Image Credit: Starz
It should seem more bizarre to see Kelsey Grammer grimacing and striding around in such an aggressively dramatic role as Mayor Tom Kane — what with his decades of pretentious buffoonery on Cheers and Frasier — but somehow it just feels natural. Grammer is clearly the heart of Boss, which debuted on Starz last night, and after a string of failed sitcoms, he might have found just where he needed to be. Like bar-buddy Ted Danson, gritty, high-powered television drama becomes him. Now all we need is an FX series starring John Ratzenberger as a merciless drug kingpin.
From what we saw last night, Kane is the kind of ruthless, I-do-it-because-I-have-to corrupt politician that for some reason has become pop culturally synonymous with the city of Chicago. I’d like to think that most mayors aren’t given sliced-off ears in tasteful mahogany boxes at charity functions, but who knows these days. He’s certainly compelling enough as a character to give you the sense that even if certain peripheral narratives fade out disappointingly as the first season progresses, there will still be something here worth watching. Personally, I nominate Kane’s daughter’s drug problem as the plotline most likely to immediately overstay its welcome.
It’s interesting that not much attention is given to politics as the public knows it. Kane’s party affiliation is never even overtly mentioned, although it’s probably safe to say that he is a Democrat considering that Chicago hasn’t picked Red over Blue since 1931. But the show is more about the backroom dealings, the trickle-down threats, the trickle-up bribes, and the survivalist mentality of “you scratch my back, I stab yours” than it is about scoring political points. It will also be interesting to see how Kane’s illness plays into the season to come, whether it will be more of a test of willpower like President Bartlett’s multiple sclerosis in The West Wing, or a grim inevitability that makes permissible all things like in Breaking Bad. One thing’s for sure: Morally speaking, Kane doesn’t have quite quite as far to fall as Walter White.
Those of you who caught it, what did you think of the first episode? Does Boss show promise?
I just watched it and I LOVED THE SHOW.
Haven’t seen it but I would expect nothing less from this weirdo! He is a great actor who usually doesn’t affiliate w/ garbage.
guess u never saw his last 2 canceled comedy shows.
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umm … Hank?
It was great!! I hope it did well in the ratings.
Hope he makes alot of money so his current wife can take him to the cleaners after the inevitable divorce…
Don’t forget the dramatic rolls of Woody Harrelson as well.
Breakfast? Dinner? Cinnamon?
Tootsie.
well i figured it must be pretty good, they renewed for a Second Season before the show aired…doesnt happen much..will watch soonnn
It was REALLY good! I still was hoping there’d be a Jennifer Beals cameo from her old show..but..oh well… Great supporting cast.
As a Chicagoan, interested in how they replicate things and looks good. For those who say the city council meeting was over the top, in real life, that’d be a civil session.
Please remember this is an extremely OTT television program for your entertainment. It is possible to show the many layers involved in city politics without putting “jazz hands” on the situation. A bit much for me. I’m a Chicagoan born and bred that has also managed to live abroad and in many other major USA cities before returning to the city I love. Our toddlin’ town is not perfect, but it just ain’t that different from any other in the corruption stakes.
Really Cicero? Then why is half of the FBI’s budget for investigating corruption in state and local politics taken up by Illinois and the city of Chicago? Why have there been more corruption cases and convictions in Illinois than all other states combined? I’m a Chicagoan too, and I love my city, but I’m realistic about it. Also, everyone please realize this show is not meant to be a portrayal of Mayor Daley. The show is a fictionalized drama of political corruption.
Chicago along with New Orleans and Detroit are well known for being corrupt cities. This show is not that unrealitic.
Oh shut up you,Chicago is awesome.
It is awesome…and corrupt. I watched the show and it just seemed like business as usual for any Democratic administration….but it was fantastic.
darklighter: I am so pleased you have confirmed your knowledge of every Democratic administration that has ever existed. Of course, Republican administrations have never shown such frailty. The many corrupt, corrosive elected Republican officials are actually stealth Dems seeking to besmirch the gleeming valor of the Republican brand.
Chicago’s corrupt, but the depiction is indeed over the top. The type of corruption that exists would be boring to portray on TV being that it doesn’t involve actual murder like on this show.
EVERY SINGLE CITY, especially major ones, have corruption issues.
Are they a problem? Hard to tell. Only the holy moralists take much issue with the daily fact of life.
I dont know how Chicago became synonymous with corruption. I’ve lived in 3 major cities, all seemed corrupt enough to me. I think its just useful as a republican whipping boy. No special reason, really
Yes, because NYC, LA, St. Louis, Miami, Dallas and on and on are paragons of a true blue clean democracy? Chicago is no more or less potentially “corrupt” than any other city run by human beings. Corrupt people exist in all places from Alaska to Idaho to Maine. Stop with the ridiculous meme of Chicago being something extraordinarily different in the bad people stakes.
I don’t get Starz, so I can’t watch. But what illness does he have? Just interested.
The first episode is free on their website. Well worth a check – I don’t have Starz either but I saw the 1st episode last night on the site.
Thanks. I’m going to check it out. To bad Starz is not going to stream it the next day on Netflix like it did with Spartacus. (Unless that changed.)
A fatal, neurological disease (3 to 5 years)……like alzheimer’s and parkinsons combined.
Some really fierce writers on this one! From start to finish not a second wasted! Really sharp!
It’s puzzling that reviewers seem so surprised that Kelsey Grammer can do drama well, since he got his start doing Shakespeare.
My thoughts exactly.
Loved it!!!! Can’t wait for the next one.
Watched it! Enjoyed it! Sort of a “political” Sopranos! Nice to see Kelsey Grammar play something other than a psychiatrist. Will definitely watch again!
I’m not even a huge Kesley Grammer fan but I’m sure the ammount of emmy nominations and wins he had would beg to differ.
Yes, and those Emmy nominations and wins came courtesy of his role as Frasier Crane. However, since ‘Frasier’ ended he has indeed been in a string of failed sitcoms, unless you consider the 17-episode run of ‘Back to You’ or the 9-episode run of ‘Hank’ to be successes.