The image is seared into the minds of *Six Feet Under* viewers: Nate Fisher, sitting at the Fisher family dinner table, years after his death, participating in a ghostly yet comforting conversation. It’s a powerful encapsulation of a character who, throughout the series, wrestled with his past, his present, and the ever-present specter of mortality. Nate Fisher, the eldest son, the prodigal child, the reluctant heir to the Fisher & Sons funeral home, embodies the core themes of HBO’s critically acclaimed series: family, death, grief, and the elusive search for meaning in a world saturated with loss.
Nate’s journey, a complex tapestry woven with threads of self-sabotage, genuine longing for connection, and a profound fear of commitment, makes him one of the most fascinating and frustrating characters in television history. He is, in essence, a flawed mirror reflecting our own anxieties about life, death, and the choices we make in between. While the series grapples with death surrounding the family, Nate grapples with the life surrounding him and seeks a path forward away from the looming presence of the Fisher & Sons funeral home. Nate Fisher, despite his flaws and often self-destructive tendencies, represents the series’ most compelling exploration of grief and the struggle to find authenticity in a world defined by death.
Before Death Called
Before the fateful phone call that shattered his carefully constructed life in Seattle, Nate Fisher was a man adrift. He worked in a cooperative food market, a seemingly deliberate choice to avoid the traditional path laid out for him by his father. He was a wanderer, a seeker, restless and unwilling to be tied down. The specifics of his early life remain somewhat shrouded, but it’s clear that he felt stifled by his family and the suffocating atmosphere of the funeral home. He carried the weight of expectation, unspoken but ever-present, and he responded by running away, both physically and emotionally. He felt an immense need to flee that he couldn’t quite understand.
His relationship with his father, Nathaniel Sr., was strained, marked by a lack of communication and a deep-seated resentment on Nate’s part. He felt that his father never truly understood him, never allowed him to be his own person. This unresolved tension forms the backdrop for his initial reluctance to embrace his inheritance and his eventual struggle to come to terms with his father’s legacy. Nate felt like he didn’t understand his father’s commitment to the funeral home, and felt that it was a morbid interest to commit to. The sudden death of Nathaniel forces him to confront not only his grief but also the life he so desperately tried to leave behind.
The Funeral Home’s Magnetic Pull
Returning to Los Angeles for his father’s funeral thrusts Nate back into the orbit of his dysfunctional family: his emotionally fragile mother, Ruth; his closeted brother, David; and his rebellious younger sister, Claire. He’s immediately confronted with the reality of the funeral home, its grim beauty and the constant reminder of mortality that permeates every corner. The decision to stay and co-manage the business with David is not born of a genuine desire, but rather a combination of guilt, a sense of obligation, and perhaps a subconscious curiosity to understand the world his father inhabited. Nate isn’t ready for the world that he inherited, but decides to make a commitment to his family to make sure that the business is still properly run.
The funeral home becomes a stage for Nate’s existential struggles. He witnesses firsthand the grief of others, the raw and often messy reality of death. This constant exposure forces him to confront his own mortality and question the meaning of life. He grapples with the hypocrisy he perceives in the funeral industry, the sanitization of death, and the artificiality of grieving rituals. Yet, he also begins to see the value in providing comfort and support to those who are bereaved. Nate begins to question the authenticity of all the relationships surrounding him, but realizes how much they mean to him.
A Tangled Web of Love
Nate Fisher’s romantic life is a rollercoaster of intense passion, profound heartbreak, and recurring patterns of self-sabotage. His relationships, particularly with Brenda Chenowith and Lisa Kimmel, are central to understanding his character’s complexities.
Brenda Chenowith
Brenda Chenowith is Nate’s intellectual equal, a brilliant but deeply troubled woman with a history of psychological instability. Their relationship is characterized by intense attraction, intellectual sparring, and a shared understanding of each other’s darkness. However, their codependency and mutual trust issues lead to a cycle of breakups and reconciliations. Brenda’s own insecurities and anxieties often mirror Nate’s, creating a volatile and ultimately unsustainable dynamic. The relationship with Brenda defines him, in many ways, as the man who is able to get close, but never fully commit.
