First we’ve got Supernatural, which tells the story of two brothers, whose daily lives evolve around hunting -you guessed it- supernatural evils and putting up with each other’s antics on the road. Then we’ve got Prison Break, which is about two brothers on the run after one of them was wrongly convicted for a murder. Next it’s Numb3rs, about two brothers who used mathematical logic to solve crimes. And finally Heroes, which has two brothers amongst a huge bunch of characters with extraordinary abilities.
There might be more, I don’t know. These four are merely the ones I’ve been watching. All of these series have different storylines and concepts, but there is always that brotherly bond flavour in each of them. And somehow or other there’s always the same characteristics- the older brother would be the tougher guy and the younger would be the smart one. And although they couldn’t stand one another to the point of killing , they wouldn’t let anything happen to each other.
Which kinda reminds me of that quote by Linda Sunshine. It’s about sisters actually but I think it can be applied here.
“If you don’t understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.”Hell, don’t I know it.
I guess I am a bit of a sucker about family relationship on TV. I realize that when I watch Heroes- I seem to be looking forward to the interactions between Peter Petrelli and his older brother Nathan more than any of the other characters. I notice that in Heroes more than the other series, not because I like Heroes best, but because the other three series are centered specifically on the brothers, so it’s hard to distiguish what I truly like. Heroes, what with all the inter-connection of every character that intertwined like a spiderweb gone awry.
What is it about brotherly-sisterly relationships on TV that I love so much? Probably because parents are supposed to love the kids and do anything for them, and to do anything otherwise is just wrong. Friends are friends, we become friends with people with whom we have something in common. Love interests are just the spicy part of any story, and enemies are almost inevitable. Hell, what is a story without the good ol’ bad vs. good formula really?
But brothers and sisters are special. They don’t really fall into any category. They can be different as night and day, and for most part they are. Because of those differences they can tend to be overbearing and annoying. But yet, they are part of us. To quote my Mum, parents only own half of our DNAs a piece, brothers and sisters are made of the exact same thing. These are the people with whom you share a love-hate relationship for as long as you live.
What makes these TV brothers so fascinating is not just how they deal with each other as a family, but also how they turn their differences around and managed to work together. They are not just brothers, not just two people who shared the same DNA and history, but they are teammates, solving the problem of the day with efficiency no one man can do alone. Dean and Sam Winchester hunt demons, ghosts and vampires using Sam’s extensive knowledge and Dean’s impulsive instincts. Lincoln Burrows and his younger brother Micheal Scofield (he took up his mother’s name) team up to bring down the Company, a firm who framed Lincoln for a false murder that brought him a death sentence. The Eppeses worked together to solve crimes by putting together Don’s facts and evidences and Charlie’s equations and formulas. There’s no stopping these brothers once they’ve set their heads together, and it’s brilliant to watch.
Of course, lurking about every brotherly teamwork is a parent or two, which truly in my view, has more of a detached relationship with both boys. The parents are mostly absent, or not too close to both boys. The Winchesters has their father, John. The Burrows-Scofield boys has their dad Aldo (both fathers died in Season 2 of the series). The Eppes brothers has their father, Alan (thankfully, still alive) and the Petrellis has both parents, Arthur & Angela, still alive.
I wonder just how many real-life brothers work just as well as these boys do. Don’t get me wrong. I love sisterly bonds too. I enjoyed watching Charmed during the first three seasons, but after they killed of Prue and replaced her with Paige I stopped watching completely. Call me offended, but Prue was my favourite Haliwell sister, not just because I like her powers but also about the fact that she is the eldest, and has an obligation to look after the younger ones all her life. There isn’t any other series that highlight sisters other than that, not that I know of. I have no idea why. Maybe sisterhood is just too different than brotherhood.
I guess we can all learn a valuable lesson through all these TV shows: BE NICE TO YOUR SIBLINGS. Because who knows, maybe one day you’re going to cross the country looking for monsters, or need to break out from prison because you’re innocent, or need to solve a problem that needs mathematical support, or hell, happen to have unusual powers. It’ll be better if you have one of your own watching your back.
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