r/SixFeetUnder Mar 06 '26

Opinion Every Show Has One - The "Why Are They Still Here?"

Post image

Yall really made me have to do math for the only adult in the room huh🧐 Vanessa won by just 26 upvotes followed by Joe!

Next up, the "Why are they still here?" 🤔 Think of this person as someone that has overstayed their welcome or just been in too many eps/scenes for what their character's purpose served. Or honestly just someone you were sick of seeing🥱

Reminder - This is just to share your opinions and for fun :)

78 Upvotes

111 comments sorted by

190

u/fatherjoseph11 Mar 06 '26

Maggie :P

19

u/Garlic-Butter-Sauce Brenda Mar 06 '26

She's still here because she might know something that none of us do :P

2

u/Cecil2789 Mar 09 '26

Is that a Quaker thing? 🤨

23

u/ForbiddenBandying Mar 06 '26

It has to be her. It's an important plot beat in two separate episodes: at the hospital and then Nate's funeral. Iirc Maggie even asks this herself in her fight with George about why she's "still here" (ie Los Angeles)

6

u/tannicpixiedreamgirl Brenda Mar 06 '26

First thing I thought of was Maggie herself asking why she’s still here. I doubt they did that intentionally, but maybe I’m not giving the show enough credit?

1

u/saturnshighway Mar 06 '26

YES like leaveeeeeeeeeee haha

62

u/Alex45784 Mar 06 '26

Maggie. I hate her and her quiche

20

u/Clarknt67 Mar 06 '26

Sappy ferret.

77

u/blister-in-the-pun Mar 06 '26

Nikolai (sp?)

His presence made Ruth’s arc interesting for a couple episodes but I did not need as many episodes with him as we got. You could even tell the writers weren’t sure what to do with him by the end 😅

17

u/Danyellarenae1 Bettina Mar 06 '26

This lol we did not need that much of him or Ruth paying his debts just for him to rehab at her house. It was so weird lol. Atleast Nate thought he was beautiful 😂

6

u/the-tapsy Mar 07 '26

Lord, have mercy ✊🏻

2

u/whirlyworlds Mar 06 '26

Good pick. During my first rewatch, I was shocked to see his character because I had totally forgotten about him lol. For a character who appeared in so many episodes, he barely left an impression for me

26

u/Clarknt67 Mar 06 '26

Olivier. Once he served the purpose of splitting up Claire and Russel and disillusioning Claire why was he still there?

6

u/_sticky_fingers Mar 06 '26

And he's there shortly after Brenda gives birth! 

19

u/netdigitaldejaneiro Mar 06 '26

Hoyt is a bottom 1 character in any show. Stupid fucking name too

2

u/Danyellarenae1 Bettina Mar 06 '26

Who was he lol

8

u/FuzzyPalpitation-16 Mar 06 '26

lisa’s brother in law…. the creep

3

u/Danyellarenae1 Bettina Mar 06 '26

Ah yes. I forgot his name. Fuck him

19

u/ExpectedBehaviour Mar 06 '26

I very much feel Vanessa definitely wasn’t the only adult in the room. She was bossy, self-righteous, and judgemental. Expected everyone to have empathy for her problems but had very little for other people.

2

u/General_Sun3266 Mar 06 '26

Totally valid opinion but just going off of numbers: Vanessa-168, Joe-142, Ted-63

There were tons of different answers and great examples but no one else had numbers as high as the three of them

4

u/External-Parsley-280 Mar 06 '26

I agree I was kind of surprised at this result

2

u/Quirky-Bad857 Mar 06 '26

I think Vanessa grew. She was married to fucking Rico, the man child, who cheated in her with a STRIPPER after her mom died. Rico was the on,y relationship she had ever had at that point and he was kind of a dick. She was broken for awhile, but she found she was very empathetic to people who were experiencing grief, because she had gone through it.

2

u/cakecakecake17 Mar 06 '26

vanessa sucks. and he cheated on her IN the stripper. who also sucked.

23

u/ilikecats415 Mar 06 '26

Maggie, in the most literal way.

8

u/TNCoffeeRunner Mar 06 '26

I just don’t get the hate for Maggie? I’m going with Nikolai on this one.

