As it premiered 24 years ago,Six Feet Undermay not be known by all audiences today, but it’s certainly worth a watch.
In August 2023, Martin posted an entry to his blog,Not A Blog, in which he reacted toVanity Fair’s list of perfect TV episodes from the last 25 years, which includedGame of Thrones' “Blackwater.” Martin expressed that he was flattered by the episode’s inclusion, and took the opportunity to highlight another show on the list,Six Feet Under.
A contemporary drama series may not seem like a fantasy author’s cup of tea, and Martin indeed favored other olderoriginal HBO showsoverSix Feet Under.He wrote, “I liked that series well enough, though I cannot say I loved it as much as I loved ROME or DEADWOOD or FARGOor a few other shows missing from the list.”
On the surface,Six Feet UnderandGame of Thronesare very different shows, though they share a core theme: death.Game of Thronesis known for its brutal deaths, whileSix Feet Underalso kills off several of its main characters in shocking ways, right from the first episode. If anyone can appreciate a series about the fragility of human life, it’s theASOIAFauthor.
The ASOIAF Author Thinks One Aspect Of Six Feet Under Is A Masterpiece
Even ifSix Feet Underisn’t George R.R. Martin’s favorite seriesever, he is vehement in his assertion that the drama boasts the “perfect” episode of television. The episode in question is theSix Feet Underseries finale, “Everyone’s Waiting.”
Martin said thatSix Feet Under’s “last episode was far and away the best finale in the entire history of television, and I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly do better.” In it, the immediate fates of the main characters are revealed before the show closes with a devastating montage, set to Sia’s “Breathe Me,” showing how and when each of them will die.
Martin andVanity Fairaren’t the only ones who praised the episode, as “Everyone’s Waiting” has landed on many best-of lists and is widely considered to be one of thebest TV series finales of all time. In that regard, it’s too badGame of Thronesdidn’t take a page out ofSix Feet Under’s playbook.
