‘Brothers’ evaluate: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson play with a rumor

Good buddies Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson have made themselves a TV present to play in. In “Brothers,” premiering Wednesday on Apple TV, they star as variations of themselves in a narrative, “based on a true rumor,” strung on a real-life, uninvestigated intimation by McConaughey’s mom that the 2 might share a father and McConaughey’s expressed curiosity in sometime working to be governor of Texas.

“True Detective” cemented the celebrities as a duo within the public thoughts, and the success of that present had as a lot to do with their double act because the phrases Nic Pizzolatto wrote for them — although “time is a flat circle” is as a lot a McConaughey trademark now as “All right, all right, all right.” There as right here, they play opposites: Woody, a self-styled anarchist, the loose-living Oscar; Matthew, serious about authorities, the orderly Felix.

We open in Malibu, the place Woody is trying to keep away from coping with his older daughter, Olive (Highdee Kuan), who’s upset, having damaged off her engagement. (That he doesn’t perceive girls is a theme.) Unsure of what to say, he publicizes he’s going to “shoot out to see Matthew,” which is to say, drive to Austin, Texas, in his homey hippie bus, painted with wolves and rainbows and pictures of Che Guevara and Willie Nelson.

But when he arrives, unannounced, to Matthew’s ranch, it’s with Olive, spouse Joy (Brittany Ishibashi) and youthful daughter Kai (Oona Yaffe) in tow. Here we meet Matthew’s household: spouse Val (Natalie Martinez) and, in descending order, teenage son Wyatt (Nolan Almeida), who journals, collects purple oak acorns and loves his therapist; grade-school daughter Clara (Ella Grace Helton), who retains a watch on “the Asian markets” and asks {that a} test for her college be made out to “cash”; and excitable little man River (Noah Carganilla). Matthew’s mom, Ma Mac (Holland Taylor, having a grand time), will probably be alongside after the following paragraph.

However, Matthew is busy attempting, and failing, to jot down a speech for a ceremony honoring his idolized late father, Big Mac. “You need to get thrown off-balance,” says Woody, which can produce dangerous outcomes, then good outcomes, then flip dangerous earlier than turning good in a very completely different approach. The mates will probably be at odds, after which they received’t, and so forth. This is basically the rhythm of the sequence.

As to Ma Mac, Woody finds her consuming her morning espresso and Kahlua (with “barely any vodka”), when she tells him, “I knew your daddy… Maybe it’s not a total coinky-dink that you and Matthew are always scrapping like brothers. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Are you saying that possibly Big Mac wasn’t Matthew’s dad?” Woody asks, incredulous.

“Who said anything like that to you? I think you’re confused.”

When not concentrating on the bromance, the gubernatorial marketing campaign or Woody’s try to find out Matthew’s parentage, “Brothers” is a traditional Dumb Dad sitcom, instances two. The wives are smarter, the kids extra regular. One can see the TV Guide thumbnails: Woody and Matthew overlook to purchase Valentine’s Day items for his or her wives. Matthew tries to experience a bull. Woody buys Matthew’s household a canine. (There will probably be poop.) Woody and Matthew chaperone a college dance. To show they’re “amazing musicians,” Woody and Matthew disguise themselves to play a coffeehouse gig. You would possibly guess how that goes.

And although the celebrities dominate the plot and are enjoyable to observe, it’s the children, wives and varied minor characters who deliver the sequence to life. Woody‘s and Matthew’s personas, which is to additionally say these of Harrelson and McConaughey, are too effectively established, their personalities too massive to shock you, nevertheless dangerous issues would possibly flip. Happily, there’s lots occurring round them.

There are good turns throughout. Olive’s ex-fiancee, Jimmy (Skyler Gisondo), a La Brea Bartending Academy dropout Woody considers “11 eggs short of a dozen,” follows her to Texas; he’s annoying but additionally very humorous. Comedy-loving newsman Brian Williams does his acquainted meta factor, with Caroline Aaron (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) steamrolling via her scenes as his producer. The nice Barry Corbin, of “Northern Exposure” and “The Closer,” exhibits up as a sketchy character Woody’s incarcerated father owes cash to. And Lisa Gilroy is particularly good as Matthew’s bemused marketing campaign supervisor; the whole lot that comes out of her mouth is hilarious, both for the phrases or the way in which she delivers them. There’s additionally a cameo look by the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 McConaughey drove in “Dazed and Confused,” although whether or not it’s truly that automotive, or one other automotive taking part in that automotive, I can’t say — however the confusion could be applicable to the undertaking.

The pilot was scripted by showrunner Lee Eisenberg, from a narrative by McConaughey, Harrelson and David West Read. You couldn’t precisely name it a conceit undertaking — the celebrities mock their photos, self-images and age — but it surely does have the air of one thing that was made simply because it may very well be, in a spirit of mutual celebration. Carefully plotted, it additionally has the standard of being cooked up over shared substances by individuals sunk low in beanbag chairs. It’s foolish, but it surely isn’t lazy. Lessons will probably be realized.