In the premiere of Brothers, we learned more about the friendship between Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, playing fictionalized versions of themselves spending time together with their families in Austin.
The second of two-episode premiere, “The Hunt,” deepens the bond, the mystery, and the comedy.
Setting up the campaign
Matthew is going full bore on his plans to run for governor of Texas. That means buttoning things up, preparing a platform, and trying to get the campaign set. The first task is to pick out someone to help manage the campaign. So, Matthew and his wife (Natalie Martinez) are conducting interviews in the barn.
They meet with a real go-getter (Lisa Gilroy). It doesn’t so much seem like they are interviewing her as she is interviewing and vetting them. She has plenty of suggestions, seemingly taking Matthew’s earnest folksy vibe as something of a campaign strategy. By the end, she’s ready to turn him into a winner, but is he ready for all of what that will mean?
Matthew doesn’t have much time to dwell on the meeting. It’s his son Wyatt's (Noah Almeida) birthday. And in fine, McConaughey tradition, he has a plan for some father-son bonding. He gives Wyatt a rifle and announces the hunt will be on in the morning.
Hunt goes sideways
The next day, Matthew wakes up his son early. His son doesn’t seem that excited for hunting — nor does he seem all that comfortable with the idea of shedding blood, but he goes along for the hunt anyway. And Matthew’s stories about the tradition of the hunt aren’t making it any easier. Neither does the fact that Woody’s daughters (Highdee Kuan and Oona Yaffe) want to come along for the ride.
Back at the ranch, Woody is enjoying the morning. When Matthew’s wife tells him his daughters went hunting, he flips out. This is in direct opposition to the way of life and the view of the world and its creatures he has always tried to instill in his children. So, Woody takes off into the woods and manages to step in front of a deer just before a shot is fired.
While Wyatt seems relieved and heads back to the ranch with the girls. Matthew is upset that his friend nearly got shot. He rides back with Woody, and they argue about hunting, with Woody driving a bit erratically due to the strain. A funny thing happens just as he decries murdering an animal, Woody hits a deer with the car and kills it.
When Woody and Matthew arrive back at the ranch, Matthew is elated with the kill, while Woody — and the rest of the group — seem stricken. So, Matthew pivots his plan. Instead of venison on the grill, it’s a funeral for the dearly departed deer. As the funeral wraps up, Woody gets a call — via his wife (Brittany Ishibashi) — that has him heading out.
Investigation continues
Woody has been trying to seek answers. He returns to Ma Mac (Holland Taylor), but she’s unwilling to comment on what she may or may not have said while drunk. So, Woody hits the road to look for answers. He visits a local bar and leaves his card for anyone that has information. He gets the call and heads to learn more about his father, Ma Mac, and their possible relationship.
But before he gets answers, he gets hit over the head. Woody comes to and finds not information but threats from the Travis Brothers (Barry Corbin and Jeff Kober). They knew his father, who owed them money. Now, they want Woody to pay. They haggle over how that might happen, threatening to shoot him through a phone book. Just as it looks bleak, he is saved.
Ma Mac arrives and drives the Travis Brothers off. Woody is freed, but he still has questions. Ma Mac tells him he’s opened a hornet’s nest but provides little context. Now, Woody is left to try and figure out what it all means.
Brothers streams Wednesdays on Apple TV! Stay tuned for more news about the series.
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