Boss

Mayor Tom Kane sits like a spider at the center of Chicago's web of power; a web built on a covenant with the people. They want to be led, they want disputes settled, jobs dispensed, and loyalties rewarded. If he achieves all this through deception and immorality, so be it. As long as he gets the job done, they look the other way. Yet despite being the most effective mayor in recent history, a degenerative brain disorder is ripping everything away from him. He can't trust his memory, his closest allies, or even himself.

Boss (2011-2012) is an American political drama created by Farhad Safinia for STARZ, a two-season run of eighteen episodes that was canceled before its story could finish. Kelsey Grammer plays Mayor Tom Kane, a shrewd and ruthless power broker who sits at the center of Chicago's machine politics like a spider in its web. His wife Meredith Kane (Connie Nielsen) and daughter Emma Kane (Hannah Ware) orbit his household, while political allies such as Ben Zajac (Jeff Hephner) and Kitty O'Neil (Kathleen Robertson) carry out his deals. The engine of the show is simple and cruel: Kane keeps the city running through favors, deception and quiet threats, but a degenerative brain disorder is stealing his memory and his trust in the people closest to him. Each episode juggles backroom negotiations, jobs, disputes and loyalties while the mayor struggles to hide his decline. Fans of House of Cards and The Wire will find resonance in its cynical urban power games and morally compromised characters. The atmosphere is bleak, tense and intimate, with a family drama beating beneath the political maneuvering. Its prestige drama style and dark psychological tone make it a sharp study of power and its cost.

Audiences rated the series positively, with a strong lead performance from Kelsey Grammer and a dark, morally compromised portrait of political power, though the first season was rated lower than the second.

• House of Cards (2013)shared corrupt political power, ruthless protagonist, prestige drama tone
• The Wireshared chicago political machine, morally compromised power broker, serialized drama
• Successionshared dark psychological character study of a powerful man in decline

Created by

Farhad Safinia

Release Date

2011-10-21

Episode runtime

55 min

Rating

8.1 / 10 (152)

What is Boss about?

A Chicago mayor who runs the city through deception and favors begins losing his memory to a degenerative brain disorder.

What is Boss like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Boss as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is Boss violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Boss as mild.

What did critics think of Boss?

Audiences rated the series positively, with a strong lead performance from Kelsey Grammer and a dark, morally compromised portrait of political power, though the first season was rated lower than the second.

Which shows are like Boss?

Shows with a similar feel include House of Cards (2013), The Wire, and Succession.

How long is Boss?

Boss: 2 seasons, 18 episodes.

Is Boss still running?

No, Boss was canceled.

Where can I watch Boss?

In United States, Boss streams on Plex, Plex Player, Plex Channel, Fawesome, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Tubi TV.