Welcome to Murders and Mayhem
Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch (Titus Welliver) is a Los Angeles detective that bucks the system. Constantly pushing the boundaries of departmental rules, Bosch dives into his work with fervor. As his partner Jerry Edgar (Jamie Hector) and his commanding officer Lt. Grace Billets (Amy Aquino) try to keep him under control, others see Bosch as a liability. The discovery of a body in the van of a man named Raynard Waits (Jason Gedrick) opens up a massive investigation that quickly gets ugly and mixes with Bosch and Edgar’s own case involving the disappearance of a boy decades before.
Bosch—Season 1 is an officer drama mystery series released on Amazon Prime. The first episode of Bosch was released on February 6, 2014 as part of Amazon’s pilot program and was optioned for a whole season which was dropped 2015. The season adapts aspects of Michael Connelly’s novels The Concrete Blonde (1994), City of Bones (2002), and Echo Park (2006). The season was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Design.
Bones can tell a story
Bosch was recommended to me by a few people, and I finally (begrudgingly) started watching it. The worst part about watching season 1 of Bosch is that I now want to watch season 2…and another series has been added to the ever-growing pile of shows to watch.
There are some aspects of Bosch that completely cliché. You have a rather hardboiled detective that is a bit of a “Dirty” Harry Callahan. He doesn’t always follow the rules, but the rules govern his code of honor. He’s driven and once he’s on the tail of a criminal, he’s not going to give up or simply take the easy way out. He’s surrounded by people who often tell him that he’s reckless and has to be reined in by his partner and commanding officer “because he cares too much”.
Don’t accept rides from strangers
The character stops being a cliché there. He has a troubled past and he’s non-apologetic about it. He has a wrecked marriage and a somewhat estranged daughter so he seems to find himself parenting other people around him like the rookie Julia Brasher (played by Annie Wersching). His code of honor drives him and continuously gets him in trouble. Unlike most of the wild police characters, he generally knows his off switch point and that makes him feel a bit more realistic. Like many careers, it is a big game and has to play it whether he wants to or not.
The show is driven by Titus Welliver who has the tired look of an old noir detective like Sam Spade, but still can pull off some action sequences (as seen in “Fugazi”). I like his relationship with his partner played by Jamie Hector and the series is continuing to develop those around him (characters like Nate Tyler played by Adam O’Byrne and Harvey Pounds played by Mark Derwin feel like rather one dimensional foils now). The occasional guest-star like Abraham Benrubi, Mimi Rogers, Scott Wilson, Veronica Cartwright, and Shawn Hatosy among other pop-up which is also fun.
I don’t care how lucrative the movie deal was, you can’t afford this house…
One of the best aspects of Bosch is the location. It feels rooted in L.A. and really milks the landscape. The characters do go to some typical tourist traps, but it feels like a natural part of the story instead of a means to woo viewers. On a side note, I love Bosch’s house but even with a massive “signing bonus” for his story, I don’t see any way he could afford that when even $500,000 buys you a so-so house in LA.
Bosch is an interesting detective series, and I look forward to watching future seasons of it. I feel like it is a series that doesn’t simply “wrap-up cases” and move on and that Bosch’s early actions might have consequences. This isn’t always the case in police procedural series where the main thrust is solving the crime. In Bosch, the crime and lives of those around it go hand-in-hand, and Bosch can’t separate himself from either.
Bosch—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“‘Tis the Season”
1.1 ’Tis the Season Release Date: 02/06/14
An on-duty shooting leaves a suspect dead, and two years later, Detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) is a wrongful death suit by the parents. While investigating a discovered bone, Bosch finds the gravesite of a murdered child in the Hollywood Hills. The forensics reveal catastrophic abuse, and Bosch is out to find the identity of the child and his killer.
