The true standout performances, though, are the younger siblings in the Fisher clan. Michael C. Hall portrays David Fisher, the tightly wound gay son whose various sexual escapades and reluctant coming-out process provide the backbone of the family drama. David's glowering resentment of everyone around him manages to be both pathetic and endearing at the same time, and his attempts to deal with his raging internalized homophobia are some of the most real, touching portrayals of gay life on television.

Occasionally the corpses David is preparing for viewing come alive and take part in his internal struggle, with alternately encouraging and scathing effects. One of the funnier instances of this is when a slain L.A. gang member berates him for being too chicken to come out, warning him that he'll lose his gorgeous boyfriend Keith (Matthew St. Patrick) if he doesn't stop acting like a "bitch."

In all of its slow richness, David's ongoing awakening makes for queer television that's about 10 times better than "Queer as Folk." Lauren Ambrose is beautifully awkward and antisocial as Claire Fisher, the underappreciated teenager who gets called "Morticia Adams" at her high school and who comes home high on crystal meth in the season's memorable opener. Imagine a sexier Darlene Conner from "Roseanne," without any network television restrictions, and you'll begin to get the idea.