Brotherhood (2006 TV series)

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Brotherhood
The Caffee brothers
Promotional art
Genre Drama
Created by Blake Masters
Starring Jason Isaacs
Jason Clarke
Fionnula Flanagan
Annabeth Gish
Kevin Chapman
Ethan Embry
Fiona Erickson
Stivi Paskoski
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 21 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive
producer(s)		 Blake Masters
Henry Bromell
Elizabeth Guber Stephen
Location(s) Rhode Island
Running time approx. 55 min.
(commercial-free)
Broadcast
Original channel Showtime
Picture format 480i (NTSC)
1080i (HDTV)
Original run July 9, 2006 – present
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Brotherhood is an American television drama series created by Blake Masters. It is broadcast in the United States on the premium cable network Showtime. The show premiered on July 9, 2006 and ended its second season on December 2, 2007. The show has been renewed for a third season, which will consist of eight episodes.

Set and produced in Providence, Rhode Island, Brotherhood tells the story of the Irish-American Caffee brothers. Tommy Caffee (Jason Clarke) is a local politician, while his brother Michael (Jason Isaacs) is involved in the neighborhood's Irish Mob.

Brotherhood has received considerable critical acclaim, with critics particularly praising Masters' dark, complex writing, and the central performances of Clarke and Isaacs, but has yet to draw a larger audience.

Contents

[edit] Production

[edit] Conception

Brotherhood was created by New England-native Blake Masters. Prior to creating the series, Masters made a living selling screenplays to film studios; however, he never got an original project produced. Brotherhood was initially conceived as an idea for a feature film. After some input, Masters decided to adapt it into a television series, reasoning that "the dynamic between the brothers was sustainable and compelling." Masters presented the idea to cable network Showtime who were immediately receptive and ordered a pilot episode. After the pilot had been produced and shown to the executives, Showtime ordered an entire season.[1] Because of Masters' inexperience in producing television, Showtime executives asked him to find someone to help him spearhead the project. Masters, who was a fan of Homicide: Life on the Street, suggested Henry Bromell. A meeting was arranged between Masters and Bromell; Bromell was impressed with the pilot and accepted Masters' offer to join the production staff as a writer/executive producer.[2]

[edit] Crew

Besides Masters and Bromell, the only writers the show has had is the writing team of Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin, who wrote three episodes of the first season. Prestwich and Yorkin were brought on as writers through Bromell, whom they had worked with on the HBO series Carnivàle. Masters wrote five episodes of the first season and Bromell wrote three. The second season was written entirely by Masters and Bromell, who contributed five episodes to the 10-episode season each.

The pilot episode was directed by Phillip Noyce. Noyce's background in film drew some praise for his strong visual sense direction of the pilot but was also criticized for distracting from the writing and not fitting with the direction of later episodes.[3] Ed Bianchi has directed both season finales. Masters and Bromell have also directed episodes of the series.

[edit] Sets and locations

The series is filmed on location in Providence, RI. The Providence Journal editorialized on the production as follows:

The production of Showtime's The Brotherhood has enlivened Providence streets on and off for months.... An occasional loss of parking spaces to film crews and tax dollars for incentives to bring them here sets some teeth to grinding, but few don't feel the tingle of curiosity when approaching one of those star trailers.... Movies mean money, and film festivals lubricate our celloid (sic) culture in preparation for more.

—Editorial, Our own little Hollywood, Providence Journal August 22, 2007, p. B 4, see[4].

Some scenes were filmed at the Olneyville New York System Restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island.[5] In May 2007 the show's camera crews went to Woonsocket, Rhode Island, to film various street scenes and buildings in that city for inclusion in future episodes of the show.

