Watching Showtime

Never a day without problems for Tommy, there’s a garbage strike all over The Hill, and people are reacting in various ways. Some are hiding their trash in their garages, others are just leaving it out on the curb, while the union workers are dumping trash on what looks like the lawn of the mayor in order to get their point heard. He heads to where the union is protesting after meeting with more investors at the abandoned warehouse. He meets with the mayor and tries to strike a deal with him to get the workers back in their trucks and the garbage picked up, but the mayor’s asking for much more than Tommy thinks he can get the unions to agree to. To make matters worse, people are taking matters into their own hands when non-union workers try to go door to door and collect people’s trash for a few extra bucks. Tommy and Eileen head off to the Fitzgerald’s house for dinner, and they also get to meet several congressmen and government leaders.

The next day, Tommy meets with Freddie and tells him the best deal he could get for the garbage workers is 75% of the cost of living increase. Freddie’s not satisfied with this, and threatens him. Michael tells Tommy not to mess with Freddie, but he doesn’t seem to listen. Tommy ends up going back to Fitzgerald and selling himself to get the strike ended. Fitzgerald offers to talk to the mayor (which means the union will get what it wants) in exchange for Tommy “continuing his talks” with Fitzgerald’s cronies about furthering his political career. To add to his drama, Tommy’s getting photographed talking to Freddie, setting the cops after him. At least he got the garbage strike over in time for his investors to come look at the building he’s trying to turn condo.

Eileen heads to the hotel for her regularly scheduled meeting with Carl, but he never shows, leaving her lounging on the bed in her black lacy undies. She goes looking for him, and finds him at work, telling her he’s in love with her and can’t continue the affair because he knows she doesn’t love him. Also, he wasn’t ever her boyfriend in high school like I thought. When the pair head to meet with the Fitzgerald family, Eileen learns she’s not alone in the political world as a wife who cheats on her husband. Mrs. Fitzgerald makes it pretty clear she and her husband have been operating that way for years, and both seem rather satisfied with the arrangement. She gets so drunk that she throws up in the car on the way home. Her hangover cure? Smoking pot in the bathtub before heading out shoe shopping, buying herself a $300 pair of shoes (mostly because the shoe salesman was flirting with her).

Michael’s preparing for his next move, which is to start building up his own crew. Talks with Pete are cut short, however, as they chase down their next victim. Once his business is done, he heads off to meet with Harry, the first guy he wants on his new crew. Sadly, he discovers Harry wants nothing to do with organized crime since his five year jail stint. Next he heads off to find Kevin Doherty thinking he’ll be interested in joining the crew. Instead he finds Kevin’s house torn down, and that part of the neighborhood predominantly Hispanic. Finally he heads off to find his former girlfriend, only to discover she’s married and has two kids. She tries to convince him to start up an affair with him, but he turns her down (good boy). Still tying to find people to add to his crew, he’s getting turned down left and right, even after helping Harry by collecting on an old debt for him.

Adding to the Rose/Fitzgerald mystery, the pair meet for coffee, calzones and cards. She threatens him, he threatens back, and we’re left wondering just how deep their relationship goes.

Catch up on previous episodes:
Mark 8:36 (ep 1)
Genesis 27:29 (ep 2)

Showtime, Brotherhood, Michael Caffee, Jason Isaacs, Thomas Caffee, Jason Clarke, Eileen Caffee, Annabeth Gish, Declan Giggs, Ethan Embry, Freddie Cook, Kevin Chapman, Rose Caffee, Fionnula Flanagan