Customer Reviews

Brotherhood: Three Season Pack

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Though, sadly, it ended after only 3 seasons, Showtime's "Brotherhood" was a
well-written, well-acted series about conflicts within an Irish-American
family based in Rhode Island who has ties that extend on both sides
of the law, and ultimately of wrong & right.
Part Irish mob drama and part cop / city political intrigue drama,
"Brotherhood" covered a lot of ground during it's short run and did
it in such a way that was easy to follow.
For some reason, it just couldn't find a huge audience like HBO's SOPRANOS
did and it was cancelled earlier this year.
However, this is a great box-set of all 3 seasons for a decent price
to have this in your collection for those days when there's absolutely
nothing on the over 125 channels that you already have!--Good stuff.

This series, whether acknowledged or not, was inspired by the Bulger brothers of Boston, whose story is detailed in a number of books, among them "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob" by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. James "Whitey" Bulger, a brutal career criminal, rose to control the Irish mob in Boston while his brother Billy rose to be the kingpin of Massachusetts politics. As an FBI informant, James Bulger cannily exploited the FBI's tunnel-vision focus on the Boston mafia to the point his FBI handler, whose roots, like Bulger's, were in South Boston, sabotaged efforts by the State Police to bring Bulger down. Alerted by his FBI handler that indictments against him were coming down, Bulger disappeared in 1995. Despite a spot on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List and a $2-million reward, he remains at large. (Bulger's FBI handler was sentenced to 10 years for racketeering in 2002.)

Here, the setting is shifted from Boston to Providence, RI, and while there are alterations and embellishments in the name of dramatic license, the major elements of the Bulger brothers' story remain in Tommy Caffee's ascendance in the State Legislature; in Michael Caffee's wresting control of the local Irish mob and in his relationship with the local mafia family; in the FBI's arrogance and single-minded pursuit of the mafia; in the fierce tribalism of the Irish community; in the series' denouement.

I found none of the characters particularly likeable or sympathetic. That is not, however, a reflection on the acting, which is uniformly top-notch, it's just the nature of the story. (The one quibble I have is that the facial features of the actors playing the Caffee brothers are so disparate that not even fine acting convinced me they were brothers.) Though neither the story nor the characters are as rich as those of The Wire or The Sopranos, this series is one worth owning.

Update: Whitey Bulger and his girl friend Catherine Greig were arrested in Santa Monica, California, in June 2011. While the mystery of Bulger's whereabouts has been solved, the mystery of how he and Greig eluded authorities for 16 years has not, as of this note. That story, or what passes for it (my money is on the full truth never coming out), will be fodder for books, certainly, and perhaps a movie or mini-series.

I caught unto this series via the Dexter box sets we purchased at a local Target store (series 1 & 2 which were on sale). Included with each was a complete 2-episode teaser from season 1 & 2 from the Brotherhood. Needless to say, we had to have the Dexter Season 3 and now wait anxiousily for Season 4-Dexter! The fact of the matter is I got hooked on the Brotherhood series thru Dexter and I am now waiting for it to arrive in the mail! This show is so great and no, it's not an Irish Sopranos!!! It's terriffic!!! Showtime was real smart to throw in teasers like this; especially for folks like myself who do not subscribe to Showtime (the new HBO). Keep up the good work Showtime!!! You got me to purchase the entire set of the Brotherhood in one swoop!

Well written and beautifully acted: Brotherhood is a solid drama. I don't know why I don't hear more about it. Annabeth Gish is brilliant in the series (I think she's the best thing in a very good show) but, in my opinion, somewhat underused. I know it's supposed to be about 'brotherhood' so obviously it's male oriented but the community and the families are a huge part of the show and the writers could have given Gish way more than they do. In missing out Eileen's confession to her husband by leaving it as an inter-season occurence (seasons 1 to 2), I felt the writers did not only the actors a total disservice but also me as a viewer who had been watching the entire first series build to that very moment. I watched the second season opener with such anticipation for that scene and was sorely disappointed that it was left to the imagination. Ah well, I will continue to watch it as I find it very enjoyable - they build tension very well and the characters are constructed and portrayed so that you care about them very quickly. Is it wrong that I prefer the gangster brother to the politician?

The triple-pack is better value than getting all three separately too, I found...

I purchased this set mainly for my husband and found I can't stay away from it. We are nearing the end of the series and have thoroughly enjoyed it - already sharing it with friends. Much like the Soprano series and definitely R-rated but enjoyable. And worth the investment.

This is an incredible series - I don't know why I never knew of it when it was actually airing! The characters are sometimes heinous, sometimes wonderful, the story line is fantastic with two brothers (one good(?), one evil(?)) faced off against each other. The whole family is full of difficult, but compelling people, who get under your skin, despite their flaws. My only complaint about this series is that it only lasted 30 episodes. I wish they would bring it back - I would tell all my friends to watch it.

I had previously rented the entire pack, since I do not have the cable station it played on. I loved it. We all have dysfunctional families but I think this is my vote for the top ten (Six Feet Under might be number one). I purchased the entire pack to give to my son for Xmas. I hope he likes it as much as I did.

This Showtime television drama ran between 2006 and 2008. The series compares favorably with the HBO dramas, "The Wire" and "The Sopranos", in writing, direction and acting. It interrelates the operation of the mob and government through the lives of two brothers, one a brutal Irish mob figure, and the other a conflicted State Representative in Providence, RI.
The characters are well drawn, the acting--particularly from the main characters--is extraordinary, and the story is absorbing throughout the three seasons. The moral dilemmas and human frailty portrayed are thought provoking.
My only complaint is a technical one. The DVDs skipped often during the credits, giving me little opportunity to review the actors and crew.

I loved it It can be Brutal not for the faint of heart. Its a much more grittier version of the Soprano's and i suspect pretty accurate. Some outstanding performances well worth it Def some award winning acting in there The wife ,the grandmother, Michael and of course Tommy the good son :) Actually i think ill watch it again tonight been awhile :)

Got this for my husbands birthday. It 's hard to find gifts for him that he likes, but this dvd set was playing immediately after opening!!!!