[edit] Cast and characters

Main article: Characters of Brotherhood
  • Jason Isaacs plays Michael Caffee, a lifelong criminal who has just returned home, after a self-imposed seven-year exile when a hit was put on him, hoping to pick up where he left off.[6]
  • Jason Clarke plays Tommy Caffee, Michael's brother and ambitious member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives who is not above bending the rules.[6]
  • Annabeth Gish plays Eileen Caffee, Tommy's lonely wife who tries to fill the void in her life with drugs and an affair with the mailman.[6].
  • Fiona Erickson plays Mary Rose Caffee, Tommy and Eileen's eldest daughter.
  • Madison Garland plays Lila Caffee, the middle daughter. Kaliey Gilbert plays Noni Caffee, the youngest.
  • Ethan Embry plays Declan Giggs,a Rhode Island State Police detective who is investigating the Caffee brothers despite having known them since childhood. He often blurs the line between investigating them and protecting them.[6]
  • Kevin Chapman plays Freddie Cork, an Irish-American gang leader and Michael's very stern, no-nonsense boss; he is frequently in conflict with Michael and he often blackmails Tommy.
  • Stivi Paskoski plays Pete McGonagle, a recovering alcoholic who quickly makes himself Michael's partner when Michael returns to town.

[edit] Plot synopsis and episode list

Main article: List of Brotherhood episodes

[edit] Season 1: 2006

The death of a local mob figure, Patrick "Patty" Mullin, allows for the return of Michael Caffee to "The Hill" neighborhood in Providence, RI. Caffee had been in hiding for seven years after the man vowed to kill him. Upon returning he begins to re-assume his old criminal business alongside his friend Pete McConagle. Michael's boss Freddie Cork tries to blackmail Michael's politician brother Tommy Caffee into assigning him lucrative contracts with a threat to kill Michael. Tommy refuses to be swayed and tells Freddie that he does not care about Michael. Michael manages to arrange a temporary truce with Freddie. Eileen Caffee is cheating on her husband Tommy with Carl Hobbs and is also concealing drug use from her family.[7][8]

Michael takes over a local store with threats. Tommy diffuses the owners intentions to press charges by passing her on to Declan Giggs, an officer who was once friends with the Caffees. Giggs tells her it is too dangerous to testify against the Irish gangs.[9][10] Michael also takes over a local bar named Mulligans.[11][12] He rekindles his relationship with Kath Parry and realises how much she cares for him when she stands by him through a shoot out with Russian mobsters.[13][14]

Tommy turns to Judd for help in preventing a highway being built through "The Hill" and is forced to give up more of his independence.[15][16] Carl ends his relationship with Eileen.[15][16] Treasury agents raid Rose Caffee's residence looking for counterfeit money belonging to Michael. They are unsuccessful but the scandal costs Tommy further political capital and he pledges his loyalty to the speaker of the house.[17][18] Tommy uses his political influence to turn a profit[19][20] but is outraged when he finds the speaker of the house stealing.[13][14] Tommy maneuvers his way to the house majority leader position.[13][14]

Michael helps Declan dispose of a body after Declan's partner unwittingly shoots an undercover FBI agent. Eileen's drug use intensifies and she is arrested for erratic behavior; Pete also gives in to his addiction and Michael takes him to alcoholics anonymous. Tommy's eldest daughter Mary Rose is caught trying some of her mothers drugs by Michael and he gives her a job in his store to keep an eye on her.[19][20] Pete and Eileen realize their common ground.[13][14]

A bus crash on the way back from a football game leaves several residents of "The Hill" dead. The accident was caused by the suicide of Freddie Cork's son who was homosexual. Michael uses this information to manipulate Freddie. Freddie pressures Tommy into ensuring that his son receives a Catholic burial. Carl is also killed and Eileen resolves to atone for her sins. Marty Trio's wife is also killed and he finally decides to work with the police.[21][22]

Neil Caffee arrives in town and Michael and Tommy form an uneasy alliance to get rid of their father. Rose confronts Michael about how he makes his living. Tommy discovers that his daughter has been working for Michael ending their period of co-operation.[23][24] Everyone in "The Hill" attends a big Irish wedding, as Tommy Caffee tries to avoid a legal trap set up by an ambitious U.S. Attorney, who has promised him immunity if he will testify about Michael's dealing with Freddie. He must also protect his brother from being whacked by Moe Riley, who has been released from prison and is out for revenge. Declan finds his partner may be a dirty cop and must decide where his loyalty lies. He blames Michael for making him "go bad" and attacks him.[25][26]

[edit] Season 2: 2007

Showtime renewed the show for a second season, consisting of 10 episodes (bringing the total number of episodes to 21). The 10 episodes began production sometime in the fall/winter '06 and began airing on September 30th, 2007. On July 18, 2007, the first two episodes of season 2 were leaked to the internet in torrent form[27].

