I am still in the process of catching up on all the Harry Bosch books and got very excited when I saw the billboards for the Bosch TV series yesterday. For me, the wait for this to happen wasn't that long since I began my journey into Michael Connelly's world just last year. I can't imagine how long the wait had been for Bosch's long time fans.

My experience with the first episode is probably different from most of the reviewers here. Somehow, I was able to come across the original pilot episode that was aired on January 14 (reference the Bosch (TV Series) wiki) and I really enjoyed it. When the series finally came out, I watched the first episode again and found that there were some significant differences between the two pilots.

First Episode Differences:
- Mimi Rogers took over the role of "Money" Chandler. With a more well-know actress in the role, somehow there was less focus on the Chandler character. The original pilot was more true to the book with respect to the handling of the Chandler character and my personal opinion was that the original actress looked better for the part.
- The original pilot introduced the characters better. I don't think viewers who don't know the books would have known who Irvin Irving or Pounds were because Bosch or any other character never actually called them by their name.
- The new pilot was more true to the book with regard to the reporter being at the scene of the crime.
- The scene with Bosch and Julia Brasher at the bar was longer and revealed more about the Brasher character (more true to the book) in the new pilot vs the original.

So for the avid fans of the books, I suggest watching BOTH pilots.

Book and Show differences:
- Timeline is different. Bosch was in the Gulf war in the show vs.Vietnam in the book. The show takes place strictly in the current day. This is a shame because Los Angeles is very much intrinsic to the Bosch story and the books spanned some significant events in LA's recent history. LA Riots, Rampart Scandal, OJ Simpson, Earthquake. The books used these events to express the rich and intense history of the LAPD and the residents it served.
- Bosch's personal history was changed. Specifically, the event that put Bosch's name in the papers. This is not too significant a change because the controversy over whether the shooting was justified is still intact.
- Introduction of the Reynard Waits character. Reynard Waits represents a significant departure from the books. His character shows up in a much later book and had never been tied to the "City of Bones" case. By introducing him here, there will be no chance to use his story for a future season.

After watching the first 3 episodes, these are the books that are referenced by the series so far:
- The Concrete Blonde -- In this book, Harry Bosch is on trial for whether his shooting of a rapist was justified and Harry Bosch's childhood and background is revealed. The Courtroom scenes in the show are pulled from this book.
- City of Bones -- This is the central case from the show. For those who want the full story of the case, this is the book to read.
- Echo Park -- The Reynard Waits character and story is "loosely" based on this book.

My opinion is that "Bosch", on its own, is a good show. My fear was that they would make it into a 48 minute police procedural instead of giving the cases ample time to develop and resolve. I'm glad it was unfounded.

This is an amazing series and I hope that Amazon picks it up for several more seasons!

I'm not a huge fan of the procedural crime drama genre. These types of series are a dime a dozen and the whole taciturn and grumpy detective shtick is a wee bit tired and old at this point. While Bosch does indeed revolve around a taciturn detective, Titus Welliver brings something fresh to the table. His performance is top notch and he delivers a believable and surprisingly likable portrayal of a broken detective who is trying to make it in a broken world. His performance, along with top notch writing and pacing, creates breathtaking rendition of the procedural crime drama and makes this series so much better than any of the rest. I would have binge watched the series in one sitting if it wasn’t for the Amazon Video app thwarting my plans.

My only complaint about this series is the platform on which I watched it. I have a 2014 model Samsung UHDTV with the Amazon Prime app preinstalled. It was on this platform that I had the misfortune of watching the series. Sadly, this app stinks. Not only is it incredibly laggy, but things like displaying closed captioning and watching in UHD seem to be too difficult of a feat for this app to accomplish and results in frequent crashes or introduces such a delay that by the end of an episode the closed captioning is at least two minutes behind the audio. Oh, and don't even get me going on such basic concepts such as rewinding or fast forwarding because I cannot seem to get those simplistic features to operate smoothly either.

