Family ties
For a closer look at some good, old-fashioned, rule-bending Americans, tune in for Showtime's "Brotherhood" (10 p.m. Sundays). The show finally hit its stride with last Sunday's episode, which featured the same thug antics and underhanded dealings we've seen so far, but also veered into uncharted territory, revealing new dimensions to each of the main characters that enrich the story and draw us, as viewers, deeper into the series.
After demonstrating nothing but loyalty for prodigal son Michael, Rose Caffee (Fionnula Flanagan) finally broke down and let a little anger seep through her supportive facade when FBI agents tore her home apart in search of a stash of Michael's counterfeit cash. Rose gamely cleans up the house with Michael (Jason Isaacs) after the agents leave, brushing off the whole affair with the wave of a hand until she discovers one of her mother's old albums, broken in half during the search. Upon informing Michael that her mother had purchased the album right after moving to America, she glared fiercely at him as she held up the two pieces of the record, then threw it on the floor and stormed out. There's nothing like that moment when a character finds herself giving in to an emotion that she's painstakingly kept at bay for so long.
While Tommy Caffee (Jason Clarke) continues his struggle to remain unsullied by the dirtiness of politics and to stay out from under anyone else's thumb, somehow we're starting to understand how disgraced he feels over having to cater to powerful men in order to honor his ideals and serve his constituency. Still, the writers do a great job of toying with our understanding of Tommy's moral fiber. When he starts to purchase real estate in an area that's about to be bulldozed to create a waste management site, and urges his brother-in-law, acting as his lawyer, not to mention his name or use it on any of the documents, we think Tommy is trying to make a quick profit with his inside knowledge. Later, he tries to convince the speaker of the house to pay the other residents of the neighborhood 10 percent over the purchase price of the last five houses sold -- houses that he attempted to buy for more than they were worth. In other words, he bent the rules strictly to ensure that his constituents would make a fair amount on the sale of their houses.
That sort of Robin Hood behavior seems to be Tommy's strength and his weakness. As he's finding out, it's impossible to remain uncorrupted by the system when every single transaction depends on compromises and setting aside your ideals for the greater good.
Later, at a chummy gathering of drunk politicians, the speaker asks Tommy to recite the Kipling poem from Tommy's office, clearly intent on making light of his stubbornly idealistic stance. Recognizing that he's being messed with but not seeing any clear way out of the situation, Tommy sits for several minutes as the group chuckles, then begins, shakily, reciting the poem, his voice gaining in strength as he starts to express its meaning in spite of the atmosphere.
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too..."
The room grows quiet as Tommy finishes the poem, which gracefully sums up the compromises he's being forced to make in order to make his way in the dirty world of politics.
More than anything, "Brotherhood" focuses on these compromises and sacrifices we make for our families and for those we serve. Tommy is crippled politically by his brother Michael's illegal dealings, Rose's house is torn apart by it, Eileen (Annabeth Gish), Tommy's wife, is lonely to the point of desperation thanks to Tommy's preoccupation with his role as a politician, but they all put on their best faces and continue to stand by each other. The cracks are starting to show, though, which is why this series is just starting to shine. I'm sure you'll enjoy it very much when you watch the whole thing on some hot summer weekend next year.
About the writer
Heather Havrilesky is Salon's TV critic. She also maintains the rabbit blog. You can find more of her columns in the I Like To Watch directory.
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