Brotherhood News

12/1/2008

10/18/2008

Great mob drama on TV didn't disappear when "The Sopranos" said goodbye. If you're still going through withdrawal, your fix has been here all along.

Showtime's "Brotherhood" is the most underappreciated show on TV. Even on its own network, "Dexter" gets all the glory. It's to the point the upcoming third season will only get eight or nine episodes, and it was lucky to get that. It's baffling really - here's an intense drama that touches all the same bases as "The Sopranos," with perhaps an even finer ensemble of actors. Certainly Jason Clarke as Rhode Island politician Tommy Caffee and Jason Isaacs as his mobster brother Michael are two of the most fascinating characters on TV, and their family ties are put to the test in Season Two. As Michael recovers from his bashed-in head at the end of last season, he aims to take out crime boss Freddie (Kevin Chapman) -a fight that brings more bloodshed to 'The Hill' and more problems for Tommy, whose career ambitions keep getting thwarted by his brother's reputation (this is all inspired by two real-life Massachusetts brothers, by the way).

The supporting cast is even sharper this season, especially Ethan Embry as self-destructive cop Declan and the great Fionnula Flanagan as family patriarch Rose (where is this woman's name at Emmy time?). It doesn't start with the same zing as Season One, but by the end of its second year "Brotherhood" was clicking like few shows on TV. In fact, Sopranos fans may recognize that same bliss they felt in the early years.

As for bonus features, there's only one, and it's lame: The Season Three premiere episode of, you guessed it, "Dexter." Even on its own DVD, "Brotherhood" can't win.