questions Claire in a supportive tone, while Nate and David are more concerned. However, Keith explains to them that Claire was conflicted due to her love for Gabe. Music Sources "Opus 29, No. 1, Andante" by Franz Schubert "Young Girl" by Roy Kohn "Invierno" by Andy Caldwell "Somewhere in a Dream" by Joel Evans "You Were Right" by Built to Spill "Strong Nature" by Meeting Minds "Hey Mister" by Custom "Man of the Road" by Wayne Hancock Analysis Reading Six Feet Under: TV to Die For by Akass et al. compared the episode to Werner Erhard's est and The Forum, as did the Pittsburgh City Paper. Akass cites the episode while analyzing the phenomenon of self-improvement, and notes that: "Repairing her shingles often leaves Ruth in shackles". She writes that: "..the series performs the logic of self-help, both its silly and seductive sides". However, she also points out that Ruth's rant at the end of her seminar is cathartic for Ruth, and she ends her analysis of the episode by asking: "So, what do we make of our times when all this supposed nonsense actually works?" Donald Kummings cites the episode in his A Companion to Walt Whitman, while analyzing the effect of a poem by Walt Whitman on a grieving family. Walt Whitman had been character Michael John Piper's favorite poet. Kummings notes "The facial expression of the bereaved wife indicates that she is pleased and consoled by these lines". Kummings also makes mention of the psychic theme that runs throughout the episode, noting: "Indeed psychic connection with the dead is an ongoing motif here, since both funeral director brothers communicate with their father during the episode". The episode is also analyzed in Marriner's Finding the Open Road: A Guide to Self-construction Rather Than Mass Production. See also Est and The Forum in popular culture Large Group Awareness Training References External links "The Plan" at HBO.com Six Feet Under (TV series) episodes 2002 American television episodes