I binged the new comedy series “Brothers” because it pairs up a couple of longtime faves — Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. And while I didn’t instantly regret that, regret did come early — by the second episode. And it stuck around, mostly in the foreground or boiling over in the background all the way to the not-even-bitter end.
This tale, “Based on a True Rumor,” has the leads playing versions of themselves, “Brothers” in all but birth certificate. They’re flung together with their “TV families” in and around Austin, Texas, and we see the bros deal with marriage, fame and mostly parenting over the eight episodes.
And the moment that focus becomes clear, early in episode two, it’s hard to check back in on the show to see it through, no matter how devoted you are to these two.
The premiere sends Harrelson & Co. — Brittany Ishibashi plays his wife, and Oona Mei Yaffem (Kai) and Highdee Kuan (Olive) play his daughters — hippy bussing cross country from Malibu to Austin because Woody can’t figure out how to comfort oldest daughter Oliver after she’s jilted.
McConaughey is trying to compose a tribute to his late and celebrated father, when his brood — Natalie Martinez plays his wife, Nolan Almeida his 16 year-old son, with two much younger TV kids thrown in for laughs — become the least of his distractions.
Woody talks his bestie into taking off from tribute-writing for “one drink.” There’s a goofy “Uber Pool” ride with a couple of younger drunks and a driver who won’t turn off the AC no matter how much Woody “freon” shames him, and assorted mishaps on their way to bars they never quite get to.
Hey, brothers, that right THERE is your series. Eight episodes, one long Austin-and-points-South or wherever bacchanal or its married-guy equivalent, a “Hangover” with honky tonking, bull-riding, TMZ hitchhiking and whatever other mischief two guys who know better could get themselves into.
Virtually everything else that happens in the series could and should have been written out — father-son hunting trip, one’s son and the other’s daughter budding romance as the Big Dance approaches, even Matthew considering a political run. Little of that material plays, and the bits that do could have been shoehorned into a single night-long binge.
Holland Taylor takes on an elaborate drawl and all but steals the show as McConaughey’s boozy, blowsy mom.
“Mah INSIDES are STEAMIN’ lahk a CRAWfish boil!”
Kids get words of wisdom from Father Matthew and crack, “Wasn’t that from a Lincoln commercial?”
A tiny tot chirps “Awright awright awright ALL RIGHT,” only to be corrected in the number of those McConaugheys use. “Remember the copyright!”
Stoner environmentalist hippy parenting (with home schooling) is contrasted with a sterner “McConaugheys do NOT take SHORTCUTS” child-rearing generating little more than a smirk.
Each compliments the other’s parenting and husbanding, even if that isn’t funny. There are acting references and a “Dazed and Confused” tribute, also less than amusing, and an elaborate prank that lands flat.
Nothing comes close to that “pilot” episode, with Woody blissing “Let the universe UNIVERSE” their way through an evening finds a several giggles and promises more that never come.
I’ve never heard the rumor that they looked so much alike growing up that they could be siblings. Then again, there was a rumor one of them might run for office, and that’s addressed here.
But love these guys or not, do either of those plot threads sound like a fun series premise?
Rating: TV-MA, pot smoking, profanity
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Natalie Martinez, Brittany Ishibashi, Oona Mei Yaffem, Nolan Almeida, Skyler Gisondo and Holland Taylor.
Credits: Created by David West Read, Lee Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson. An Apple TV+ release.
Running time: Eight episodes @:30 each