“Lost Light”
1.2 Lost Light Release Date: 02/13/15
A traffic stop of a potentially stolen van reveals a possible serial killer in Raynard Waits (Jason Gedrick). Bosch and his partner Jerry Edgar (Jamie Hector) investigate the area surrounding the murder scene and find a possible suspect in a convicted child molester (Rob Brownstein). Bosch finds aspects of his life and the life of his mother exposed in court and suspects an inside hit job. An officer shooting has rookie officer Julia Brasher (Annie Wersching) spending more time with Bosch. As evidence comes in on Raynard Waits, Waits might provide some facts of his own.
“Blue Religion”
1.3 Blue Religion Release Date: 02/13/15
The suicide of the child molester has put more attention on the police and put Bosch in conflict with Nate Tyler (Adam O’Byrne) over his reporting. Bosch and Brasher’s new relationship hits a rough patch when Bosch tries to help coach her in her career. With attempts to tie the murder to the molester, Bosch butts heads with Captain Harvey Pounds (Mark Derwin), but a tip leads to a potential identification of the victim. Bosch learns Waits has come forward with an admission of murder but questioning Waits does not lead to answers.
“Fugazi”
1.4 Fugazi Release Date: 02/13/15
Sergeant “Mank” Mankiewicz (Scott Klace) asks Bosch to step in about a potential hiccup in the arrest of Waits involving George Irving (Robbie Jones) who is the son of Deputy Chief Irvin Irving (Lance Reddick). Bosh and Brasher check out Christine Waters (Mary Page Keller), the mother who abandoned Arthur Delacroix, and they find the father might be the right target. Forced to be part of a publicity event surrounding Waits’ confession, Bosch butts heads with Richard O’Shea (Steven Culp) over the orders…but Waits has a plan.
“Mama’s Boy”
1.5 Mama’s Boy Release Date: 02/13/15
Waits is on the run and hiding in L.A. at the house of his mother Irene Saxon (Veronica Cartwright). A trip to interview Arthur’s father Sam (Pat Skipper) leads to an arrest, but Bosch has doubts. With police hunting him, Waits sets out to find another target.
“Donkey’s Years”
1.6 Donkey’s Years Release Date: 02/13/15
Waits begins calling Bosch, and Bosch finds himself personally pulled into the case. A meeting with Arthur Delacroix’s sister Sheila (Jenica Bergere) gets the truth about the abuse of Arthur. Bosch goes to visit his ex-wife Eleanor (Sarah Clarke) and his daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz) in Las Vegas and also seeks help on the case. Irving meets with O’Shea about the shooting and both of their futures. An attempt to bring in Arthur’s childhood friend Johnny Stokes (Shawn Hatosy) leaves an officer down.
“Lost Boys”
1.7 Lost Boys Release Date: 02/13/15
Stokes is in custody, and Bosch must decide what he saw in the garage when Brasher was shot. Waits makes an attempted abduction that doesn’t go well and Bosch realizes his real connection to Waits as he is reassigned to join the task force as an independent agent for Irving.
“High Low”
1.8 High Low Release Date: 02/13/15
Waits has killed his mother, but Bosch is less than sympathetic when he tells him. Pounds takes a different route to go after Bosch and brings Brasher into the mix. Irving is called upon by O’Shea to try to talk to Reverend Ott (Peter Macon) about getting the African-American vote…but Ott has his own demands. A big break in the investigation into Delacroix murder makes Bosch realize he’s made a mistake. Waits decides to take his relationship with Bosch to the next level.
“The Magic Castle”
1.9 The Magic Castle Release Date: 02/13/15
The police receive the news that Stokes is still wanted for Delacroix murder, and Bosch’s release of him doesn’t go over well with fellow officers. Waits makes his next move by kidnapping a mother for his underground lair, and it could be the final clue that Bosch needs to solve the case.
“Us and Them”
1.10 Us and Them Release Date: 02/13/15
Raynard Waits is dead, and Bosch is the hero of the day. Irving learns that O’Shea has a follow-up plan for him to deal with the video of Waits escape. Eleanor finds Maddie has run away from home and has Bosch seek her out. Stokes’ location is tracked down but Bosch and Edgar, but they quickly learn that there might be a problem with the case. When Pounds pushes Bosch too far, a line might be crossed that cannot be undone.
