Episode Report Card M. Giant: A | 3 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Dead and Buried
By M. Giant | Season 5 | Episode 12 | Aired on 08.20.2005
Claire drives on, down the freeway.
In glow-vision, David's down in the Body Shop, explaining to Durrell how embalming works. As he's doing it.
Claire drives along, staring dreamily forward, which doesn't look all that safe considering how fast the rear projection is making it look like she's driving.
Little Willa turns one. Brenda, Maya, Ruth, Olivier, Ma Chenowith, Billy (holding a puppy), Keith, Durrell, Anthony, and David sing "Happy Birthday" at Brenda's house. Everyone looks the same, except Anthony has more hair and Willa's warm fleece cap has been replaced by a festive paper cone.
Claire drives on, the view through her windshield making it look like she's in a Philip Glass video.
David and Keith get married outdoors, in matching white tuxedo jackets. Anthony and Durrell are only seen from the back as they hand over the rings, but both boys are significantly taller. Father Jack officiates. Maya's a beautiful little girl of maybe six or seven, holding her monkey in her lap. A re-pregnant Brenda (or, let's face it, a still-pregnant Rachel Griffiths) sits between her and her new husband, a JC Penney catalog model who's holding toddler Willa. Rico and Vanessa hold hands and smile. George and Ruth smile but don't hold hands. David and Keith kiss, and Claire blocks a bunch of people's views as she gets a picture. Everyone applauds. Or at least the people Claire's not blocking do.
Claire, out of the city now, drives through the desert on an isolated two-way highway.
Ruth's in a bed at a nursing home or hospital, an oxygen tube in her nose and her hair a white nimbus around her head. George, a suited David, and Claire are at her bedside, all three of them with a lot more forehead. David's going gray and thinning on top. Ruth looks across the room to where Late Nate, Sr. is standing there in his suit, smiling at the thought of getting some for the first time in 25 years. Ruth turns her head, and Late Nate, Jr. is standing there in his jogging outfit. He smiles comfortingly, and Ruth's eyes close. David and George cry. So long, Ruth O'Connor Fisher (1946-2025). You'll be missed. By someone, I'm sure.
At the cemetery, David stands with a grown-up Durrell, then sends him to join the rest of the family at the side of the Fisher family plot. Claire sits with George, and a grown-up Anthony sits next to Keith, just as bald as his dad. Maya sits on George's right, looking sad and thirtysomething, even though she should only be in her twenties. A figure in a suit approaches, and Claire recognizes a graying Lawyer Ted -- probably Senator Ted now.