(Spoiler Free Version)
I caught the first episode of Boss on Starz. That's the new drama starring Kelsey Grammer as the mayor of Chicago. It has promise, even if I saw most of the plot twists coming. It doesn't portray a very flattering view of the government of Chicago, but then again the Machine does have a deserved image problem. Between this and The Chicago Code it seems as if Hollywood, or at least TV producers, have finally noticed the dramatic value of a corrupt major city.
The Chicago Code was filmed from the point of view of a bunch of plucky outsiders fighting against the corruption, and didn't last a season. Boss, on the other hand, places the protagonist at the heart of the corruption, and endeavors to show not only that power corrupts, but that the corruption is itself a form of power. That's a more interesting story, and one that has been done quite this way, as far as I know.
Another advantage that Boss has over the now departed Chicago Code is that by airing on Starz, they can have swearing and nudity. The nudity wasn't strictly speaking necessary, as the same plot information could have been conveyed with greater subtlety, and indeed had been done so by the scene immediately prior. But this is Starz, and if you've ever seen the Spartacus shows, then you know that Starz is all about the gratuitous nudity. Compared to most Starz shows, though, the nudity in Boss was positively puritanical, and since it happened to cater to my particular sexual demographic I can't find myself getting particularly worked up about it. Did it have to be there? No. Did I mind that it was? Nope.
I will say that Grammer does an excellent job with the role. There's nothing of Frasier in his performance. His Mayor Tom Kaine is done in the Daley style, with great speeches to the public followed by ruthless arrogance behind closed doors. He'd make a decent villain for a lesser show, but having him as the main protagonist is a stroke of genius. Darth Vader was always more interesting than Luke Skywalker, after all.
Overall, I like the show. I hope things get a little less predictable for me, but I'm certainly willing to let that slide in favor of Grammer's performance. If you like drama, and especially if you're from the Chicagoland area, you should give Boss a try.
(Spoiler Version follows. If you haven't seen the show yet and plan to, punch out now and come back later.)
(Last chance...)
Okay, so as soon as they had the scene early where the blonde assistant, who's name I just looked up and discovered is "Kitty O'Neil," walks past gubernatorial candidate Ben Zajac without looking at him, I knew they'd end up having sex. The only question was whether they were already lovers and she was promoting his candidacy behind the mayor's back, or whether they'd become lovers. The answer seems to be the latter.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the reason that Kain changed his speech to emphasize Governor Cullin's incorruptibility is to set him up for a fall when they leak the fact that Cullin is, in fact, a corrupt son of a bitch. Given the recent history of Illinois governors in real life, we can take Cullin's corruption for granted, I expect. That should give Kaine the opportunity to say how "shocked" he is to learn of it, and let him formally throw his weight behind his new puppet Zajac.
Of course, while Kaine's trying to hold it all together, his mind and body are deteriorating. It'll be interesting to see if he's just carrying on as is because he can't think of anything better to do, or if he's got an endgame in mind for when he degrades past the point of being able to rule.
The final scene, where he clearly wants to tell his wife about his illness but can't work up the courage was especially well done. Theirs is not a loving relationship, and with his estrangement from his daughter, he hasn't got anyone to turn to. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, indeed.
Episode two is on tonight, and being that its on Starz, there's no commercials, which is even better. Here's hoping that Boss can maintain my interest!
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