Episodes for the second season began airing September 30th, 2007, with ten episodes in all, and ended on December 2nd.

[edit] International broadcasters

 This section does not cite any references or sources. (June 2007)
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Country TV Network(s) Series Premiere Weekly Schedule
Flag of Australia Australia Showtime April 2, 2007
Flag of Brazil Brazil FX Latin America
Flag of Canada Canada The Movie Network and Movie Central Mon-Fri 11pm
Flag of Finland Finland JIM February 26, 2007
Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong Fox Crime July 16, 2007 Mondays 10pm
Flag of Ireland Ireland Channel 6 April 15, 2007
Flag of Italy Italy FX Italia September 2006
Flag of Japan Japan Fox Crime June 7, 2007
Flag of the Philippines Philippines FOX Crime January 2008 Tuesday 10pm
Flag of Poland Poland Universal Channel December 2007
Flag of Portugal Portugal FX September 2007
Flag of South Africa South Africa M-Net November 2006
Flag of Sweden Sweden SVT January 2008
Flag of Turkey Turkey FX Network April 2008 Thursday 10pm
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom FX Network October 2006
Flag of the United States United States Showtime July 9, 2006

[edit] Themes

The series focuses on the concept of brotherhood through the antagonistic relationship between the Caffee brothers.[28][29][3] Through its examination of family the show makes loyalty a recurring theme.[30][31] Though the two brothers follow different paths and try to assert their differences from one another they often prove similar.[3][30] The show portrays Michael and Tommy striving for the good of their neighborhood through politics and crime, which are often portrayed as similar.[3] Corruption and the way it infiltrates families, neighborhoods and governments is another theme.[31] The examination of big city corruption has been compared to the work of Sidney Lumet.[3]

Masters has admitted an intention to make the city of Providence a character in the show.[32] The Hollywood Reporter noted the parallels between the morally grey areas inhabited by the characters and the muted tones of their surroundings.[28] "The Hill" is dominated by Irish Americans and the show has been characterised as examining ethnicity.[3][33]

[edit] Michael's morality

In an interview relating to the series, Jason Isaacs described Michael as follows: "Well actually, Michael Caffee is not a bad guy. I wouldn't have done this if he was a bad guy. He's a really interesting man. He has a really strict ethical code that he adheres to and he thinks he is better for the neighborhood and the future of the city than his brother is. He thinks his brother is corrupt. He's part of the system." [34]

[edit] Reception

[edit] Viewing figures

Despite having a subpar total viewership of 540,000, Showtime renewed the series for a second season which aired in Fall 2007. It has also been renewed for a third season with eight episodes as of January 21, 2008.[35]

[edit] Critical response

Many critics compared the series to The Sopranos.[29][3][30][31] Some felt that it was actually closer in tone to another HBO drama, The Wire,[3][31] in terms of portraying "a fine-textured portrait of a blue-collar city"[29] and predicted comparable under performance in terms of finding an audience.[29] LA Weekly stated that the show may be more satisfying for viewers than the sixth season of The Sopranos in terms of emotional payoff.[3] Critics have characterized the show as being part of a wave of programming that puts Showtime on a level pegging with their pay cable rival HBO in terms of quality.[31]

Critics have praised the central performances of Clarke and Isaacs.[29][3][31][33] They have also commented on the authenticity in casting down to the minor roles and the strong characterization of the supporting cast.[28][29][3] The Hollywood Reporter named the show as the one to watch over the summer it debuted and stated that the ensemble of well drawn characters created a "reality that speaks to the collision of interests, the dispersal of power and the impossibility of effective compromise."[28] The Phoenix picked out Annabeth Gish's against type role as an adulterous addict as potentially re-defining her career.[29] Variety said that Isaacs performance as Michael provided the lifeblood of the series by grabbing the attention.[33]