I have a nice 50mbps FTTH internet connection and can enjoy Netflix UHD content without any issues. I can also stream MGo content in UHD and enjoy UHD streaming on my Sony FMP-X10. However, the Amazon Video apps struggles with everything I throw at it.

Mozart in the Jungle - check.

The Man in the High Castle - check.

Alpha House - check.

These are all fantastic series, but they are darn near unwatchable in UHD.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled the app. I have performed latency and bandwidth checks to verify my ISP is not a problem (unless they have selective decided to pick on Amazon and only Amazon). I have even tried standing on one leg as I hop up and down performing what probably looks like a rain dance to the untrained eye, but in fact is really is a final act of desperation (or perhaps insanity) and has affectionately become known around my house as the "G D it, maybe this will make the darn thing work" dance. I might be exaggerating. I might not be. Only my toaster truly knows and he talks to no other than me, so the truth safely resides in my fractured mind.

Hey, at least I can still joke about my experience, so I have not reached the point of giving up on the Amazon Video app altogether at this point.

All I can say is, “Amazon, you should really fix this so that I can give your series the undivided attention that they deserve.” I suspect it is just a buggy app, but it really has started to sour my opinion of your service. I would gladly pay you an extra four bucks a month (like I pay Netflix), to have reliable UHD streaming. I plan on whining about this in every review until it is fixed, which probably means that my reviews will never see the light of day. However, you and I will both know just how frustrating your service is and I will have the satisfaction of at least telling you about it.

I'm a fan of Michael Connolly's novels and reportage over the years. I was a little leery of the notion of making a series using a melange of stories from the books, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the Amazon Prime series Bosch.

I had no previous knowledge of Titus Welliver, although I now know he's been around on a number of hip shows that I've not (yet) seen because I'm so unhip. That said, I'm very familiar with actors Lance Riddick and Jamie Hector for their stellar multi-season performances on The Wire. And I've been a fan of Jason Gedrick since his days in ABC's series Murder One (Gedrick was in Seasn 1 only, which was excellent. They renewed for Season 2 w/o Gedrick and the product stunk) His work in the aborted HBO drama series Luck was exemplary as well. At this point, I have noting but praise for all of the cast, the directors, and the production values.

I have to admit, I had no idea of what to expect of a screen character called Harry Bosch. Sure, given the number of novels featuring his character that I've read, I had some kind of vision of what Hieronymous Bosch would look like. And Titus Welliver was not it. But he grew on me so that after two episodes I had full faith that I was looking at Harry Bosch. The real Harry Bosch.

Harry's not perfect, of course. In fact, he's far from it. His only polish comes out when he's getting in the mind of the perp. Once he's lodged himself inside, the game is pretty much over. It helps to have access to Eleanor Wish as a seasoned profiler, too. Without their daughter to bind Harry and Eleanor, Harry would have to pay a flying squad of psychics and therapists to root out his incredibly complex demons before he could sollve the cases he does.

The construct of the series was good. Every episode had a climax and yet had a plot ellipsis that compelled the viewer to view on. Jamie Hector as Jerry Edgar and Lance Riddick as Boss Irving are excellent.

Jason Gedrick cleverly plays a most complex villain, reeking of sickness, perversion, deceit, and pain. The character's intellect has apparently never been put to any good use, so he just focuses on the evil with which he can inflict ultimate pain on his victims, and everyone is his potential victim. As he seeks to outwit Harry Bosch for his own purpose, Gedrick's character chills the soul to its core.

There has to be a flaw, and it's just one of my pet peeves. Why, oh why does the Foley operator feel compelled to insert a gratuitous "brake squeal" when a motor vehicle comes to a stop? It's so ... 60s. Modern cars, even cheap, neglected police cars don't make that noise anymore. And maybe I just got used to it -- I can't believe I would -- but it's possible that the directors decided to drop the foible, since after about Episode 3 or 4, I didn't notice it any more. There. I've said it. I'm over it now.

