Brotherhood

Reminds me of one of the best real life crime novels I have ever read, The Brothers Bulger. As it is clearly the filmed version of the book, just a few changes on the surface and it is a thing of beauty on it's own version

I do believe this is the best series I've ever watched. As far as its authenticities go concerning accents and mannerisms, I can not attest to this. I can say however that the casting job was wonderful. The way this show is written allows the series to make a statement about how politics and organized crime (even at a small level) are very similar. Michael Caffee shows up in town after several years away to find his family where he left them. His Brother tommy is a politician and though they have chosen completely different lives, they seem to have the kind of bond that is missing in America today. Right off the back we find in the series how connected the whole town is based on their roots and having grown up together. All the gangsters, politicians, and everyone else seem to be quite intertwined in the general plots in the first series, but the most impressive character to me is Michael Caffee. I don't think I've ever seen a better casting job, and the strength in his face when he looks at the camera is truly exactly what you see in a street guys face. But as I said they are all perfectly cast. I cant imagine how the show could be better except I think there could be a bit more about what michaels doing sometimes because some gaps need to be filled. On the other hand I cant say that the more political episodes weren't good as they lay the ground for much of the general plot lines in the series and would if this were real life affect their lives more than Michaels entanglements. In a way this kind of sums up the two brothers personalities where michael being more in charge of his own life stays in the shadows, while Tommy's public life forces him to be more slippery and therefore is harder to control. In summation It is the best gangster show I've seen and only hope that unlike the sopranos it doesn't drift off the main focus. The only way this could happen i think is if they loose the balance of showing all the characters which happened very much in the sopranos.

Brotherhood is one of my new (and third) favorite television series. My other two favorites are Sopranos and The Wire. This series is similar in its genre to "Sopranos" and "The Wire" but it is MUCH DARKER. I highly recommend it to anybody who enjoys dark (in a violent, not funny, kind of way) films. In fact its one of the darkest depictions of the human condition I've ever seen on any screen. What separates this show from other gangster series (such as the Sopranos) is that it is almost impossible to find a character to like; unless of course you like bad guys (Michael is my favorite character). Rule #1 of Brotherhood is that there are NO GOOD GUYS; that is to say this series depicts the evil side of nearly every character in the series, including the women and children, hardly ever showing anyone in a positive light. The mothers are bad, the daughters are bad, the politicians are bad, and the gangsters are bad (but not much worse than the politicians by contrast; which I believe is one of the major themes of the show.) In Sopranos some of the gangsters are at least a slight bit likable but not in Brotherhood.

For those of you who don't already know, the story is based on the true life of James J. "Whitey" Bulger, the second longest running guy who is currently of the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted List. You can read about on Wikipedia (WARNING: reading about Whitey might spoil some of the upcoming events in the series as many of them are similar to events in his real life.) A lot of the details are changed like the time frame (Bulger reigned during the 80s) and the location (Bulger was in Boston, Michael is in Rhode Island). And yes, Whitey Bulger did has a brother who was into politics, going from President of the State Senate in Massachusetts to the President of UMASS, where he was working until his brother was added to FBI's Top Ten.

Overall the writing, acting (especially Michael), and directing are fantastic. I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in this genre, or in the Irish Mafia. I would not recommend it to children or sensitive adults simply because it's such a dark series, it is so well made it can even be depressing at times.

The setup of "Brotherhood" seems rather simple, but it works. The series is about two powerful and intelligent brothers, a gangster (Michael) and a politician (Tommy), who are always scheming to advance their respective agendas. Sometimes they work together, but more often they have serious personality clashes. In a nutshell, the series deals with the effects that their power games have on a lower-middle-class community in Providence, Rhode Island.

Part of me has a hard time believing the series' depiction of Providence as such a violent, chaotic town, but I suppose some suspension of disbelief is required for nearly all TV shows. But, for the most part, I find Brotherhood extremely realistic, especially in its depiction of the darker aspects of life - e.g. violence, domestic troubles, political backstabbing, and substance abuse.

A major theme of the series is that Providence is changing with the times. Michael in particular seems unable to accept that his old Irish neighborhood is becoming increasingly dominated by minorities, and that the family-owned businesses he loved as a kid are closing down and being replaced by corporations like Starbucks. I quite enjoyed the episodes which focused on this theme; the series, at times, is a pretty harsh condemnation of the corporatization of society and its effects on ordinary, working people in Michael's area.

Of course, the series isn't always so weighty, and it has other forms of appeal (namely sex, violence, and profanity, all of which feature in great abundance). If you're turned off by crassness and relentlessly vulgar people, "Brotherhood" probably isn't for you, though it does have some sensitive moments.

As much as I liked it, the first season did have a few weak points. Some of the political story-lines were repetitive, and occasionally I was put off by the dark tone. However, even during the weaker mid-season episodes, the actors consistently gave strong performances and held my attention. Jason Isaacs, who plays Michael, is incredibly charismatic, and manages to come across as both repugnant and sympathetic (a neat trick, huh?) The rest of the cast is great, too, but somehow Isaacs stands out.

The season ended on a pretty good cliffhanger, though I was left wanting a little more. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if season two gives me what I want. For now, though, I'm confident in asserting that "Brotherhood" is one of the best new TV shows in years, and I've been recommending it like crazy to my friends. It's addictive for all the right reasons.

This is now my absolute favorite series on television. I don't watch much television so, for me, this is a big compliment to the writers and creators of this show. This show has all the right ingredients; great actors, writing, and plot lines. This is a great combination that is sure to please even the most demanding viewers. Highly Recommended.

I was a big fan of "The Soprano's", but last season kind of turned me off. I still mourn the loss of "Six Feet Under", perhaps the best series I have ever seen.

With "Weeds" and a few promising series coming up (i.e. "Dexter"), I do believe Showtime is the "new" HBO. Bravo Showtime!