Product Details

• Actors: Jason Isaacs
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Mono)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Showtime Ent.
• DVD Release Date: October 7, 2008
• Run Time: 546 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000XCZGXG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,429 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Brotherhood - The Complete Second Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Set against the equally deadly worlds of politics and crime, Showtime's Brotherhood is television's new go-to series for gripping family drama in a post-Sopranos world. The violence can be sudden and shocking, but no less devastating are the words these conflicted characters wield at each other. "You are filth," compromised state representative Tommy Caffee (Jason Clarke) dismisses his dissatisfied wife, Eileen (Annabeth Gish), in the wake of learning about her drug-addled affair. The season ends with a confession by Tommy to his brother, Michael (Jason Isaacs), whose criminal actions have once again thwarted Tommy's political aspirations, that could be as near fatal as the beating Michael took at the end of season one. Michael begins this season in recovery and prone to seizures and blackouts. That doesnʼt stop him from lobbying local crime boss Freddie Cork (Kevin Chapman) to put him back to work. Meanwhile, sad-eyed Declan (Ethan Embry), a cop and childhood friend of the Caffees, is separated from his wife, Cassie (Georgie Lyman), on the outs at work, and in the grip of alcohol and drug abuse. Tommy and Eileen are a couple in appearances only, while their eldest daughter begins to display behavioral problems, from stabbing a classmate with a pencil ("Did it break the skin?" Tommy asks) to dabbling in marijuana. The Caffee family dynamic is perhaps best represented in the Thanksgiving episode, in which matriarch Rose (the venerable Fionnula Flanagan), abandons the family celebration for a hotel tryst, leaving the family members to scramble to make the holiday meal. Suffice to say, as one family member ruefully notes, "the Caffees donʼt do loving and supportive." A welcome addition to the excellent ensemble is Brian F. O'Byrne as Colin, a distant and not entirely trusted (by Rose) cousin from Ireland, who quickly becomes embroiled in the family's affairs on both sides of the law. Brotherhood's second season fulfills the promise of the first, ratcheting up the dysfunctional drama, political machinations, and crime complications (Michael runs afoul of the rival Italian mob after a truck hijacking goes awry). Every episode this season is named after a Bob Dylan song. Nothing is made of this. It's just a little something something that ensures our continued support for one of television's most compelling and addictive series. --Donald Liebenson

Product Description

No Description Available.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 5-FEB-2008
Media Type: DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Step Back But Still Among TV's Best, January 8, 2008

By 

Wesley Mullins (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

The first season of Showtime's dark, brooding Brotherhood spent time exploring its main characters, often at the expense of plot. So much of what most people loved about the first season involved the family dynamics, the personal struggle and angst and the fine line between love and hate. Just seeing the characters in their unique positions in life sufficed for a larger story.

The second season really couldn't repeat that. Viewers now know these characters and expected more concrete plots to accompany the character studies. Several long plots appear throughout the season, even though at times, the series feels misguided and directionless. The primary stories focus on Michael's physical, mental and emotional recovery from his beating at the end of Season, Tommy's tit-for-tat affair and the arrival of the Caffee's cousin Colin, a blue collar Irishman bent on reconnecting with his American family, including the father he never knew.

That last plot comes with a heavy price for most fans of the first season. To make room for Colin, the writers eliminated Michael's right hand Pete, a viewer favorite. Colin takes his place alongside Michael, performing his dirty work. Although a deeper more flexible character, Colin lacks the warmth and humanity of Pete, and the show suffers because of the trade.

Another change from Season 1 is the downward spiral of Declan. Along with his non-existent relationship with his wife, Declan's drug abuse worsens, and he finds himself in a moral neverland at work, having to betray the trust of his friends to keep his shield. Declan's duplicity is never better displayed than in the season's best episode, when he bribes voters to help re-elect Tommy, all with the approval of his supervisors who want the Caffee's blood.

Even though Brotherhood takes a step back in its second season, it's still among the best television has to offer. Sharply written, wonderfully acted and as serious and somber as a funeral, the often graphically violent drama both entertains and challenges viewers with a family so unlike any other family in the world, yet also so similar to us all.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keeps getting better and better, September 24, 2008

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brotherhood - The Complete Second Season (DVD)

Showtime's Irish answer to The Sopranos; Brotherhood manages to get better and better with each passing episode, and the second season is no different. Picking up a while after the first season concluded, season two begins with the Caffee family picking up the pieces. Michael (Jason Isaacs) is recovering from the brutal beating he took at last season's finale, and coping with the unexpected mental side effects to boot, all the while still trying to stay in the semi-good graces of crime boss Freddie Cork (Kevin Chapman). His politician brother Tommy (Jason Clarke) continues the campaign trail, and is drawn further and further away from his wife Eileen (Annabeth Gish) after learning of her infidelities. Things get even more complicated for the Caffee's when their estranged Irish cousin Colin (Brian F. O'Byrne) returns to The Hill to reconnect with the family, much to the chagrin of Michael and Tommy's mother Rose (the excellent Fionnula Flanagan). Also in this season, we witness the descent of cop Declan (Ethan Embry) whose life continues to spiral out of control. While there isn't anything on Brotherhood that hasn't been seen before, it still manages to provide plenty of entertainment for fans of gangster crime-dramas and back-office politics. Not to mention that by the time the season concludes, you'll be salivating for more. All in all, Brotherhood still manages to get better and better with each passing episode, and here's hoping that the best is yet to come.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gets better and better, August 25, 2008

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Showtime's Irish answer to The Sopranos; Brotherhood manages to get better and better with each passing episode, and the second season is no different. Picking up a while after the first season concluded, season two begins with the Caffee family picking up the pieces. Michael (Jason Isaacs) is recovering from the brutal beating he took at last season's finale, and coping with the unexpected mental side effects to boot, all the while still trying to stay in the semi-good graces of crime boss Freddie Cork (Kevin Chapman). His politician brother Tommy (Jason Clarke) continues the campaign trail, and is drawn further and further away from his wife Eileen (Annabeth Gish) after learning of her infidelities. Things get even more complicated for the Caffee's when their estranged Irish cousin Colin (Brian F. O'Byrne) returns to The Hill to reconnect with the family, much to the chagrin of Michael and Tommy's mother Rose (the excellent Fionnula Flanagan). Also in this season, we witness the descent of cop Declan (Ethan Embry) whose life continues to spiral out of control. While there isn't anything on Brotherhood that hasn't been seen before, it still manages to provide plenty of entertainment for fans of gangster crime-dramas and back-office politics. Not to mention that by the time the season concludes, you'll be salivating for more. All in all, Brotherhood still manages to get better and better with each passing episode, and here's hoping that the best is yet to come.