The saga of polar opposite Irish brothers constantly thrust in each other's way, while struggling to survive regular doses of crime and corruption, continues Sunday, when
Brotherhood returns for a second season. The story of Tommy and Michael Caffee carries on in the Providence, Rhode Island town known as The Hill.
In Sunday's sophomore season opener, Michael, played by Liverpool-born
Jason Isaacs, is back after nearly getting pummeled to death in last season's final episode.
"Last year, Michael was an unstoppable force and utterly fearless," Isaacs said of his
Brotherhood alter ego. "Now, with his head smashed to pieces like a watermelon, there were three choices for where to go next: one, kill him off; two, ignore the injuries and let him pop out of the shower this season like Bobby Ewing; or three, deal with what would really happen after that kind of beating - brain damage."
What happens to him in this upcoming season may or may not be a welcome evolution in Isaac's character. The once steely-eyed, master tactician is reduced to a man who can't even recall where goodies and snacks are stashed in his mother's kitchen. For someone so accustomed to maneuvering and strategizing in the perpetual jockey for power and position, the consequences of his attack have far-reaching implications.
"The worst thing in the world for a man like Michael is to show weakness," Isaacs declared. "He is prey to fits and emotional instability. He has lost his ability to strategize. His short-term memory, too. Michael has to write everything down. That's not a great thing for a criminal."
Darkly mysterious and onerous, Michael had little in the way of redeeming qualities when he emerged from the uncertainty of a seven-year disappearance. Despite his character's unsavory tinge however, Jason Isaacs insists that it isn't at all fair to call him
Brotherhood's resident evil.
"Michael's always been a good guy," Isaacs defended. "He has an absolute sense of what right and wrong is, and in his head, he's doing the right thing, all the time. And when occasionally he does the wrong thing, he carries the weight of it in his conscience."
Find out what becomes of Michael and the rest of the Caffee household when
Brotherhood returns with its second season tomorrow at 10pm on Showtime.
-Rosario Santiago, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: AP
(Image Courtesy of Showtime)