Brothers Review: Matthew McConaughey And Woody Harrelson's Charms Go To Waste In A Comedy Lacking Laughs And Purpose
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson appeared together at this year's Emmys to present the award for best comedy series and then proceeded to giggle and goof around for what felt like forever, trying to fill time in a show that was running short. In hindsight, that interminable comedy act was actually a pretty accurate preview of what we could expect from "Brothers," the duo's new Apple TV comedy that debuted Wednesday on the streamer. (I've seen the first three episodes.) "Brothers" is a pairing in search of a premise, hampered by strained hi-jinks, an aimless tone, and a distinct lack of laughs. It's understandable that someone would try to turn McConaughey and Harrelson's unique bond into sitcom gold... but this attempt misses the mark by a cavernously wide margin.
McConaughey and Harrelson play comedically heightened versions of themselves here, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"-style, as Woody packs up his family in an eco-friendly bus and drives from L.A. to Austin to reconnect with his old pal Matthew. "Brothers" has the thinnest wisp of a premise in that it's "based on a true rumor" that McConaughey and Harrelson are actually related, based on a late-night chat Woody has in the premiere with Matthew's boozy mom (played by TV veteran Holland Taylor) where she heavily implies she "knew" Woody's dad, in the Biblical sense. But mostly, it's a vehicle for the two stars to hang out and razz each other: Woody smokes weed and avoids his family while Matthew rambles on with pseudo-philosophizing he borrowed from his own car ads.
The stakes are so low, they're subterranean
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are also credited as co-creators of "Brothers" — "The Office" alum Lee Eisenberg serves as showrunner — so they only have themselves to blame for the show's lazy, hacky comedy style. At first, I thought this must be penned by the writers of "Entourage," because the overriding message seems to be: Women are difficult! The female characters here are either loudly annoying, like an obnoxious campaign manager played by comedy staple Lisa Gilroy, or quietly adoring, like Matthew's wife Valentina, played in a thankless role by "Bad Monkey" co-star Natalie Martinez. But really, the entire show, regardless of gender, is plagued by broad caricatures, cartoon-level complications, and not even a whiff of genuine depth or conflict.
The stakes are so low here, they're practically subterranean, with the episodes wandering between half-formed storylines in a daze. Matthew decides to run for governor of Texas? Okay! Matthew rides a bull at a rodeo? Sure, why not? Woody gets Matthew's kids a puppy, and Matthew isn't sure about it? Ho ho, now we're cooking with comedy gas! The show even tacks on a bizarre crime element that doesn't fit at all, just to stir up some drama that isn't earned and doesn't end up amounting to anything anyway. It's like Apple TV got McConaughey and Harrelson to sign on to star in a TV show and said, "We'll figure the rest out later!"... and then they never did.
The actors do what they can, but the material just isn't there
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson do have great, goofy chemistry together, dating back to their days on the peerless first season of HBO's "True Detective," and they both admirably bring their A game here. McConaughey has an ease with comedy that makes me wish we could see him put it to use in a worthwhile script, and it's a pleasure to see Harrelson back on a TV sitcom again, 30 years after "Cheers," bringing a zonked-out, space-cadet charm to the proceedings. Holland Taylor tries her best, too, as Ma Mac, Matthew's spray-tanned mom with helmet hair who says things like "My insides are steaming like a crawfish boil" with a honey-dipped drawl.
But the material just isn't there, and the main duo's combined charms can only go so far. I'm not sure I've ever seen a TV show with less reason to exist than "Brothers." In fact, it plainly wouldn't exist at all, if McConaughey and Harrelson hadn't been looking for a project to work on together. Without those two as the stars, these scripts would evaporate and float away on the wind. I'm sure it's a lot of fun to hang out with these two guys in person, and I'm sure they had a lot of fun making this show. We just don't have a lot of fun watching it.
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Apple TV's "Brothers" squanders Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson's chemistry on lazy jokes and a distinct lack of purpose.
The first two episodes of "Brothers" are streaming now on Apple TV; if you've seen it, give it a grade in our poll and let us know what you thought in the comments.