Mayor Tom Kane, diagnosed with a dementia disorder, struggles to keep his grip on power in Chicago.Mayor Tom Kane, diagnosed with a dementia disorder, struggles to keep his grip on power in Chicago.Mayor Tom Kane, diagnosed with a dementia disorder, struggles to keep his grip on power in Chicago.
- Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations
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Did you know
- TriviaVery rare on a TV show, the network ordered to produce the first season without shooting a pilot first.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.33 (2011)
- SoundtracksSatan Your Kingdom Must Come Down (Boss Remix)
Traditional
Arranged by Robert Plant, Buddy Miller, and Brian Reitzell
Performed by Robert Plant & Band of Joy
Courtesy of Es Paranza/Rounder Records by arrangement with New Rounder, LLC
Featured review
makes House of Cards look like Mary Poppins
It's always hard when you don't love the characters in a show. We felt for Michael Corleone, because the mantel he wore wasn't the one he wanted. Even bad guys can be sympathetic, unless your name is Tom Kane and you're the mayor of Chicago.
It's possible other viewers feel for Tom (Kelsey Grammar), a despicable human being, if you can call him human, a ruthless, dying man sometimes made even more despicable by his illness. Grammar proves he is not only a great actor, which has always been so, but that he has a magnificent range.
His costars are awful, too, so good in their roles that you hate them sometimes if not all the time -- the stunning Danish actress Connie Nielsen as his wife Meredith, the former mayor's daughter - clearly a dynastic marriage; his drug-addicted daughter Emma (Hannah Ware), estranged from her family; his associate, Kitty O'Neill (Kathleen Robertson), sleeping at various times with a couple of the enemies; and Ezra Stone (Martin Donovan) who does his master's bidding, most of it not too pleasant.
Kane has lewybody dementia, and as a result, hallucinates, hears voices, has seizures and bombastic fits of temper, sometimes in public. As he fights his disease and does inappropriate things, he makes deals, lies, plays people off one another, wires peoples' offices and bedrooms, and is generally corrupt - in other words, business as usual.
I have one objection to this show, and you'll think I'm a prude but here it is - it seems like nearly every encounter - and that includes in the hallways - ends with a sex act. I think it would have been more interesting if there were a few less encounters. One thing the show is great at is implying sexual heat during a scene so you just know there's chemistry - but I would like to think most adults are a little bit more discreet than some of these people, who seek out empty ladies' rooms, have sex in their offices, hallways, etc.
Nevertheless it is tragic that this mature show was canceled after two seasons and there was no movie on STARZ, as was planned, to wrap up the series. Boss deserved so much more. Is it a realistic look at politics? Lucrative contracts to your friends, lots of quid pro quo, constantly lying, having people killed - probably.
It's possible other viewers feel for Tom (Kelsey Grammar), a despicable human being, if you can call him human, a ruthless, dying man sometimes made even more despicable by his illness. Grammar proves he is not only a great actor, which has always been so, but that he has a magnificent range.
His costars are awful, too, so good in their roles that you hate them sometimes if not all the time -- the stunning Danish actress Connie Nielsen as his wife Meredith, the former mayor's daughter - clearly a dynastic marriage; his drug-addicted daughter Emma (Hannah Ware), estranged from her family; his associate, Kitty O'Neill (Kathleen Robertson), sleeping at various times with a couple of the enemies; and Ezra Stone (Martin Donovan) who does his master's bidding, most of it not too pleasant.
Kane has lewybody dementia, and as a result, hallucinates, hears voices, has seizures and bombastic fits of temper, sometimes in public. As he fights his disease and does inappropriate things, he makes deals, lies, plays people off one another, wires peoples' offices and bedrooms, and is generally corrupt - in other words, business as usual.
I have one objection to this show, and you'll think I'm a prude but here it is - it seems like nearly every encounter - and that includes in the hallways - ends with a sex act. I think it would have been more interesting if there were a few less encounters. One thing the show is great at is implying sexual heat during a scene so you just know there's chemistry - but I would like to think most adults are a little bit more discreet than some of these people, who seek out empty ladies' rooms, have sex in their offices, hallways, etc.
Nevertheless it is tragic that this mature show was canceled after two seasons and there was no movie on STARZ, as was planned, to wrap up the series. Boss deserved so much more. Is it a realistic look at politics? Lucrative contracts to your friends, lots of quid pro quo, constantly lying, having people killed - probably.
helpful•193
- blanche-2
- Aug 26, 2016
Details
- Runtime1 hour
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- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD
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![Kelsey Grammer, Connie Nielsen, Sanaa Lathan, Kathleen Robertson, Jeff Hephner, Jonathan Groff, and Hannah Ware in Boss (2011)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZmEwNzYyNjktOGFkNi00OTdiLTkzYzktZDc3ZWEzM2E5N2VlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjg1NDcxNDE@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg)