The Brothers Sun – Episode 1 “Pilot” Recap & Review

Pilot

Episode 1 of The Brothers Sun begins with two armed guards strolling into a hotel room, only to face a brutal takedown by Charles, a highly skilled gangster. Just in the nick of time, Charles kills every one of them while making sure his cake in the microwave remains edible. Bloodboots, a bald man, and his crew are summoned to clear the bodies and erase any traces from the blood-stained carpet.

Charles is the son of a wealthy gangster from the Chinese Triad. Upon seeing the dead bodies, he reproaches his son, stating, “You enjoy killing too much.” Unfortunately, the situation takes a dark turn when a skilled sniper shoots Charles’ father through the window of a building across the street.

Charles’ father is rushed to the hospital, but due to a lack of blood flow to the brain, he slips into a coma. According to the doctors, there’s little chance that he will ever wake up. Before losing consciousness, Charles’ father orders him to go to Los Angeles, find his mother and brother, and protect them from any harm.

Charles isn’t the gangster’s only son; his brother, Bruce, shares the same blood. Unlike Charles, Bruce isn’t a hot-headed gangster but rather an ordinary guy, making ends meet by driving a taxi to pay for his college tuition. Bruce learns from his college administration that he’s falling behind on payments, and if he doesn’t deposit the amount in time, his semester will be invalidated. Despite having the money, Bruce spent it on an improv class.

Bruce has a passion for acting, a dream he’s kept hidden from his mother, who believes it’s a waste of time. Falling behind university fees, Bruce has no choice but to turn to his friend, TK, to borrow five grand. TK agrees to lend him the money on the condition that Bruce helps him sell drugs in the nightclub. Bruce reluctantly agrees, but May, a seasoned drug dealer of the White Crane gang, warns him of the dangers if he tries to get smart with her.

Arriving in LA, Charles reaches his mother’s house, unaware that a henchman is lying in wait to assassinate him. As expected, Charles defeats the assailant and pins him to the table with a stab to the hand. Casually, Charles offers him a cigarette and presses him for information about his boss. However, when the henchman refuses to snitch, Charles breaks his neck in a single strike. 

Mama Sun returns home, discovers a dead body, and playfully vents her frustration on Charles by breaking things. Charles then tells her that his father is in a coma, and it’s likely Sleepy Chen, Father’s long-time rival, who sent the sniper. They’ve been locked in a triad power struggle for two decades. As the episodes draw to a close, Charles finds his brother Bruce in a nightclub, who has been selling May’s drugs all night.

However, Charles’ attempt to introduce himself to his brother leads to being tasered by May’s men. Learning that Bruce and Charles are the sons of Taiwan’s biggest gangster, May and his men attack Charles. They believe Charles is in LA to take over their business. 

But like always, Charles easily defeats all of May’s men, including May himself, who fancies herself as a skilled martial artist. Just when the brothers think they’re in the clear, an explosion tears through the room, breaking down the walls and allowing a group of armed gunmen to storm in. The armed goons fill May with lead along with her crew, but fortunately, Charles and Bruce manage to escape unharmed.

The Episode Review

In the first episode of Netflix’s The Brothers Sun, we meet Charles, a skilled gangster dealing with drama in the Chinese Triad. His father gets attacked, leading him to fly to LA, wherein he finds his brother Bruce mixed up in selling drugs for college fees.

The story balances it all: family drama, crime, and lots of intense fights to keep it exciting. Mama Sun brings in some laughs, and the big ending hints at more problems coming up. Overall, The Brothers Sun sets up a really interesting story, making you want to see what happens next.