Re-Bosch

Much appreciation for upping the signal. And I take back every negative word I ever said or sent.
Jeffrey Fiskin
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A friend sent me your Bosch review yesterday. I loved it. It expressed what I have been saying/feeling.
I am certainly biased because my life partner is Bosch composer Jesse Voccia. From the sidelines and as a critical viewer, I have watched the show evolve over the past 5 years, from baby pilot to now. I just thought your comments were spot on and wanted to let you know how much I appreciated what you said. Also, thank you for reminding me that Amy Aquino played Tess’s secretary in Working Girl. She was brilliant!
I did want to point out that unfortunately the music for Bosch is rarely mentioned - because of the style of the show, it is used sparingly to be sure. That is something that Jesse and I applaud and appreciate creatively. Most articles I read do not highlight the music or only mention the title sequence song (by a band), which bums me out because there's an enormous amount of work and care put into the score. In fact, one article I just read from Paste said, “With two notable exceptions, the entire series is completely devoid of background music, cues, or stings.” I guess everyone’s a critic, including me.
Thanks again and looking forward to reading more of your articles and checking out your podcast!
Warm regards,
Nori Takei
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yeah.... Bosch is a great solid keeper...
main guy earned his keep doing "Deadwood".... his partner did the same with "The Wire"... total cream of the crop people...
and they do show an LA/Hollywood akin to what Altman's "The Long Goodbye" did in the '70s... trying to connect to the noir aesthetic of the 40s and 50s
Patrick Pierson
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I love the show. On episode 7 of the 4th season
Alan Oreman
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Great show with a lot of familiar TV faces playing the same roles from regular TV.
Murph
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I’ve never seen anything where the book and the movie are so similar. They literally film the book, dialogue and all. The books are great too btw.
Jim Urie
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are you a big fan of the opening sequence too? I love the song and imagery and my first thought when i saw Amazon pushed a new season was that I was about to get to see that opening.
Byron Clark
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Love “Bosch”....I have been achingly impatiently waiting for Season 4...seen the first two episodes and all the mystery clues that will show up in later episodes...I felt the 3 seasons were darker noir than this 4 season...Willever’s less a worn mental case and now his ex seems to portray that in the gambling excess...just love the show and trying to savor it and not binge watch...see you in May....Pat Britton
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My good friend, Rick Jackson, is a recently retired LAPD homicide “cold case” detective and a technical advisor on the show. He used to come listen to me at at restaurant in Brea. Great guy. Great taste in music and chock full of cop stories about Hollywood and it’s environs dating back to the ‘70s. It was so weird that I was friends with a cop based on music we have a mutual affinity and affection for.
Even though I knew that he was working on the show before the series even premiered, I didn’t watch it. It wasn’t until Season 3 was about to come out that I finally took the time. That was good, in the sense that I was able to binge on the first two, get hooked and Season 3 was waiting.
Rick came out to visit me here in NC last month. I was hoping he’d have access to a screener and lay It on me. But, alas, it wasn’t to be.
But, the new season is here, I finished up my taxes last night and I’m ready.
Thanks for no spoilers !
Scott Sechman
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Hell, he was on deadwood, like most great actors in the past 15 years, who then migrated to justified and sons among others. Did not know the new season of Bosch had started until yesterday but am halfway through season four. Another show well worth the time
James Walker
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Connelly's books are great and are well worth the read - let you know more about Bosch's thoughts..
Dick Hassenger
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I have read every Connelly book, and Bosch is a masterpiece of a character. It actually translates to TV well. Connelly created incredible stories with this character.
Brad Durham
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The books are great too - the audiobooks even better. But This is the first show I've seen where the casting is so spot on - literally embodies the books in the best way!
Sandflower
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Love this show - been waiting for season 4, glad you wrote this so I know to download it for my flight to Australia this week. It’s on my watch list but I didn’t know it had released.
By the way, there are a few Bosch playlists on Spotify with all the jazz from the shows compiled - they are fantastic.
jwc
JW CLARKE | BIRDHOUSE GROUP, INC.
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Yeah... what you said. Right on!
Miranda Robert
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Love the show.
Titus Welliver is fantastic in the Bosch role. Finally, the strong, silent type character is back. Reminds me of Gary Cooper movies.
There is, seemingly, enough source material to keep the show going for a long time.
Would like to see this dovetail into a Micky Haller series too (or at least an appearance).
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Haller
Seems like all the well written shows are under-publicized.
