SummaryLos Angeles homicide detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) is under trial for killing a serial killer as he searches for another killer of a child in this series based on the books by Michael Connelly.
SummaryLos Angeles homicide detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) is under trial for killing a serial killer as he searches for another killer of a child in this series based on the books by Michael Connelly.
With season 2, everything feels much more in balance, and much more confidently its own thing, rather than a tentative adaptation figuring itself out through trial and error.
I'm not sure why I like Bosch, because in general I don't watch much TV and in particular rarely a police procedural. Whether it's the excessive violence, the comical one liners, the solve it in one episode, the special powers / insight, or the witty quick hit repartee, all of the shows I see in TV are such a turn off.
I like how Bosch takes the season to solve the main case, allowing for various sub plots and other cases to play out. I enjoy the twists and turns and surprises -- sometimes I have to pause and think about how a new revelation changes my perception of a character's previous behavior -- what was their hidden agenda and was it in character and consistent.
I like how the conversation doesn't always flow smoothly -- some people think of this as bad writing or direction -- but I see it as more realistic. People aren't always ready with a quick response. Sometimes people say or do things that don't make sense or are mistakes. There is a sense of dread as the season progresses.
I read that this was picked up for seasons 3 and 4, and I'm looking forward to watching more. As other reviewers have written, it's a page-turner.
I personally do not like the lead actor and usually avoid watching him work, but in this case the story is worth it. Who says we have to actually like the personality of the star to enjoy the show.
Bosch is a fine piece of TV work, one of the best examples of how to take what works on tightly-formatted network crime shows and supplement it with some of the looser freedoms of pay-cable crime series.
Bosch is a welcome change of pace from the many procedurals on the networks, especially those that overwhelm their stories with technological jargon. Amazon’s 10-epsiode series is perfect to binge on, a long, involving mystery in which the detective still does leg work.
Granted, the dialogue can occasionally feel a bit forced and the core characters are very much grounded in a different era of police perception, but neither are marked hindrances to what makes the Amazon drama worth watching. It's still all about Harry Bosch. Now, he's just getting more to chew on.
It’s highly satisfying but not often exciting. The producers, many with roots in European television, have gone for a modest tone and a slow-burn narrative that can feel more admirable than addictive.
Season two kicks off, more or less, 6 months after Harry comes back from ****'s a clever device to use because basically they don't need to explain at all what he did for the last 6 months; leave it up to our imaginations. And just like that, the season kicks into gear with an unexplained murder up on Mulholland Drive. The rest you need to watch to find out more.
Since I reviewed the last season, I'm not going to retread anything I said there, instead let me focus on the new Harry Bosch. Well, much like the character himself, he's a man lost in time; or as he says "I still haven't figured out the last century yet..." This captures both the mood and the pace of this crime show. It's a slow burn, in the vain of the Maltese Falcon or even Michael Mann's "Thief." Either way do not expect an explosion a minute or endless car chases, this is a crime drama with many knots to unwind and some are more interconnected than others.
I have to praise the writers and actors for doing such a great job on the second time through, what could have been a total hash considering the high expectations Bosch fans had from last season. Everything is top notch. While I didn't finish the series in a weekend, like last time, I did finish it in under a week. Which is the only bad thing I can say about this series: wish it was longer than 10 episodes. I know thats a quibble, which is why I still gave it a ten, but would have liked to see maybe a 15 episode run.
Can't miss with this season.
Better than season 1, which (IMO) went downhill after the first few epis.) Much more to work with here, including better supporting threads, Plus, a great ensemble performance that takes much of the weight off Welliver's shoulders. I mean, Bosch the cop is fun to watch but we need some variety too.
It surprisingly got better.
If y0u are wanting big changes, you won’t find it here. If you want the acting and stories to get better and deeper then you do have it. Instead of a single individual, Bosch is investigating another case, lots of groups and a couple of relationships that intertwine those stories.
This time a pornographer, bad cops, the Armenian mob and an ex-wife that can’t stop getting in trouble add up to 10 episodes **** police drama. I can’t say enough that I appreciate that the whole “thin blue line” thing isn’t necessarily a positive.
I also like how they have started wrapping the third season into the end of the second season. Although while I like his background, the murder of his mother was the impetus for Season 1, and evidently it will be the storyline for Season 3 and seriously could we stop with the murdered mother trope.
Pros: The story is better this season, the acting is still good.
Cons: Dear god can we stop with the murdered mother storyline?
Yes, I will watch season 3 now.
I enjoyed season 1 of Bosch but, after watching the first half of season 2, I have to say I'm disappointed with it so far. Half the screen time is devoted to plot threads that seemingly have nothing at all to do with Bosch, with the Deputy Police Chief's son (a minor character I didn't even remember from season 1) emerging as a major character with his own plot line. Meanwhile, what is supposedly the central plot line, Bosch's investigation of a murder with possible ties to Las Vegas mobsters, plods along. It's missing the tight suspense that season 1 had with its two investigations and also lacking the emotional chemistry to make me care that much about the personal lives of these characters. Bosch season 2 is still well produced, well shot and well acted. It's not a bad show by any means but it seems like it's trying to shift from a taut police mystery/suspense to a broader-focused cop drama. Maybe the latter half of season 2 will be better...