He sits in the dark. Silence fills the room, broken only by the heavy, rhythmic breathing of a man who knows he is losing his mind. This isn't Frasier Crane. There’s no sherry, no witty banter about opera, and definitely no laugh track. In the opening minutes of Boss, Kelsey Grammer stares directly into the abyss of his own mortality, and it is terrifying.
Honestly, most people forgot this show existed. It aired on Starz back in 2011, a time when the network was mostly known for the blood-and-sand spectacle of Spartacus. Then came Boss, a dense, Shakespearean tragedy masquerading as a Chicago political drama. Grammer plays Tom Kane, the Mayor of Chicago. He’s a kingpin in a suit. He’s also dying of Lewy body dementia.
The Mayor Who Ran Chicago With An Iron Fist
Tom Kane isn't a "good" guy. Not even close. He is a master of the backroom deal, a man who treats the city of Chicago like a personal chessboard. If you stand in his way, he won't just defeat you; he’ll erase you. Grammer brings a terrifying, physical gravity to the role. It’s a performance that won him a Golden Globe, and yet, hardly anyone saw it.
The show’s premise is simple but brutal. Kane finds out he has a degenerative brain disorder. He decides to tell no one. Not his wife, Meredith (played with a chilling, icy resolve by Connie Nielsen), and certainly not his political enemies. He has to govern a city while his own brain starts hallucinating. He’s fighting a war on two fronts: the ballot box and his own synapses.
Why the Chicago Setting Worked
Chicago wasn't just a backdrop for Boss; it was a character. The show captured the "machine politics" of the Windy City better than almost anything else on television.
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- The Architecture: The show used the city's towering skyscrapers and gritty industrial zones to mirror Kane’s psyche.
- The History: It tapped into the real-world legacy of the Daley era without being a literal biography.
- The Corruption: It leaned into the idea that in Chicago, politics isn't about ideology—it's about who owes who a favor.
A Shakespearean Tragedy in a Modern Suit
If you watch Boss today, it feels less like The West Wing and more like King Lear. Kane is the aging monarch trying to secure his legacy while his "kingdom" and his family fall apart around him. His relationship with his estranged daughter, Emma, is a train wreck of guilt and manipulation.
There’s this one scene—it’s etched into my brain—where Kane is standing on a rooftop looking over the city. The camera work, overseen by executive producer Gus Van Sant, is intimate and often uncomfortable. It lingers on Grammer’s face as he tries to maintain his "Lion of Chicago" persona while his hands shake. You feel the desperation. It’s a masterclass in acting that proves Grammer is one of the greats, regardless of the genre.
The Supporting Cast That Held the Line
While Grammer was the sun the show orbited around, the supporting players were incredible.
- Kathleen Robertson as Kitty O'Neil: The loyal aide who knows too much and sees too little of the reward.
- Jeff Hephner as Ben Zajac: The young, ambitious politician being groomed (and manipulated) by Kane.
- Jonathan Groff as Ian Todd: A ruthless political strategist who joins the fray in Season 2.
The show didn't do "filler" episodes. Every beat was about power. Who had it, who wanted it, and what they were willing to sacrifice to keep it. Often, that sacrifice was their own humanity.
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Why Did It Get Cancelled?
It’s the question that still haunts fans of the show. Boss was cancelled after just two seasons. The ratings were, frankly, abysmal. It’s a common story: a brilliant, difficult show finds a home on a premium network that hasn't yet built the audience for prestige drama.
Starz was still finding its identity. If Boss had landed on HBO or even Netflix a few years later, we’d probably be talking about it in the same breath as House of Cards or Succession. Instead, it ended on a cliffhanger. There were talks of a wrap-up movie, but it never happened. We’re left with eighteen episodes of pure, uncut political nihilism.
The Legacy of Tom Kane
Is it worth watching now? Absolutely. Boss aged remarkably well. In an era of deep political division, the show’s cynical take on how power actually functions feels more relevant than ever. It doesn't care about Democrats or Republicans. It cares about the lever of power and the person pulling it.
Grammer’s portrayal of a man losing his grip on reality while refusing to let go of his throne is haunting. It’s a "prestige" show in the truest sense—uncompromising, beautifully shot, and deeply uncomfortable.
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How to Approach a Rewatch
If you’re diving into Boss for the first time, or finally going back to it, keep these things in mind:
- Pay attention to the visuals. The "out of focus" shots aren't mistakes; they represent Kane’s deteriorating vision and mental state.
- Listen to the dialogue. It’s dense. It’s poetic. It’s meant to be chewed on.
- Don't look for a hero. There aren't any. Every character in this show is compromised in some way. That’s the point.
The show isn't a "comfort watch." It’s a "lean-in" watch. It demands your attention and rewards it with some of the most intense drama of the 2010s. Kelsey Grammer took a massive risk moving away from the "Frasier" shadow, and even though the show didn't last, the performance stands as a career-best.
Practical Next Steps for Fans and Newcomers
If you want to experience Boss today, the best way is to find it on streaming services like Lionsgate+ or purchase the seasons on platforms like Amazon Prime or Apple TV. Given that the show ended abruptly, it's also worth looking up the creator Farhad Safinia's interviews from that era, where he discussed where the story was headed. For those who enjoy the "corrupt Chicago" vibe, pairing a rewatch with a reading of Boss by Mike Royko (about Richard J. Daley) provides a fascinating real-world context to the fictional Tom Kane.