Mark Dinerstein
President
Knitting Factory Presents
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Thanks for the reminder about Season 4. Great show. You're not alone!
Dave Sparks
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Best show on TV
Charlie Newell
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Love Bosch
Loren Perkins
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Agree - I love Billions but we are so conditioned by Netflix, et al, to be able to watch when we want that it is excruciating to wait an entire week for the next episode. For that reason, I have decided to wait until the series is over and then go back and watch it on demand on my own terms.
David Murphy
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Bobby, I dun ben watchin the Boschman for a couple a years. You have good taste. Hated when second season ended but they're uppin runnin' again. yea!!!!
J. Patrick Mallahan
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I’ve shared your passion for Bosch from its beginning. I’m sure others have as well or there wouldn’t be fourth season. There are a surprising number of high profile shows (writers, stars and/or directors) that silently disappear as if they never existed, slipping beneath the water in the dark of night without a ripple.
Never underestimate the metric analytical abilities of these platforms - others are watching.
Best
John Frankenheimer
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Thanks for the update on Bosch. I'd watched the first 3 seasons, checked about a month ago when there was as yet no online notice. I read the books years ago which is why I was interested in watching the series; the acting, visuals, match the feel of the novels. Agree with you in Titus, the others. Myles
Myles Schlank
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Big mistake not reading the books. They're terrific!
And yes, the show's very good.
Greer
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I read Hammett, Chandler, Macdonald in my youth. I've read every Connelly book. He hooks you in by page two every time.
Love the Bosch series. Titus is perfect as Harry. Can't picture anyone else.
Cliff Burnstein
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Actually, we do know it is on and have been waiting for the next season.
You are a little late to the party, as usual.
Wayne Krauss
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I REALLY like this series,,, so good!
Maria
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I love Bosch. Watched the season opener Thursday night (a day earlier than scheduled somehow).
Favorite line: "Mariachis, fuck. I'm outta here".
I cannot tell you how many time those exact words have crossed my lips since I moved here in 1972. It didn't take more than about a month of Mexican restaurant dining to push me over the edge and out the door at even the slightest pluck of a requinto.
This is OUR show, Angelenos!!!
p.s.: I know I'm gonna take shit for this. Not that I don't love mariachis; I just don't want 'em hovering over my table as I'm trying to enjoy my rellenos.
Greg Prestopino
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I’m right there with you, Bob! I love BOSCH series.
Peace & Love!
Bob Mori
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Watching this one again-it remains lackluster in my opinion. Welliver is passable but capturing a character like Bosch is virtually impossible. The side characters are only passable as well. I keep watching it but I wish it were better
Michael Harpster
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You're expressions on Bosch mirror how I feel about it. It's almost like I wrote your piece! I guess that's the effect this series has. Yes the cinematography, the perfectly selected cast, Titus, his relationship with his daughter (ours is the same age), his home right out of architecture digest, and finally the city of angels.
I'm looking forward to diving into season 4 this weekend!
Alex Hart
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Agree with you. Titus is Bosch and I read the books.
Found out about the new season on a bootleg site yesterday and just got the Prime notification of the new season a few minutes ago. It should be bigger, but I assume it lives forever on the net, so lots of time for folks to discover.
Yes, there are people of color, but one of the things I noticed about the show is that people look average. No Hollywood types. Much more like a UK cast show, full over average folks cast for ability over looks.
I was hoping to stretch the season over a week of travel, but suspect I'll finish it later today!
Peter Burnside
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Bob, I do know Titus buys his comics at Golden Apple comics
cuz that’s where sold mine.
Bosch is a smash!
Right again.
DandyDon
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Check out the books. - The plots are intricate - the detective work is pure Zen
Love Bosch - GRT review!
Dave Nels
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We're watching and we're loving it also.
Rob Meder
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We watch. Big fans!
Guy Benson
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"Actually, I'm off genre tomes"
...but watching them on TV is great.
Are you trying to make ANY sense??
John Cunningham
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I’m a huge fan! (And, I’ve read all the books.) Marty and I will start the new season tonight.
Curtice Winsch
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Glad to see your shout-out on this show. I was hooked from the first episode, season 1. It, and its protagonist Welliver deserve a broader audience.
Roy Liu
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I too am hooked...but definitely a guys only series
Michael K. Clifford
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It's a modern noir classic and it's so cool that it's set in LA. Love it. Love running into actors from it.
Can't wait to binge watch season 4 with an ample supply of whiskey on hand....
