As their marriage draws near, their respective sexual escapades come back to haunt both Nate (
Peter Krause) and Brenda (
Rachel Griffiths) in this episode of HBO's
Six Feet Under. As her narcissistic mother (
Joanna Cassidy) prepares to throw her a wedding shower, Brenda and her call-girl friend, Melissa (Kellie Waymire), head out to a "lifestyle party" in Orange County to hang with the swingers. Brenda drags herself to the shower the next morning, where a heart-to-heart from future mother-in-law, Ruth (
Frances Conroy), causes her to be overwhelmed with guilt. Ruth, for her part, is reeling from what seems like rejection from the finally back-on-his-feet Nikolai (
Ed O'Ross). She isn't reeling half as hard, however, as son Nate, who's facing unplanned fatherhood with somebody other than his bride-to-be. Nate tries to own up to his responsibilities, but he's so half-hearted about it that it simply drives Lisa (
Lili Taylor) away. Meanwhile, Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) squabbles with boyfriend David (Michael C. Hall), but a more serious conflict with sister Karla (
Nicki Micheaux) is just around the corner. As for Claire (
Lauren Ambrose), she takes her art in an interesting new direction and ponders life at community college. "
The Secret" marked season two, episode ten of the made-for-cable drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide