The Best Episodes of Six Feet Under Season 5

David finally embraces a demon; Keith gives 'tough love'; Nathaniel talks to his younger son; Brenda delivers and fights Nate's negativity; Claire gets an exciting call; Ted inspires sexy photos; Margaret is impressed to see Olivier's nurturing side; George's limitations eclipse his intentions; and Claire drives into her future.

Director: Alan Ball

Writer: Alan Ball

While David attends to family business, Keith makes an embarrassing self-discovery on the job; Brenda is challenged by Nate and answers a hard question for Maya; Margaret compares herself to her daughter; Ruth lets Bettina play nurse; Rico and Vanessa decide to protect their future; Claire is comforted by Ted's squareness; and George makes a speech about love.

Director: Adam Davidson

Writer: Kate Robin

David and Keith get comfortable with their new family life; Claire is shocked to discover she and Ted share a passion for politics; Ruth finds empowerment in the woods; Maggie is forced to make a series of awkward calls; Brenda faces several truths at once; Rico finally 'gets' Vanessa; and Nate brings the family together against their will.

Director: Daniel Minahan

Writer: Nancy Oliver

As David's fears take over, Keith tries to protect him--and the boys; Billy attends to his sister; Claire goes on a drunken harassment spree and pushes Ted away; Rico pushes for a talk about the business; George tries to help Ruth with Maya; Nate urges Brenda to embrace a taboo; and Vanessa sees the future in a funeral home.

Director: Michael Cuesta

Writer: Craig Wright

Brenda is disturbed by Nate's reaction to her latest news; Ruth shares her feelings about George with her knitting circle; David and Keith 'propose' to Mary and meet Roger's equally unconventional family; Rico is shocked at how Vanessa and the boys are doing; frustrated, George shares a beer and a song with Billy; and Nate comes home to an unpleasant surprise.

Director: Alan Poul

Writer: Craig Wright

A young Latina's funeral raises questions about the culture--and future--of Fisher and Diaz. Meanwhile, David and Keith are upset when they're not in the driver's seat; Claire takes her co-worker Ted to an art school show; Brenda gets vital info from her doctor--and from Jackie; and Ruth goes out for some pampering and gets more than she paid for.

Director: Matt Shakman

Writer: Scott Buck

Ruth happily helps 'circle the wagons' when Sarah calls; David and Keith discover it's hard work playing house with Anthony and his brother Durrell; Nate muses on the loss of his first love; Claire finds a temporary financial solution; Vanessa hires a nanny with unexpected talents; Rico gets an offer he can't believe--or refuse.

Director: Mary Harron

Writer: Joey Soloway

Ruth dreads George's return from the hospital in light of his recent diagnosis; Nate and Brenda prep for a big day, but an emergency makes them reconsider; David and Keith discuss alternative parenting options; Rico tries internet dating; and Claire enjoys domestic bliss but crosses a line with her camera.

Director: Rodrigo García

Writer: Kate Robin

Claire is seduced by Billy's lust for life but hits a roadblock trying to fund the next leg of her educational journey; George is haunted by visions of an early trauma; Brenda feels at home with her new supervisor Jackie; David and Keith meet a fertile young woman named Mary; Vanessa encourages Rico to mingle, so he does--at a funeral directors' conference.

Director: Jeremy Podeswa

Writer: Nancy Oliver

Nate and Brenda discuss giving Maya a 'coherent narrative'; David and Keith await news from Mary, and meet a special little boy; Vanessa is shocked when Julio gets into trouble at school--and mortified when Rico schmoozes things over; Billy invites Claire to dinner, but has no appetite; Margaret helps stage an ambush; and Maggie brings George to a tense meal.

Director: Daniel Minahan

Writer: Rick Cleveland

David and Keith struggle to create parent-child boundaries; When Brenda and Nate get some ambiguous news, it confirms their views on life and death; Ruth fills her schedule with activities, but has trouble unwinding; Claire meets an interesting guy at work, and makes an effort to fit in; Margaret lets a cat out of the bag; and George drops a bomb on Ruth.

Director: Joshua Marston

Writer: Bruce Eric Kaplan

Nate hangs with some high-school friends but finds that, as adults, they share little more than teenage memories; Ruth gets relief from George's daughter Maggie; Brenda is reluctant to accept Margaret's help and struggles in her new internship; David and Keith's latest baby dream starts to resemble a nightmare; Claire bemoans being pigeonholed by her art; Billy defends his career but secretly wonders what happened to his old self; and Rico, mortified that he couldn't take a dating hint, seeks sympathy from Vanessa.

Director: N/A

Writer: Scott Buck