Ned Menoyo
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I hear you Bob. I discovered Bosch about a year and a half ago and absolutely love the show. I too had a calendar notification that the show was back on and I can’t wait to get to it. Cast is excellent as is the cinematography. Hope others will see it as well. Love your missives and am a fan of the pod.
Peace
Mad Music Asylum
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Bosch is great as is Titus Welliver. He was also on Deadwood. That's where I first remember him. Another great show is The Looming Tower. About the pre 9/11 battles between the CIA & FBI.
Well worth the time invested.
Brian Rome
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I love "Bosch," and if you didn't recognize Titus Welliver from the absolutely amazing "Deadwood," still some of the best work anyone ever's put on a screen, you should really give those 3 seasons of it a shot.
- David Orlowski
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I agree! Been a Connelly and Bosch freak for years and I knew Harry Bosch better than I know many of my friends. Took me a few episodes to grudgingly realize that Welliver is a great piece of casting. Now I’m sold. I love this show. I also think it has the best visual intro sequence/music combo of any show on any kind of TV! Currently on E.8, S.4. Bosch and Goliath are my two all time favorite Prime shows.
Jesse McRae
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Bosch is one of the few “season” shows that don’t fatigue.
Richard Vogt
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I've been VERY curious about the series (read about it prior) since I've read all the books - and met Connelly at a book signing. I wonder if I'd like the cast? Not sure as Titus is not who I pictured to play Bosch AT ALL. But the main thing holding me back is the subscription, which I don't currently have or need. Maybe it will be on DVD at the library one of these days. But very happy to hear that it looks good!
Liz Redwing
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i kept falling asleep on i and couldn't get into it, but that could be just me. as long as you're on prime, check out 'sneaky pete'. first season was solid, second got off to a slow start but came to a slam bang finish that made me glad i stayed with it.
keep feeling better,
Chris Spector
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Welliver was the face of the Gentleman Jack brand (Jack Daniel’s) some years back, when I was curating JD No.7 Live Music Programs.
Olie Kornelsen
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I was familiar with Titus Welliver from NYPD Blue. Bosch is a darn good show. Updating LA cop-noir. RJ Spangler
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Yes! We are watching! We even had Alexa’s reminder set for last evening after NewsHour (which left us exhausted given yesterday’s doings in the world we live in).
Joy! We had Bosch to watch. Binging for 2nd night, now... don’t want it to end.
You put it perfectly, Bob. It is the real deal.
Glad to be a first adopter re Bosch 3rd & 4th seasons after consuming 1 & 2 when we first started using Prime, about a year ago.
Love good quality, this show is such a treat. The cast turns in great work using the wonderful writing & direction.
Lovely to be in your club for this one, Bob. Onward... | Trish Sears
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Titus does a great job. Took me a bit to warm up to him, tough character to nail from the page. Connelly’s Bosch is second only to Dirty Harry,
Christian Svendsen
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Good call.
Good show (if not as great as you imply)...
Dave Curtis
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Bob here understands what I say.Streaming Netflix etc. is taking the place of music which used to drive the culture.Tech has replaced muic as the go to thing. Do you know how to code? I would like to learn but machines will soon code faster than humans so fuck that.
Paul Donsanto
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I'm a huge fan. Great open to Season 4.
Steve Brown
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Hey Bob....Bosch is a fave of mine too. Wellever is an actor who always delivers. Casting folks must breathe a sigh of relief when he comes on board. The only sad thing is, I will binge watch the whole season....and then it's wait for another year. Also...whole cast, Aquino, etc...even the small parts are interesting. Glad you like it too.
The best,
Steven Anders
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Anyone who's had a life touched by tragedy can relate to and appreciate Bosch--the character and the show. I think that's why my dad and I love it so much. I just finished season four about 10 minutes ago. A few of those moments hit a little too close to home, just like they should. Can't wait for more...
David Cook (Rome, GA)
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Thanks. LOVE the Connelly books
Alexia Erlichman
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BOSCH...with the huge snowstorm in MN this weekend, my pleasure came from Season 4.
Gary Wisner
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You GOT to read the books! The TV series is great, but the books have so many layers and nuances that cannot be translated on the screen.
They are superaddicitive though, so you should start reading them when you have a couple of slow days, because they will take over your life!!
Peter Chiesa
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'Bosch'? Absolutely. Every word of what you wrote. Fantastic show.
Hugo Burnham
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You’re not the only one watching.
LOVE that show. It’s pretty standard genre stuff but the acting and look are far above other shows. And WAY above other cop genre shows.
