Brotherhood (American TV series)

Did You Know?

• Billy Smith played Jeff "Moe" Riley, a henchman who holds a grudge against Michael throughout the series.
• The show's third season DVD was billed as "The Final Season" after Showtime confirmed the series would not be renewed on June 29, 2009.
• Kevin Chapman, who played Freddie Cork, was later cast as Terrence Garrity on the FX series Rescue Me.

Production

Blake Masters, a New England native, created Brotherhood after previously selling screenplays to film studios without getting an original project produced. He initially pitched the premise as a feature film to executive producer Elizabeth Guber Stephen, inspired by the real-life Bulger brothers from Massachusetts. Stephen suggested it would work better as a series, and Masters agreed, finding the dynamic between the brothers sustainable and compelling. Masters and his agent Brant Rose presented the idea to Showtime, which financed a pilot episode; after viewing it, the network ordered a full season. Due to Masters' inexperience in television production, Showtime asked him to find a collaborator. Masters, a fan of Homicide: Life on the Street, recommended Henry Bromell, who had worked on that series as a writer and executive producer. A meeting arranged through Showtime led Bromell to join the production crew after being impressed by the pilot. Masters and Bromell served as executive producers, showrunners, and head writers across all three seasons. Masters wrote five episodes of the first and second seasons and three of the third; Bromell wrote three episodes of the first season, five of the second, and three of the third. Other writers included Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin, who wrote three episodes of the first season and served as co-executive producers, and Karen Hall, who wrote two episodes of the third season.

Plot synopsis and episode list

The series begins with the death of local Irish mob figure Patrick "Paddy" Mullin, allowing Michael Caffee to return to "The Hill" neighborhood of Providence after seven years in hiding. Michael relaunches his criminal business with friend Pete McConagle. His boss Freddie Cork tries to blackmail Michael's brother Tommy, a Rhode Island state representative, into awarding him lucrative contracts by threatening Michael's life; Tommy refuses. Michael arranges a temporary truce with Freddie. Tommy's wife Eileen hides her drug abuse and an affair with mailman Carl Hobbs. Michael uses threats to take over a local store, and Tommy defuses the owners' intention to press charges by directing them to police officer Declan Giggs, who warns against testifying. Michael also takes over a bar called Mulligans and rekindles his relationship with Kath Parry, who stands by him during a shootout with Russian mobsters. Tommy seeks help from Judd to prevent a highway through "The Hill", sacrificing independence. Carl ends his relationship with Eileen. Treasury agents raid Rose Caffee's home looking for counterfeit money but fail, damaging Tommy's political standing. Tommy pledges loyalty to the speaker of the house and later maneuvers to become house majority leader. Michael helps Declan dispose of a body after Declan's partner accidentally shoots an undercover FBI agent. Eileen's drug use worsens, leading to her arrest; Pete also struggles with addiction, and Michael takes him to Alcoholics Anonymous. Michael catches Tommy's daughter Mary Rose trying drugs and gives her a job at his store. Pete and Eileen find common ground.

Themes

At the heart of this series is the complicated bond between the Caffee brothers, whose opposing life choices constantly test the theme of loyalty within their family. Despite each brother’s efforts to carve out a distinct identity, they keep revealing how much they have in common. Both Michael and Tommy are driven by a desire to improve their neighborhood, one through crime and the other through politics, and the show draws a clear parallel between those two worlds. Corruption seeps into families, local communities, and city government, and this exploration of urban decay has drawn comparisons to the films of Sidney Lumet. Creator Blake Masters deliberately shaped Providence into a character of its own, and critics have noted how the characters’ moral ambiguity is mirrored in the muted colors of their environment. The Irish-American community of “The Hill” is central, and the series is seen as a study of ethnic identity. Jason Isaacs described Michael as someone with a rigid personal code who genuinely believes he serves his neighborhood better than his brother, whom he views as the truly corrupt one.

Reception

Showtime initially ordered a second season of the series after its first season drew only 540,000 viewers, a decision driven by strong critical reception rather than ratings. The second season aired in fall 2007 following Dexter, which lifted viewership to 651,000. A third season of eight episodes was greenlit on January 21, 2008. Critics frequently compared the show to The Sopranos, though some argued it more closely resembled The Wire in its detailed depiction of a working-class city, and they predicted it would face a similar challenge attracting an audience. LA Weekly went so far as to claim the series might deliver more satisfying emotional moments than The Sopranos' sixth season. The show was seen as part of a broader trend that brought Showtime's quality in line with HBO. Jason Clarke and Jason Isaacs earned widespread praise for their lead performances, and reviewers also commended the authenticity of the casting, even in minor roles, and the depth of the supporting characters. The Hollywood Reporter recommended the series as a must-watch during its debut summer, highlighting its ensemble of richly drawn characters. The Phoenix noted that Annabeth Gish's unconventional role as an adulterous addict could redefine her career. Variety's Phil Gallo described Isaacs' performance as the series' lifeblood. Frazier Moore of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer called the show a "masterpiece," and Gallo labeled it "the jewel Showtime has sought for years." Ginia Bellafante of The New York Times wrote that no other television show had better captured "the will to ethnic insularity." On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 71% approval rating, the second season 80%, and the third season 88%.