Throughout Brothers season 1, we’ve seen Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson barreling toward two things.
First, the potential they might be brothers in a biological sense, and two, that Matthew is running for governor of Texas. Both those things collided in the penultimate episode and in the season 1 finale, “On the Road…Again,” we get some fallout and some resolution. Let’s dive in.
Where’s Matthew?
We ended last week with Matthew finding out that Woody is his brother. It happened while he was announcing his campaign. His response was, well, not great. He stood up, punched Woody, and stormed out. And, as we pick up in the finale, he hasn’t been seen since. Ma Mac (Holland Taylor) is taking the truth and Matthew’s reaction in stride. She’s turned to making her famous chili. But she’s the only one who is taking it well.
Val (Natalie Martinez) is worried that something might have happened. Wyatt (Nolan Almeida) is taking to the news looking for tips. And Woody, well, he’s still upset. He’s decided that after being punched it’s time to pack up and move on. That’s despite Matthew’s campaign manager (Lisa Gilroy) asking for Woody to find Matthew in time for his campaign rally.
But Woody packs up the van, grabs the girls, and heads out. That works for Olive (Highdee Kuan), who doesn’t want to deal with Jimmy (Skyler Gisondo), and Kai (Oona Mei Yaffe), who is not wild about all the cousins jokes now that she’s seeing Wyatt. So, they all get on the bus, pull out of town, and seek to escape.
But Joy (Brittany Ishibashi) isn’t having it. She chides them all for running away from their problems. She’s been along for the ride with everything so far, but she’s done. She tells them they all need to grow up. So, Woody turns the bus around, and they head back. Olive falls into Jimmy’s arms. Their relationship isn’t all better, but it’s a start.
Kai makes up with Wyatt, who is happy to see her return. They aren’t really blood-related after all. And now they can embrace their relationship. Meanwhile, Woody finds Ma Mac, who doesn’t want a hug but is happy to see him. She tells Woody to help stall at the rally because she has a plan. So, Woody hops back in the car to make things happen.
Matthew’s big day
Matthew, meanwhile, has found his childhood home and his childhood treehouse. It was always where he went when he needed some alone time. And Ma Mac knows right where he is, arriving with a bowl of chili and some wisdom. Big Mac knew about Matthew’s true parentage and didn’t care, and he will always be Matthew’s father. So, Matthew digs into his chili and heads to his rally.
Meanwhile, the Travis Brothers (Barry Corbin and Jeff Kober) have seen the news. Seeing that Matthew is Woody’s blood relation, they have a new target to get their money. So, they, too, head down to the rally. They arrive just as Matthew is giving his speech, and they make a threat. Before Woody can explain, Matthew dives off the stage to intervene. That, naturally, is a moment that gets caught on the news. It doesn’t make a great impression with voters.
Campaign results
Flash-forward six months, and it’s election night. Matthew, Woody, and the rest are at a big victory party, but there’s little to celebrate. After getting the campaign started with some public spectacles, Matthew was never able to recover. His campaign manager isn’t taking it well. As she, again, mocks Matthew and Woody, Val has finally had enough. She confronts the campaign manager and sends her packing. If Matthew’s going to lose, he’s going to lose with some peace and dignity.
With the election fading from view, Val takes the family home. Ma Mac takes the party back to her hotel room. And that leaves Matthew and Woody to wait things out. But, barring a miracle, the election has been decided. So, the brothers decide that they should focus on what comes next. Woody pitches another road trip — this time to a prison in Colorado so they can confront their biological father. Matthew agrees, and as the season ends, we find them in the car on the road and headed for a big showdown.
Brothers had a lot of fun and charm. I have always enjoyed Matthew and Woody together on screen, and this proves to be a solid starring vehicle. I like their rapport, and I like all the family storylines.
If they choose to continue this journey, I could see plenty more fun adventures in an easy-to-watch package.
Brothers is now all streaming on Apple TV. We’ve recapped the whole season right here on Show Snob.
Add us as a preferred source on Google