There is honestly nothing wrong with this show.
And yea, as an east coaster, it really makes me love LA. Maybe not in the same way as Randy Newman, but still ...
Keith R. Higgons
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Bob, you read all the time and yet you've never read a Bosch book? You're in for a treat when you do, but start with the earlier ones or else the arc of where he's at and what he's doing now will be confusing. Michael Connelly is as good as it gets in the genre.
And so is season 4, imo best one yet.
Buck McWilliams
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So mad at u! I’ve known about Bosch thru amazon prime but never watched - too busy with dozens of other shows on amazon, Netflix, showtime and hbo. Binged 3 episodes last night - love it! No sleep til...
Nathan Benditzson
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I've been in the fence with this one. Thanks to your letter, I’ll check it out.
Yogaroots
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1) You’re not alone. Welliver is perfect.
2) Connelly’s Bosch books are an excellent picture of LA, the police, and politics. There are continuing characters across the books, making it really worthwhile to read them in sequence. And after you’ve been doing that for a while you realize how far down the road Connelly seems to have planned the arc of Bosch’s story. Amazing He’s written non-Bosch books, but with the exception of the Lincoln Lawyer series they lack the Bosch books vigor.
3) Bosch likes jazz. Connelly makes it a mark of his character.
4) Recommended reading, despite your genre aversion.
Greg Conniff
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Bosch is great. I always wonder how many wonderful shows I'm missing when I see a show like this.
Stephen Dietrich
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I tried two episodes of Bosch and just couldn't get excited about seeing a third.
Maybe I'll revisit it given your sterling review.
Burke Long
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Started to watch it recently and just settling into it. It's good and has a compelling flow...geez Mimi Rogers? Where has she been?
But given the power of word of mouth, how did I/us not hear about it during it's first four seasons? That's an eternity in this century. But then that happened to us with The Americans too. It's all new.
John Brodey
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Agree with you - TV shows are the new opium/escape. Too often though, the writers (well, the producers) string you along over 10-12 episodes, whereas the story could've been told in four or six. Not Bosch. Very little filler there - I binge watched it, back to back to back to back all day - two or three days ago, as soon as it got released. In fact, they had so much story I thought the final episode came too soon.
And the casting is brilliant - and Titus utterly convincing. Never read any of the Connelly novels either, but sure glad he wrote them and created this character.
Again, feel better and get well soon!
Namaste
AB
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Just discovered it last week. Watched first two episodes over the weekend.
It hasn't got its hooks totally in me yet but I'm sure it will.
Thanks for the confirmation Bob. Jack Lynady
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you are totally right about the series. It’s kind of a sleeper and actually that’s kind of cool because you know that everybody is him talking about it but people that you know who are watching at Pearl your cool friends
A couple of notes: the books are actually quite good. And they talked quite a bit about the jazz that he listens to that makes up some of the soundtrack to the show. One of the books in fact came with a CD at one point of some of the jazz he listens to with liner notes by the great jazz critic Gary Giddens Who my know from Grenell college. A lot of that music is collected in two or three Harry Bosch playlists on Spotify in a much more expanded form
genre books or not you want to pick up
Oohlikewowman
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As someone who has read all the Bosch books -- and who made a pilgrimage to Angels Flight and the Bradbury Building while in L.A. over New Year's -- I'll concede that I approached the TV series with a sense of dread. Favorite books almost never become favorite movies. But "Bosch" was, I'm happy to admit, good in Year 1 and has improved with every season. Year 4 is tremendous. It looks great, and it's now impossible for me to think of Harry Bosch without seeing Titus Welliver, which is the highest possible compliment. (After Alec Guinness portrayed George Smiley in the BBC's "Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy," even John le Carre saw only Guinness when he thought of his greatest creation.) "Bosch" isn't a touchstone in the Sopranos/Wire/Mad Men/Breaking Bad lineage of Peak TV, but it's a really, really good show.
Mark Bradley, Atlanta
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Spot on Bob. I was a big fan of Connelly's books -- which I couldn't put down -- and subsequently, I've been devouring each new season of Bosch as soon as it's released. Titus Welliver is perfect in the role: a modern-day Jim Rockford with a snazzy pad-with-a-view and a deep appreciation for jazz (my curated "Bosch Grooves" playlist: open.spotify.com/user/michaeljoel/playlist/7gFeaMx4AMzzg0ZezWHnWB?si=r4M4tiJYQKS0cVBjcUArng).
Michael Kauffman
Clio Music Awards
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