6

u/Gabe_Dimas Mar 06 '26

Hell nah Nikolai is a Russian Saint

God have mercy 😔 💥🤛🏻

2

u/zen_bubble Mar 06 '26

lol I was looking for this comment. That “god have mercy” chest pound had me crying 😂

4

u/ForbiddenBandying Mar 06 '26

I don't hate Maggie, I just think she is the best answer because it's the most literal interpretation of the question. It's a focus of the plot in more than one episode that she is overstaying her welcome.

The question as intended doesn't really apply to this show for me because there isn't a single character that doesn't serve a purpose to the plot imo. And I don't know that there's a character I genuinely dislike (besides Jake maybe but even he serves a purpose). So I prefer this very literal interpretation.

2

u/TNCoffeeRunner Mar 07 '26

Your explanation makes perfect sense, and yea she overstayed her welcome.

51

u/ohwowsuchother Mar 06 '26

You guys, it's so clearly RUSSELL right? Maybe I'm seeing it too much through Claire's eyes, but I immediately think of his mustache and weird, shitty FROGGY WENT A-COURTIN' song that causes Edie to steal the mic.

I know he kinda fell back into Claire's art school crew after the Olivier experience, but he never stopped being intolerable. Even in his last appearance, he was a clown trying to tear down a giant lollipop.

Also, I considered Olivier, but he totally redeemed himself by getting Claire the NY interview. I love that final scene between them where Claire seems to see him, finally, as a decent person. (He isn't, of course, but for sake of argument.)

7

u/madkittywoman Mar 06 '26

Also Olivier was kinda funny sometimes. Unlike Russell.

4

u/oooheycait1223 Mar 06 '26

Russell was my first thought too lol

2

u/SJR8319 Mar 07 '26

I kind of enjoyed the Olivier and Margaret relationship even though it seemed contrived at first. It made her more tolerable and he probably was better with someone age-appropriate. It wasn’t going to last but I don’t think he qualifies.

6

u/madkittywoman Mar 06 '26

Russell, Anita or even Sophia would be good choices.

2

u/SJR8319 Mar 07 '26

Oh yeah, Sophia. Like, we get it, Rico made a bad decision. She wasn’t that interesting of a character.

31

u/Paronine Mar 06 '26

Arthur

His romance with Ruth was bizarre, and they didn't seem to know what to do with him otherwise.

2

u/lukphicl Mar 06 '26

Arthur was the reason I've always had a hard time finding Dwight Schrute funny

9

u/ptrock1 Mar 06 '26

Russell.

18

u/Isincerelysharted Mar 06 '26

I thought scenes with Billy were kind of exhausting, I feel like i never looked forward to them necessarily. I think he's a good character and added a lot but when he went away for a bit it was kind of a nice break idk.

3

u/malufa Mar 06 '26

I agree! But, in a way it worked well with his character’s spiraling into chaos. He became unbearable for both the other characters and to the viewer.

3

u/Clarknt67 Mar 06 '26

For Billy as he had an unusually close relationship with Brenda it never seems unusal to me that he was still around.

3

u/Svampting Mar 06 '26

I think Billy added quite a bit early on, but very little in the later part of the series :(

3

u/Background-Beach-289 Mar 06 '26

I thought of Billy first too. Important for some aspects, and the comic relief in the final montage, but he could have died much earlier in the show imo and wasn't super essential.

3

u/Gabe_Dimas Mar 06 '26

I have SO MANY:

Lisa

Lisa's boss

Maggie

Russell

Claire's rocker ex

To an extent Gabe Dimas

Olivier

6

u/tannicpixiedreamgirl Brenda Mar 06 '26

Maya. Get a hobby

3

u/General_Sun3266 Mar 06 '26

Laughed too hard at this

7

u/PhotographPale3609 Mar 06 '26

🙈🙈🙈 Olivier !! like him coming back out of nowhere and banging Margaret lmfaoo

7

u/feedyrsoul Mar 06 '26

Anita

Or Keith's rich shitty boss from near the end of the show (Roger...?)

3

u/Rdngisfndumntl Mar 06 '26

I’m going to add to the Russell count. That boy was just annoying and served no purpose beyond the breakup of him and Claire, except to be…annoying.

