(S01E11) Matthew 22:10: The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.A big Irish wedding, and Freddie Cork finally makes a move, ordering a hit on pain-in-the-ass Michael (Jason Isaacs), after going back and forth every other week over whether they are friends or enemies. The first surprise is Pete, who appears at the wedding all cleaned up -- this, after the last time we saw him, snorting coke outside an AA meeting with Eileen Caffee (Annabeth Gish). Judging from the selection played at the wedding, music stopped developing around 1983. (Spoiler -- a big one -- after the jump.)
The entire cast attendeds the wedding. Though most, like Declan, are "on the job" in one sense or another. Ellis Franklin of the US Attorney's office seems to be playing both sides to nail Tommy. On the one hand he's got informant Marty Trio wired up to get the dirt on Tommy (Jason Clarke), and he's also tapped by kingmaker Judd to try and help convince Tommy to give a deposition against brother Mike and also Freddie Cork -- just to "short-circuit any smear campaign that might surface" when Tommy seeks higher office, as he surely plans to. Judd offers the world to Tommy. And all Tommy has to do is choose between loyalty to his criminal brother and basically every other thing he wants out of life. Declan's really become a much more interesting character late in the series. The high esteem in which his wife holds him is on the line here, and watch out for Declan when he loses that! This is very much Declan's episode, as we'll see soon.
Once Tommy begins to put it all together, and warns Freddie not to harm Michael, Freddie tells Tommy exactly what his brother really is: a plague on the neighborhood. Any threat made by Tommy is laughed off by Freddie, who has enough dirt on Tommy to ruin his career. Here at last, Freddie has called it. Michael really is a plague on the community. Tommy is capable of seeing this but has been incapable of acting against his family to this point. Michael and Tommy have a good scene, basically parting ways. Michael has said he would never hurt Tommy, and now Tommy asks him to do the one thing he doesn't want to -- leave again, and this time never come back. That, or Tommy must throw Michael "to the wolves." Michael tells him to do it. Simple as that.
Cut to surprise ending. Brotherhood has been renewed for a second season, which makes me wonder if what appears to have happened actually happened. The whole thing felt really sudden and abrupt. Is that it? Guy comes to town, stirs up everyone, gets bludgeoned in a fit of temper, the end? Hm, maybe Michael's not dead, which would be pretty cheap, if so. The sort of thing that happens in movies and on TV all the time, but I'd like to believe this premium-cable series is aspiring to a higher level than that. Or maybe he is dead, and the ten-episode second season will be about the neighborhood and the family dealing with the aftermath of his dead. To me it looks like his eyes are as he's laying there on the cold ground.
In the last shot Eileen, after some weeks of painful self-examination, turns to her husband Tommy. "We need to talk," she tells him. Boom, cut to credits, life goes on ...
How do you -- the few, the proud, the Brotherhood audience, feel about the series, and especially the way it ended (or didn't) for Michael Caffee?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-25-2006 @ 12:13AM
Omar said...
finally, i have been waiting for a couple weeks for this episode to air.
i knew michael was 'dead' when i heard that it had been renewed so i was really confused to say the least. if he is really dead, brotherhood is going to be a misleading title to the show. i have a feeling he isn't dead but more likely dying and will be in the hospital (ala first 3-4 episode of sopranos with tony) and will get out and tear some shit up.
i really enjoyed this show and hope it comes back the same way it left.
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9-25-2006 @ 10:17AM
Patty said...
Amazing show. Great old-school storytelling, but the finale was so disappointing. Why would so little effort go into the last episode when each other show leading up to it was a jewel? The characters seemed lethrgic somehow and the story had seemed to be leading up to a more epic climax. I understand the series has been picke up, but to have to wait an entire year to see what happens is unfair to the viewer. Each season ending to the Sopranos felt conclusive compared with this show's ending. Still it's been a powerful, kick-ass show.
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9-25-2006 @ 1:59AM
Nic Vescovo said...
there is a song during this episode that I am trying to find. the lyrics are "told me once/ I learned it well/ there ain't nothing here for me/ nothing here for me" any help would be much appreciated
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9-25-2006 @ 3:47AM
Bill Buster said...
An exciting finale even if it was crammed with melodrama with about half a dozen plot threads coming to a head all at once as if they were about to be finally resolved.
Could it be the producers had to change the ending after they learned of the series renewal? We won’t know how honorable their intentions towards the audience are until next season.
Question:
Does any know who performed that killer rendition of “Don't Think Twice, It's Alright” played under the end titles? Can’t find it at any of the big Internet music sites.
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9-25-2006 @ 1:53PM
mike said...
I wish the Sopranos had season finales as good as this. Compare this wedding episode with the squishy Sopranos wedding episode and tell me which one was better.
I thought Declan was going to do himself in. Didn't see the end coming. Michael has to be alive because, where would the show be without him?
