Critical reviews
"Brotherhood" received mixed reviews from critics. John Teti of The A.V. Club wrote, "One question that runs throughout the episode is whether Paul really is oblivious to Victor's wishes or if he is simply choosing not to acknowledge them out of spite for the institution that, to his eyes, destroyed his brother's life. Paul's stubbornness leads us to believe the latter. It turns out, though, that Paul really was unaware, and he's heartbroken by the realization."
Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a "C+" grade, and wrote, "A preachy tone overwhelms this low-key and largely uneventful episode. Brenda's travails with needy brother Billy are taking screen time away from the Fishers; one dysfunctional family is enough, thanks." Mark Zimmer of Digitally Obsessed gave the episode a 2 out of 5 rating, writing "This is one of the weakest episodes in the set, with Nate excessively intruding into the personal life of the deceased, making everything better in a drippy Touched by an Angel moment, totally at odds with the dark and cynical flavor of the series otherwise."
TV Tome gave the episode an 8 out of 10 rating and wrote "Speaking of David, I'm disappointed in his decision to go with moral (but clearly backward) majority and veto the hiring of a progressive young priest with a liberal attitude so desperately needed more in certain churches and US States these days. It also doesn't take a genius to discover that Father Jack not only knows of David's sexuality but is also gay himself, especially with his disappointment of David's decision." Billie Doux of Doux Reviews gave the episode 3 out of 4 stars and wrote "With a title like "Brotherhood," it had to be about siblings. At the beginning of this episode, Nate and David were still at each other's throats. In the end, Nate told David he loved him." Television Without Pity gave the episode a "B" grade.
In 2016, Ross Bonaime of Paste ranked it 39th out of all 63 Six Feet Under episodes and wrote, "True to its title, this episode is especially concerned with the love between siblings. Nate fights for a Gulf War Syndrome soldier to get the funeral he wanted, but one his brother refuses to give him. He also, finally, tells David that he loves him after weeks of arguments. Nate also tells Brenda that he loves her, and their growing bond sends Billy into a tailspin. But it's also an episode about the future, as Ruth continues her relationship with Hiram, David does what he believes to be best for the church and Claire begins to weigh her options for the next phase of her life. “Brotherhood” stands out as a first-season episode that really sets up how these characters we're growing to love will act from here on out: Nate will stand for a cause, David will do so as well — just more conservatively — and Claire will continue to confusedly try to figure herself out."
