He surrounds himself with a clever team, including his right-hand man Ezra "Stoney" Stone (Martin Donovan), and his assistant Kitty O’Neill (Kathleen Robertson), plus his lovely wife Meredith (Connie Neilsen), whose father was the previous Mayor. His plan is to throw his weight behind an up-and-coming politician named Alex Zajac (Jeff Hephner) in the Governor’s race, unseating incumbent, Mac Cullen (Francis Guinan), all the while insuring that his grand plan to expand O’Hare Airport goes off without a hitch. The problem is that hitches abound, he has lots of frenemies, and there are tons of dirty little secrets to be uncovered in the Kane administration. Add to that the fact that Sam Miller (Troy Garity), a tenacious reporter from the Sentinel, seems hell-bent on revealing Kane’s secrets and it amounts to drama. Lots and lots of drama.
Chicago politics are dirty business and behind that pleasant smile of Kane’s lay a vicious beast waiting to pounce. He wants things done his way and he and his team are not the least bit afraid to play hardball to get their way, even if it includes murder.
That’s the short and skinny on Boss, but there is so much to the show that it would be an injustice to reveal any more and ruin it for potential viewers. The acting is flawless and intense and Kelsey Grammer, normally beloved in his comedic roles, is downright terrifying at times. The writing and storylines are excellent and this is an adult premium series, complete with nudity, violence and all. It looks spectacular on Blu-ray, especially in scenes where the vistas of Chicago are shown, and everything is crisp and clear. The special features are minimal and include a few commentaries on select episodes with crew members and a featurette on the concept of the series with a grizzled-looking Grammer and Executive Producer Farhad Safinia.
Here’s the thing about Boss: Season One - it’s not a happy series. It’s a drama through and through, with absolutely no levity present. It’s a great drama, but after viewing each episode, I always felt a bit down and/or stressed. It’s just an intense viewing experience. If you like political intrigue and fantastic acting, you’d do well to check it out, though. I can’t even imagine where things are going to go next season, considering the earth-shattering season finale, but one thing is for sure, Kane will be at the top of the political heap, standing on the corpses of those who dared to come against him.
