on life & other inconveniences

Last night, we reached the abrupt end of season two of Brotherhood, and I was bummed. After all, season three was shortened to just 8 episodes and then the show earned its marker in the graveyard of worthy canceled shows that just never caught on with an audience.

Brotherhood is probably the best, cutting-edge show to come along in recent years. I mean, I’d thought I’d seen just about everything possible on a tv show, but just when I think I can’t be surprised anymore, we watch another episode of Brotherhood and there’s another jaw-drop moment. Another, “I didn’t expect that.” The writing is strong and the premise of two brothers - one a politician, one a criminal - whose lives run parallel and often intersect with dramatic consequences - is a fresh twist. Both brothers are smart, cunning, capable of reading people and situations and manipulating those situations to produce the outcome they desire. They really aren’t so different.

At the end of the first season the writers, in a dramatic twist, pull the rug out from under both of them, and both begin the next season reeling from the blows. In Michael’s case, literally, as he struggles to recover from a beating that nearly killed him. He has to deal with the fact that he black-outs, that the criminals he works with would be only too happy to permanently dispose of him, and the allies in his family he’s relied on have started to see him for what he is. And yet Michael is a likable villain, and his vulnerability in season two makes him even more compelling. Brilliantly written, and the actor is exceptional in the role.

Politician Tommy has also been dealt a painful blow, and he’s off his game. He’s lost focus. Political opponents use this to their advantage and it seems every time Tommy turns around he’s got a new problem to contend with. The acting is fantastic, as is the writing.

What I can’t figure out is, why didn’t this show catch on with an audience? Why hadn’t I heard of it before? Tragic. I hope the creator comes back to us with more, because this is exactly the kind of show I want to see when I watch tv.

Oh, and that nice little moment, when Tommy is talking to a known criminal who works with his brother, and the criminal is talking about how well his kid is doing and then they talk about Tommy’s daughter stabbing another kid with a pencil… genius. Subtle, but effective.

I can’t help but think of the book industry when I think of what’s happened to Brotherhood, and a lot of the shows I’ve really liked over recent years. THE WIRE struggled to stay alive through its fifth and final season, which was also cut short with fewer episodes than preceding seasons. ENTERPRISE made its final journey about half way through a normal Star Trek series run. ROBBERY HOMICIDE lasted just 10 episodes. DEADLINE squeaked out 13.

Over the years, I’ve gradually lost faith in network television. The top quality programs have been relegated to HBO and Showcase, while network tv churns out more of the same. It seems the odd show that starts that seems to have potential to be something more doesn’t last long.

I know others have expressed to me faith that quality writing will triumph in the book business, and eventually those talented writers will find their audience, but the window of time to catch on with readers has narrowed in recent years, and Brotherhood’s cancelation is further proof to me that the same is increasingly true with television shows.

If you’re looking for something new to watch, and you like your shows intelligent, dark and gritty, check out Brotherhood. DVDs available on Netflix.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 at 1:27 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.