Created by:
Blake Masters
Starring:
Jason Clarke …. Tommy Caffee
Jason Isaacs …. Michael Caffee
Ethan Embry …. Declan Giggs
Kevin Chapman …. Freddi Cork
Annabeth Gish …. Eileen Caffee
Fionnula Flanagan …. Rose Caffee
Stivi Paskoski …. Pete McGonagle
Billy Smith …. Moe Riley
Studio: Showtime Entertainment.
Release Date: September 26, 2006.
Number of Discs: 3.
Number of Episodes: 11.
Running Time: 583 minutes.
MSRP: $29.98.
Showtime has really come around in recent years when it comes to their original programming. Sure they may cancel some of their most critically acclaimed shows such as Huff and Dead Like Me well before their prime, but they’re still taking chances on new projects. And, in most cases, coming away with some of TV’s best shows, some may even say better than HBO. Just a few short weeks ago in July they premiered Brotherhood, a show about two brothers in the small state of Rhode Island on opposite ends of the social spectrum yet two sides of the same coin. Now the show is made available on DVD just a week after the season finale. Shame that they compromise the overall packaging for quicker sales.
The series focuses on Tom Caffee, a representative for the state of Rhode Island. He promises a cleaner government for the people, that back room hand shakes and deal makings are processes used by the old system and are long gone. That now it’s a government for the hard working men and women of Rhode Island. But we all know the spin of politics. Not all the old methods are gone, growing up on the hill Tommy still uses his street smarts and know how to get his way. Unlike most politicians however, he doesn’t do these deals to add on wings to his home, or get his wife that new fur coat – he does it for his city, he does it for his people. This is a man who while he does things considered by some to be unethical, he does them for the best interest of himself and his own.
While at times coming off as a thug in a $500 dollar suit, Tommy is a man of the people. Which is something that could lead to his eventual destruction in the political atmosphere. As he soon realizes the fact that in order to move up in the world, you some times have to lose the small battles to win the war. That you need the scratch a few backs in order for someone to be there and scratch yours when the times comes.
With a representatives salary money is a major problem in his life. So much so that he does all the work on his home himself. He even plans to rent out his upstairs apartment for an extras $500 a month in order to makes ends meets on the bills. Even doing side jobs like trying to get out of towners to buy abandoned factories to turn them in to loft apartments in order to get a taste of the purchase profits.
The women in his life include his wife Eileen who doesn’t seem to be taking much to the housewife mold. As she’s stumbling deeper and deeper in to her depression, using drugs and alcohol to fill what ever void is that she has in her life. While he also still has his mother living three doors down from him. MaryRose Caffee is that woman who you don’t want to mess with, who’s dark side is something you don’t want to see because you just know that it’s something fierce.
Tommy still lives in the old neighborhood, and he also still holds his family values above every thing else. Which could be a bit of a curse considering what he needs to put up with regarding his brother Michael who returns home after a seven year exile. At first we see Mike possibly reformed from his gangster ways, looking to get things off on the right foot now that he’s back home.
It doesn’t take long before we see just what he has in store and how he plans to shake up the neighborhood. Mike tries to act as if nothing has changed and everyone was just sitting around waiting for him, but that’s not the case. A lot of things can change in seven years. Old flames have moved on, in some cases getting married and starting a family of their own. Local restaurants are under new management. Houses of old friends are now parking lots.
But with Michael it’s different. His vision of the past, the one he wants to return, is filled with nothing but drugs and murder. Not this new wave “change for the better” alterations happening to the city. Transforming old neighborhoods in to yuppie towns because the prices in Boston have sky rocketed and they’re spilling in to the small state. Pushing out the middle and lower class residents who can’t afford the rise in prices for necessities. Latte’s and mini vans for everybody, the American way. Just not Mike Caffee’s way. It doesn’t take long before we realize that he’s nothing more than a cancer to the city and he’s tearing it apart with his old school methods.
Then there’s Pete, a former alcoholic who’s now two year sober and is genuinely proud of his turn around in life. But poor Pete soon finds temptation knocking at his door when Mike asks if he wants back in to the old business. In an early episode Tommy tells Mike that he’s like a tornado, sucking everything in whole and spitting them out broken. So this known fact about Mike is putting Pete to his limits, forcing him to face his personal demons as he never had in the past two years.
Frankie Cork is now the head guy in charge of the Irish territories of the state, and lets just say that he and Michael parted ways on a sour note. So when news spreads about Michael’s reappearance around the neighborhood it isn’t too much of a surprise that he wants to end this problem as quickly as possible. Only now with Michael in town he’s joined the illustrious list of potential witnesses that the state polices are putting together in hopes of taking down Cork – and therefor is now a part of their investigation. Which is certainly not a good thing for Tommy, no matter how you look at it.
And then there’s state police officer Declan Giggs. He grew up with the Caffee brothers on The Hill, even dated their sister in high school. When he’s working the Cork case and Michael enters the picture it isn’t long before the state and feds are taking a look in to Tommy’s workings. Considering his history with the brothers, Declan now finds himself torn between his professional duty and his loyalty to Tommy.
Each episode is essentially self contained to be approachable by casual viewers, with longer arcs placed for the true fans to enjoy but not scare away newcomers. It’s fascinating going back and rewatching episodes having now watched the entire season noticing small hints and threads to later events giving the show a very deep and intricate story that its trying to tell. Which is something that makes cable shows so much more unique than network shows; they don’t need to pander to their audience by treating them like bafoons with IQ’s equal to their shoe size. Instead, with cable shows like Brotherhood we’re given some actual intellectual shows with powerful writing and thought provoking premises.
Video:
(Presented in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen)
Filmed using digital video cameras Brotherhood is a bit of a mixed bag. While many of the episodes and scenes come off very natural and cinematic, several times during each episode the limitations of the specific cameras used begin to show. Such as the washing out of detail due to the cameras being unable to capture them correctly. Or times when the show has a poor hand held camera feel to it that rarely match up with the previous scene that was just shown. As a whole however, the show and its picture quality tends to work very well. Brotherhood certainly shows just how great films or TV shows can look when using DV cameras. Each episode is present just as it was during their initial run on Showtime with the exception of one digital error that occurs in episode seven for a split second.
Audio:
(English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround & 2.0 Stereo, Spanish 2.0 Mono)
The 5.1 audio track on the DVD is certainly more eventful than one might expect. The mix has a very surround feel to it, from echoed foot steps in the house of representatives to something as simple as a fan running in the background. All the audio channels are used to give the show the best audio presentation possible.
Extras:
Commentary – Series creator Blake Masters and executive producer Henry Bromell take part in only one commentary in this set. The episode they choose to do this on is the ninth episode of the season. They tend to take it in stride which is a bit aggravating knowing there is only one track included with the season, but they make sure to cover the important bases about the series. From the use of the DV cameras, to the writing process, to the hospitality shown by the state of Rhode Island the whole time filming. They make sure to say what’s needed, but rarely go the extra mile in terms of details.
Power Map – This is an interactive guide showing the social structuring on the show. Letting us know where each character fits in and who their accomplices are. While not the greatest feature ever added to a DVD, this piece gives some much material back story to some of the lesser established characters. I know many people hate special features that make them read but this is certainly a valuable thing to have.
The Inside Pulse
Brotherhood is one of 2006’s best offerings so far in terms of new programming. I only hope that Showtime will give shows like this a long and healthy run, allowing it to prosper. Don’t even bother with a rental, this is a show that you must add to your collection.
