Ep 1. Listen

In the first episode of Boss, entitled "Listen," viewers are introduced to Tom Kane (Kelsey Grammer), the mayor of Chicago who is running for his fourth term in office. As the episode begins, Kane is being briefed by his team about an upcoming press conference where he will announce a major development project for the city.

Despite his outward confidence and ease in front of the cameras, it is soon revealed that Kane is struggling with a debilitating illness that he has kept hidden from everyone, including his wife Meredith (Connie Nielsen) and his closest advisers. As the episode progresses, Kane's health deteriorates further and he becomes increasingly preoccupied with his legacy and how he will be remembered after he leaves office.

Amidst this personal turmoil, Kane also faces challenges in his professional life. His city treasurer Ben Zajac (Jeff Hephner) is embroiled in a scandal involving his former mistress and Kane's deputy mayor Emma (Kathleen Robertson) is jockeying for more power within the administration. Additionally, a group of aldermen are threatening to block Kane's development project unless he agrees to their demands.

Throughout the episode, Kane's character is fleshed out more fully. Viewers see him as both a formidable political player and a deeply flawed human being. He is manipulative, cunning, and ruthless, but he is also fiercely protective of those he cares about and haunted by his own mortality. Grammer gives a riveting performance, imbuing Kane with a complexity and depth that make him a compelling anti-hero.

The supporting cast is also strong, particularly Robertson as the ambitious and cunning Emma. Nielsen is somewhat underutilized in this episode, but her scenes with Grammer hint at a marriage that is fraying at the edges. Hephner is convincing as the brash and cocky Zajac, and there are also several memorable scenes with other key players in Kane's administration, including his chief of staff (Martin Donovan) and his press secretary (Hannah Ware).

One of the strengths of this first episode is its pacing. The tension is expertly ratcheted up as the various subplots converge towards the end of the episode, leading to a shocking cliffhanger that will leave viewers eager to see where the story goes next. The writing is sharp and incisive, with several witty one-liners and poignant moments of introspection.

Visually, the show is stunning. The camera work is often inventive and unconventional, using unusual angles and close-ups to heighten the sense of unease and tension. The city of Chicago itself is also an important character in the show, with sweeping shots of the skyline and gritty scenes of urban decay that serve to underscore the challenges facing Kane and his administration.

There are a few criticisms that can be leveled at this episode. For one, some of the dialogue can be a bit on-the-nose, with characters explicitly stating their motivations or feelings rather than allowing the audience to infer them. Additionally, while the various subplots are intriguing, they can sometimes feel a bit disconnected from one another, with characters appearing in scenes without a clear sense of their relationship to the main story.

Overall, though, "Listen" is an impressive debut for Boss. It establishes the show's themes and tone while also introducing a richly drawn cast of characters. With strong performances, sharp writing, and stunning visual style, Boss promises to be a must-watch series for anyone interested in political drama.