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9-25-2006 @ 1:52PM
Jeff said...
good ending to an overall pretty good season. The "Dont think twice" cover is by Social Distortion. Nic the song you were asking for I believe was sung by "Flogging Molly" not 100% sure but I thought that was them
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9-25-2006 @ 1:51PM
Mark said...
I thought the last two episodes were two of the best TV shows I have ever seen. The finale was great. Bring the daughter into the hit situation was quite unexpected as was the ending.
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9-25-2006 @ 1:57PM
Nic Vescovo said...
I searched through Flogging Molly's songs, but I don't think they did it. Its from the scene where Tommy and Eileen are dancing at the wedding, slow acoustic song, sounds almost like dylan, lyrics "told me once/ I learned it well/ there ain't nothing here for me/ nothing here for me"
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9-25-2006 @ 2:08PM
Sherry said...
One of the best show's on TV. Is Michael dead? This is the big question. I hope NOT...he is the best part of the show.
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9-25-2006 @ 3:27PM
Palumbo said...
If the kill Michael, I will stop watching the show. For me there is nothing else interesting about it. Tommys wife is a whining spoiled junkie, and the rest of the cast is typical. His brains were practically coming out the back of his head. I've seen people die from less in real life. If they bring him back, it won't be believable.
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9-25-2006 @ 5:24PM
jeff smith said...
yeah the one where tommy was talking to freddy upstairs was the flogging molly song
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9-25-2006 @ 5:54PM
Hecubus said...
MICHAEL IS NOT DEAD.
Unfortunately, Showtime gave away that tidbit themselves after the credits for the season finale ended and the voice over announcer came on and said, "One brother's life hangs in the balance, the other brother... blah blah blah." I was a little shocked they just put that out there. I would prefer that Michael be dead as it shows how ballsy the producers and writers of Brotherhood really are. Plus I sort of saw it coming all season, as if these first 12 episodes were sort of the prologue to the rest of the show.
This has been one of the best shows I've seen this year. It's not perfect, but a damn fine program regardless.
Anyway, we'll see.
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12-13-2006 @ 10:27PM
Jason said...
Micheal is toast! It better be permanent. I won't believe that any main character is truly at risk otherwise. Looney theory... is Declan related to the Caffee's in any way? It could explain his loyalty to Tommy and his hatred for Micheal and make the title of the show relavent with Micheal dead.
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10-01-2006 @ 9:48PM
Bruce said...
An amazing finale -- all the intersecting characters converge in one place. Anywhere else that alone would be unbelievable, but I live in Rhode Island and have spent my career around RI crime and politics. Brotherhood nails it all right on the head in almost every detail.
Some observations: Michael offers to sacrifice himself to save Tommy, yet Tommy never warns Michael about Moe waiting to kill him in the parking lot. What does that say about Tommy's character?
I have no doubt that Michael survives to see another season, but wonder how any resolution can come to Declan, who once staked out the series' moral high ground and has now lost his honor, the trait that separated him from everyone else except his wife. It will take remarkable creativity to save Declan's character next season.
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9-26-2006 @ 2:47PM
Joe S said...
Great finale...I love this show! I would like to see a bit of joy sneak into these folks lives from time to time...but overall, this is really great writing.
I had a feeling that Michael was going to get it, but I never saw it coming from Declan. Funny...looking back...this series seems to be mostly about his (Declan's) fall from grace. At least that is the part that sticks with me. The rest of this bunch...Tommy included I'm afraid...are getting what they have coming to them.
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9-26-2006 @ 7:55PM
Chris said...
What a dilemma! I don't know if I want to watch this show anymore if Michael isn't in it. On the other hand, he sure looked dead. Any resolution that doesn't involve him being dead is probably going to seem pretty cheesy.
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9-26-2006 @ 9:29PM
AdvRider said...
Great finale. That wasn't a surprise ending -- that was a SHOCK ending. Did not see that coming. Agree with previous post that Michael will be hospitalized at the start of season II ala Tony Soprano. Maybe in a coma. Declan isn't apprehended at the scene, and later confides his secret to Tommy. Then Michael emerges from his coma ... can't wait! :)
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9-26-2006 @ 11:34PM
Rick Watson said...
Nic Vesco - your sond is " The Diving Bell " by Joe Henry
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9-27-2006 @ 9:52AM
rick watson said...
The song is " Diving Bell " by Joe Henry
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9-27-2006 @ 1:58PM
mike hunt said...
There is no way Michael is dead, he is the show, he is the spoon that stirs the pot. Great series. Excellent very exciting ending. Loved how the daughter is being brought into the family drama. There has to be more to Declan than meets the eye. Eileen is such a whore, loser, scum bag, I love it. I want to see her get nailed by Michael's right hand man. Cant wait for next season.
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