Anyway, Bosch is great for binge watching. So thanks, Amazon, for dropping all ten episodes at once. Now maybe I can get some sleep. But I still have to find the next great series while I wait for Season 2.

I loved it but they rushed the ending because of COVID

I came to Bosch by word of mouth and online buzz; I haven't read any of the 21 books in Michael Connelly's series - yet! - so was able to view the show on it's own merits.

Starring the improbably named Titus Welliver, Bosch is a police procedural, but doesn't feel like the typical American cop show, it has a slower, more measured pace, introducing the characters and their world in a very organic way. Character driven, the show doesn't need a shoot-out or an explosion to advance the story; this is LA Noir by way of Euro Noir, and feels like something that could have come from the UK or Scandinavia.

Bosch is a veteran, with 20yrs or so on the Force, and Welliver plays him with a sense of world-weariness, plus a less than tactful rejection of "office politics." Something of a loner, he has more than his fair share of demons due to events from his childhood, and is driven to pursue justice for the victims of the crimes he investigates to the point of recklessness and insubordination.

To add to his worries he has a somewhat tense relationship with his ex-wife, plus a teenage daughter who insists, much to his dismay, on calling him "Harry;" when she arrives in LA to visit, his idea of "bonding" is to take her on a ride-along, and a practice session at a gun range! LOL! After bingeing my way through both seasons in only 4 sittings, just like Peter Falk in [[ASIN:B008RJ6TTC Columbo]], I'm finding it difficult to imagine anyone else but Welliver playing the character, and as it turns out, Welliver was Michael Connelly's first choice for the part!

Each season tells one complete story, although there are a number of sub-plots that start in Season 1 and are not fully resolved until Season 2, so it's obviously best to watch the show in order. Without giving much away, Season 1 involves the hunt for a serial killer who takes a very personal interest in Bosch, and Season 2 involves the murder of a businesssman who may have ties to Eastern European organized crime.

In-between Season 1 binges I went looking for "the book" the series was based on, and found that each season was based on elements from 3 different novels. Season 1 was based in part on City of Bones, Echo Park, and The Concrete Blonde, Season 2 is based on elements from Trunk Music, The Drop, and The Last Coyote. This is a pretty savvy move by the author and the production team, as those who have read the Bosch novels won't have read "these" particular stories.

The supporting cast is uniformly very good, especially Amy Aquino as Harry's immediate superior, "Lt. Grace Billets," as is Lance Reddick as "Deputy Chief Irving," who probably has the most extreme journey over the course of the two seasons of any character in the show. And a special mention goes to Jeri Ryan as "Veronica Allen;" she grabs the part of Season 2's whacked businessmans widow by the throat and doesn't let go!

The production values are all top notch, everything looks and feels authentic, as is the visually striking title sequence, set to an edit of [[ASIN:B00J24ZL6I "Can't Let Go" by Caught a Ghost]], which echoes Harry's love of classic Jazz, within a modern Downtempo electronica arrangement.

And as of the time of writing this review, Bosch Seasons 3 and 4 have been confirmed... I can't wait!

I first stumbled across Bosch a year ago during the Prime Series tryouts. I thought the first episode was intriguing and I was happy to hear it was picked up for a full season. Flash forward to Friday the 13th last week and the entire series appeared. First, Titus Welliver is a great actor. He is one of the few who can dominate a scene while remaining soft spoken. It seems the softer he speaks, the more authority he commands. I first noticed him on Lost, then he really carried his scenes in SOA. Bottom line is that if he guest starred on an episode of Sister Wives I could even watch that trash.

