A couple of months ago I had a blog post titled “You Should Be Watching Amazon’s ‘Bosch’." Not only do I believe it is the finest show in Amazon’s Prime Video lineup, I think it is one of the best detective procedurals today.
Season 4 of “Bosch” debuted on the streaming platform on Thursday, April 12 (earlier than the announced release date of April 13). Bridget and I stayed up until 1 a.m. last night finishing all 10 episodes.
The latest season doesn’t dissuade my effusive feelings for the show. In fact, the fourth season of “Bosch” might be the best of the series.
Detective Harry Bosch is back...and on the case.
This season finds our protagonist investigating the murder of a lawyer named Howard Elias (Clark Johnson) who was prepping for a court case involving brutality claims against the LAPD.
Elias has a reputation for taking on the department. As such, there is concern that a cop gunned down the unwary attorney on “Angels Flight” — a quaint tram located in the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles. (This season is based on Michael Connelly’s novel “Angels Flight.”)
Bosch is put in charge of a task force working to dig up clues and bring the murderer to justice. Their job is made all the more difficult by civil unrest in the community, politics within the police department, and issues in Harry’s personal life.
What I find so refreshing about “Bosch” is the fact that the show works to “keep it real.” Authenticity is a hallmark of Connelly’s novels.
In an era where police procedurals have become somewhat lazy as it regards “rapid forensic proof” and “super computers” that churn out ludicrous results, it is nice to have a detective show that deals authentically with the “analog realities” of police investigations.
Like the previous seasons of “Bosch,” the fourth outing in the series features multiple threads twisting, turning, and ultimately converging into an intricately woven plot that requires thoughtful analysis from the viewer.
It is wonderful to see a show so deftly work to hook viewers into the investigation. You feel like you’re right there alongside the terse and dogged Bosch as he questions suspects, slogs through boxes of evidence, analyzes security camera footage, and puts shoe leather to pavement in pursuit of the truth.
At the show’s core is Titus Welliver — a perfectly cast actor who was hand-picked by the author to play the titular character Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch.
Welliver brings a sensibility to the show that adds to the authenticity.
Being reliable is the name of the game for each season of “Bosch.” The show is stylish because it is inherently unstylish. This isn’t a tome that relies on fancy transitions or extreme color grading in its execution.
Instead, “Bosch” goes for the lived-in look, presents Los Angeles as it is, and chooses actors who look like regular people.
Other standout performances this season include Madison Lintz (as Bosch’s daughter Maddie), Paul Calderon (as the feisty Det. Santiago Robertson), Lance Redick (as Deputy Chief Irvin Irving), and Jamie Hector (as Det. Jerry Edgar).
But what makes the show such an interesting tapestry is the small roles and supporting players stitched into the various story arcs.
For example, we gained more insight this season into the “Koreatown Killer” (a thread started in the third season).
If you haven’t watched “Bosch,” I encourage you to check it out. It is available for Amazon Prime subscribers (for all you videophiles out there, all four seasons of the show are also available to stream in 4K).
“Bosch” is taut noir cool.
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