Lisa Kimmel
Lisa Kimmel represents a stark contrast to Brenda. She offers Nate stability, normalcy, and the promise of a traditional family life. Their marriage, while initially seemingly ideal, is ultimately strained by Nate’s restlessness and his inability to fully commit. Lisa’s sudden death, and the revelation that Maya may not be his biological child, throws Nate into a spiral of grief and uncertainty. Her passing further complicates his already fragile sense of self. The reality that he has a daughter adds a layer of complexity to his life that defines his later years.
Nate’s other relationships, including his affairs and brief encounters, further illustrate his ongoing search for fulfillment and connection. He craves intimacy, but he struggles to maintain healthy, lasting relationships. He is drawn to strong, independent women, but he ultimately sabotages those relationships with his own insecurities and self-destructive tendencies. He is ultimately looking for a connection with someone that he can be himself with, but his internal issues cause him to be unable to allow that.
Existential Dread and the Shadow of Death
Working in a funeral home inevitably shapes Nate’s worldview. He is constantly surrounded by death, confronted with the fragility of life, and forced to contemplate the meaning of existence. This constant exposure leads to a series of existential crises, as he questions the value of societal norms, the pursuit of happiness, and the very nature of reality.
Nate’s health issues, specifically the arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his brain, further amplify his awareness of mortality. The AVM serves as a constant reminder of his own vulnerability and the precariousness of life. The threat of death looms large, influencing his decisions and shaping his perspective. He begins to question the choices he has made, the relationships he has pursued, and the legacy he will leave behind.
He seeks solace in various forms of therapy and spiritual exploration, searching for answers to his existential questions. He flirts with alternative lifestyles and philosophies, hoping to find a sense of purpose and meaning. But ultimately, he struggles to reconcile his desire for freedom with his longing for connection and belonging. Nate is committed to finding meaning, but also fears commitment to relationships that may lead to more personal responsibility.
A Life Cut Short, A Legacy Endures
Nate Fisher’s life is a series of starts and stops, moments of growth and recurring patterns of self-sabotage. He shows glimpses of empathy, taking responsibility for his actions, and making positive changes in his life. Yet, he is also prone to impulsive decisions, infidelity, and avoidance of commitment. He consistently reverts to old habits, unable to fully escape the shadow of his past.
The AVM returns, leading to his untimely death. His death, while tragic, is also a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the inevitability of loss. It serves as a catalyst for growth and change in the other characters, forcing them to confront their own mortality and reassess their priorities. Brenda is devastated, left to raise Maya without him, but also seemingly more grounded and focused on building a stable future. David, initially overwhelmed by grief, finds a renewed sense of purpose in his work and his relationship with Keith. Claire, inspired by Nate’s free spirit, continues to pursue her artistic ambitions with greater confidence and determination. Ruth, initially inconsolable, eventually finds peace and happiness with George.
Nate’s legacy is complex and multifaceted. He is remembered as a flawed but deeply human character, one who grappled with profound questions about life, death, and the search for meaning. He leaves behind a family forever changed by his presence and his absence.
A Flawed Reflection
Nate Fisher, the reluctant heir who searched for meaning amidst the business of death, remains a captivating figure in television history. While his choices often frustrated viewers, his struggles resonated deeply. He mirrored our own anxieties, our own fears of commitment, our own search for authenticity in a world that often feels artificial.
He was, in essence, a man trying to outrun his destiny, a man who yearned for connection but feared intimacy, a man who ultimately succumbed to the very mortality he so desperately sought to understand. His story is a reminder that life is fragile, that death is inevitable, and that the search for meaning is a lifelong journey, one that is often marked by both joy and sorrow. Nate Fisher continues to be an interesting character to follow in the series and is still talked about by viewers years later. The lasting impact of Nate Fisher solidifies *Six Feet Under* as a series for the ages.