The Seattle Post Intelligencer described the show as a "masterpiece."[30] Variety called it "the jewel Showtime has sought for years."[33]

The show has been criticized as lacking the humorous approach of Italian-American gangster stories like A Bronx Tale, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos.[36] The show has also been described as initially off putting due to its flawed characters but more involving as it progresses.[31]

[edit] Awards

The show was a 2007 Peabody Award winner.[37]

[edit] DVD release

Season 1 is currently available on DVD, while season 2 is currently slated to be released August 19th, 2008.

Season 1 episodes 1 & 2 were released as bonus features on Dexter (TV series) The First Season, Disc 4.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Braun, Kyle. Blake Masters Interview - Brotherhood. UGO. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  2. ^ Thomas, Rachel. An Interview with Blake Masters and Henry Bromell of Brotherhood. About.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Robert Abele. Family Circle. LA Weekly. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  4. ^ Providence Journal. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
  5. ^ Also filmed at St. Mary's Academy Bay View school in East Providence. Olneyville NY System Restaurant. Retrieved on 2006-09-15.
  6. ^ a b c d e Brotherhood — Characters. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  7. ^ Brotherhood — Episode 1 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  8. ^ "Mark 8:36". Blake Masters. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-07-09. No. 01, season 1.
  9. ^ Brotherhood — Episode 2 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  10. ^ "Genesis 27:29". Henry Bromell. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-07-16. No. 02, season 1.
  11. ^ Brotherhood — Episode 5 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  12. ^ "Matthew 12:25". Henry Bromell. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-08-06. No. 05, season 1.
  13. ^ a b c d Brotherhood — Episode 8 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  14. ^ a b c d "Job 31:5-6". Henry Bromell. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-08-27. No. 08, season 1.
  15. ^ a b Brotherhood — Episode 3 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  16. ^ a b "Matthew 13:57". Dawn Prestwich. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-07-23. No. 03, season 1.
  17. ^ Brotherhood — Episode 4 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  18. ^ "Matthew 5:6". Blake Masters. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-07-30. No. 04, season 1.
  19. ^ a b Brotherhood — Episode 6 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  20. ^ a b "Samyutta 11:10". Dawn Prestwich. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-08-13. No. 06, season 1.
  21. ^ Brotherhood — Episode 9 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  22. ^ "Ecclesiastes 7:2". Henry Bromell. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-09-10. No. 09, season 1.
  23. ^ Brotherhood — Episode 10 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  24. ^ "Vivekchaudamani: 51". Dawn Prestwich. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-09-17. No. 10, season 1.
  25. ^ Brotherhood — Episode 11 Synopsis. Showtime. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  26. ^ "Matthew 22:10". Blake Masters. Brotherhood. Showtime. 2006-09-24. No. 11, season 1.
  27. ^ Massive Leak of Pre-Air TV Shows: Piracy or Promotion?. TorrentFreak (2007-07-24). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  28. ^ a b c d Barry Garron. Brotherhood. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g Justine Elias. Wired. The Phoenix. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  30. ^ a b c d Frazier Moore. Blood ties run deep in Brotherhood. Seattle PI. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g Alessandra Stanley. In Showtime's Brotherhood, Crime and Politics Meet in Providence. New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-09-28.
  32. ^ Bill Keveny. In the small world of Brotherhood, blood is thick. USA Today. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  33. ^ a b c d Phil Gallo. Brotherhood. Variety. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  34. ^ YouTube - Jason Isaacs talks about Brotherhood
  35. ^ Denise Martin. Showtime gives 2nd shot to 'Brotherhood'. Variety. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
  36. ^ Linda Strasi. Fighting Irish. New York Post. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  37. ^ 66th Annual Peabody Awards Winners Announced. peabody.uga.edu. Retrieved on 2006-05-14.

[edit] External links