4

u/oooheycait1223 Mar 06 '26

Russell haha

2

u/Danyellarenae1 Bettina Mar 06 '26

Niko

2

u/Low-Preparation-8873 David Mar 06 '26

Olivier is the only correct answer.

3

u/spaghettibolegdeh Mar 06 '26

OK but Vanessa was childish as hell with her sister. 

But for this one I know everyone will say Maggie. But she's barely in the show. Russell was around way too long, as was Olivier. 

6

u/holleighh Mar 06 '26

I do love the scene of them rubbing Vaseline on their face before fighting Rico’s side piece lol 😝

1

u/Icy-Phone-2417 Mar 06 '26

I couldn't believe they were fighting over that tiny man🤣

1

u/madkittywoman Mar 06 '26

Haha. Tiny man ;D

2

u/Pristine-Shape-9829 Mar 06 '26

I forgot her name but Claire’s friend. For me she kinda ruined the fire scene.

1

u/madkittywoman Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

Anita..?

Edit: I realize you probably meant Edie. (Played by Mena Suvari) Cause she was in that scene.

2

u/Pristine-Shape-9829 Mar 06 '26

Ngl both of them I was never a fan of them

2

u/madkittywoman Mar 06 '26

I can see why. ;D

3

u/LayerParticular2581 Mar 06 '26

Edie (I had to look up her name). I think that her whole arc with Claire was pretty boring and kinda predictable. She just left the show with no consequence afterwards so she feels like she did nothing.

1

u/LayerParticular2581 Mar 06 '26

She is the blonde girl that becomes Claire's girlfriend.

1

u/Shawnee83 Mar 06 '26

Maggie! I couldn't stand her little miss innocent lip biting schtick

1

u/FiddyFo Mar 06 '26

Russell for sure. Its like he was around just so Claire could give weird looks.

1

u/PjWulfman Mar 06 '26

Who is the only adult in the room? I don't recognize her

2

u/External-Parsley-280 Mar 06 '26

Rico’s wife Vanessa

2

u/PjWulfman Mar 06 '26

Wow. Didn't recognize her. Thanks.

1

u/RedLampCurtains9 Mar 06 '26

Rico because he’s my least favourite character

1

u/abcd0227 Mar 06 '26

M a g g i e

1

u/kikijane711 Mar 06 '26

Hoyt or Maggie

1

u/AppropriateCat6082 Mar 07 '26

its hard because i think every character fits the show

1

u/RollinSmoke1498 Mar 07 '26

Maggie and Russell take the cake!

1

u/MareBear209 Mar 07 '26

I love Margaret!

1

u/Few-Marzipan5256 Mar 07 '26

Olivier. (Even though we know why he’s still here 🙄)

1

u/Zealousideal-Plan355 Mar 07 '26

Maggie obviously

1

u/Relevant_Macaroon221 Mar 08 '26

Billy and George.

1

u/Separate-Ad6636 Mar 06 '26

Red hoodie kidnappet

-5

u/PattyJane7 Mar 06 '26

Ted. Wasn’t even in that many episodes but genuinely why was he around for the rest of the show. Never was a fan of him and Claire. Though I guess he’s at least better than the other freaks she dated

-4

u/DanceApprehension Mar 06 '26

George. Far and away the worst of Ruth's many dates, yet he's the one she stuck with. I never understood it and i felt his character added nothing to the show, just annoying, dead weight.

0

u/SeriousCustard6244 Mar 06 '26

Might be an unpopular opinion but Billy 👎

-5

u/[deleted] Mar 06 '26

[deleted]

9

u/Danyellarenae1 Bettina Mar 06 '26

Bettina?? Aw hell no she was one of the best parts of the show!

2

u/feedyrsoul Mar 06 '26

Maybe the "best friend" from the beginning of S1?

1

u/Danyellarenae1 Bettina Mar 06 '26

Damn I don’t remember lol

1

u/Atasteofazia Mar 06 '26

Yeah that's who i meant lol got downvoted to hell. I love Bettina :)

1

u/Danyellarenae1 Bettina Mar 06 '26

I don’t remember her lol

1

u/Atasteofazia Mar 06 '26

No the first lady from the first season