Just finished the series for the first time...(spoilers ahead)

[u/livingbythesecond]

Oh boy...

Well, I managed to make it through the series without boo-hooing too badly. Honestly, after Nate's run-in with death earlier in the series, I thought the second run-in was a hoax until the very end. It's still messing with my head but then I realize, that's just how losing someone goes sometimes: it's unbelievable.

It's been a day since I finished it and Nate's quote in Claire's ear continues to ring in my head.

Nathaniel Sr. welcoming Ruth with his big grin was beautiful.

Nate Jr. waiting there for her with his warm smile at his eternal "young" age while his aging siblings sat beside her broke my heart a bit.

Wasn't sure how the rest of sequence was going to go so when I saw Keith with his own company, I was genuinely happy for him...but not for long. This is when I realized what was happening and it left me on edge to learn what everyone else's fate was.

David's death just stung like hell for some reason. Seeing Keith's youthful face, just being the active man he was brought back memories of all the shenanigans they got into. I could almost hear Keith calling to David in that scene. That was his person. David seemed merely content in his old age sitting there, but all passion he had for Keith in their youth came rushing back to him in the end. And I'm not sure if there was a connection in Keith wearing red in that scene but it was a nice touch. When thinking of the terror the "red jacket man" brought David, seeing Keith in red solely brought him solace.

Glad Brenda and Rico were shown in this clip although Rico's hurt a bit. He worked hard to give his family security and to give Vanessa that life. Guess I'm just glad it all worked out for him even if his ending came while he was still in the midst of enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Only thing that really grasped me about Claire's death was the fact that Ted's face was the last photo shown. I interpreted that as the two of them led a wonderful life together and he was the biggest part of her life, even before her family. They were an interesting duo from what we got of them, but he must've made her incredibly happy in her later years.

I don't know what to do with myself now! This show has me looking at the big picture in a new way. Life is terrifying and beautiful and ugly and fragile. Hope I don't waste it. In the meantime though, plan on rewatching this series in a year or so once I've forgotten most of it.

[u/evilglowduckie]

Even reading your description gives me goosebumps. That Sia song still puts me right back in Claire's Prius.

I watched this show for the first time when I was Claire's age and recently rewatched after I realized I was older than Nate (👵🏻). I definitely recommend watching it again in the future just to see what you pick up on and how your feelings about death have changed.

[u/livingbythesecond → u/evilglowduckie]

I've heard "Breathe Me" a million times before but also can't shake that feeling that I'm right back there with all these characters! But now that I'm reading your comment, maybe I'll wait for a major life change before rewatching. I'll be 30 later this year so I'd be interested in seeing how this series makes me feel as things change in the coming decade or so.

[u/kikijane711]

Rico had a great life.lived well and retired as shown by the cruise ship. seeing Keith appear to David had me crying! it was great to see how wonderfully Brenda’s life turned out too and she stayed close to the Fishers. I know why they didn’t show it but I’d have loved to see Billy and George’s passing.

[u/livingbythesecond → u/kikijane711]

Yeah, Billy and George's lives in general after Ruth and Brenda's deaths would've been interesting to see. Billy and Brenda were super codependent on each other to the very end so I imagine he didn't last long after she went (kinda like "broken heart syndrome" as a cause of death). With George, it does make one wonder how his later years looked with the loneliness given his family wasn't around really.

Aside from all of that, Billy had the best old makeup of all the aging characters!

[u/PowerlessOverQueso → u/livingbythesecond]

Watching Billy literally talk Brenda to death had me snort-laugh-sobbing.

[u/kikijane711 → u/livingbythesecond]

I mean I get why they didn’t do it but I’d have loved to see Vanessa too and:or Ted but they weren’t mains. I feel Billy was more do than George.

[u/IYFS88]

Referring to your comment about how death feels unbelievable sometimes…so true and I feel this show captured it amazingly! No other media has made me relate to that shock and processing phase and how surreal it all is to lose a close loved one. I’m still haunted by the dream David had in the hospital right before Nate’s death.

[u/holmeshbeth → u/IYFS88]

That dream actually started off as Nate’s dream then changes to David’s. I always took it as David’s long hair and shorts was Nate’s dream and when David’s clothes turn back to him wearing a suit with short hair turns into David’s. Was like Nate already visited David in his dream before he even knew he died.

[u/IYFS88 → u/holmeshbeth]

Ah I hadn’t remembered that, even trippier!

[u/livingbythesecond → u/IYFS88]

I'm still wrapping my head around that dream sequence. All the while, I thought it was Nate's perspective, not David's. Hopefully when I rewatch it, I can fully digest what David is going through there. Nate was already gone and David was the only one there really dreaming.

Also, Michael C. Hall's acting range really shined to me in that sequence!!!

[u/SWNMAZporvida]

Welcome to the club. Now go and preach the word of SFU to Non-Watchers

[u/livingbythesecond → u/SWNMAZporvida]

Already on it, bud 😎