Fortunately, Mr. Welliver is not in Sister Wives, yet anyway, but in the extremely well written Bosch. Book adaptations are probably easier to pull off on the big screen, or even better in a mini series format similar to the Stand. Justified was the exception to that rule, and now Bosch stakes its claim as brilliantly adapted series of writings to the small screen. For fans of the books I think the series does a good job of staying true to the character, if not the stories verbatim. Fair warning, there are some changes, for example Amazon Hieronymus is 47, which would impute to a birth year of 1967. For those wondering if being a 5 fearless five year old is what made Harry a legendary tunnel rat in Vietnam I hate to crush your spirit. Instead, Harry was a special forces tunnel rat in the first gulf war. Some other changes are obvious as well, but I like this version of Harry Bosch.

I remember reading the first couple books 15 years ago and the spirit of the Harry Bosch in those books is very well represented by Welliver and the writers. Where the show really takes off is in the supporting cast. One Wire alum is always a plus. Bosch has two, and both are in prominent roles. Bosch's partner is the wholly, totally underrated Jamie Hector, aka Marlo Stanfield. Hector turns in a great performance here as the young sophisticated alternative to the old pro Bosch. If one Wire vet isn't enough, call in the great Lance Reddick. Reddick, aka Sgt. Cedric Daniels to Wirephiles, dominates scenes as well. But while Welliver dominates with a soft spoken presence, Reddick just plain dominates. Part of it is his size, part his shaved head, but all of it leads to his piercing eyes which shoot fire at all who dare question his authority.

All in all I loved it. I owe it to myself to watch it again, and my rating may change at that time. One worrisome note I need to look into is whether the show is trying. Trying in general is good, but trying to be the Shield, when there was only one Shield, is bad. Trying to be the Wire is bad, there is only one Wire. I am all but certain neither is the case, but there are some disturbing Vic / Harry moments that make it necessary to look a little deeper.

The bottom line is that the more good shows that are out there, the more will be made. Netflix took on the UK version of House of Cards and made it meaningful in America. Shows like Lillyhammer, Orange is the New Black, and a new season of Arrested Development are proof that this style of viewing works. If Amazon succeeds with a hit show it will be a game changer. A war between netflix and amazon to produce high quality in house entertainment could be the best thing that ever happened to quality television.

I watched the pilot on Amazon Prime and then waited impatiently for the rest of the series to show up. When it did, and I finally watched it, I binge-watched all the episodes in two evenings (and stayed up *way* too late the first night).

It is good, but not as good as I had hoped. In most respects it is a pretty standard police procedural. I haven't read all Connelly's Bosch books, only a few. From what I recall, Bosch is pretty true to the novels and is *very* true to the character. Bosch is, in some respects, his own worst enemy, and elements of this tighten the noose around him in this first season.

I've enjoyed Titus Welliver since I saw him on Deadwood. So I looked up pretty much everything else I could see him in. (He was pretty much the only reason I watched SoA, as I'm not into biker stuff; though in many respects, SoA is just a prime time organized crime drama/soap like The Soprano's, only it happens to be set among bikers.)

I was waiting to see if Welliver would ever get a great lead role, and with Bosch, he finally has. The pilot for Bosch came out so long before the rest of the series, I wasn't sure it was even going to be picked up although I voted for it as one of the Amazon series that Amazon should continue to make. Welliver makes the title character come alive, with all of his flaws and features. He's a great actor, and Bosch finally gives him something meaty to work with (though he's been very good in his other minor roles.)

Bosch is, as I said before, his own worst enemy. The character is a stereotype we've seen before -- the flawed but righteous anti-hero trying to negotiate the gray areas of law enforcement while staying on the right, if impolitic, side of the line. But Welliver's portrayal is rock solid and believable, and Bosch's trials and tribulations are therefore realistic.

My only problem with this series is that the direction sometimes seems kind of arbitrary and craftless at times. The writing is solid, if a bit slow moving at first. Some have complained that the series is slow to build. But I'm all right with that, because as the suspense builds in the second half of the season, the pace picks up, and in the slow build, characters are developed and motivations revealed.

What brings Bosch down to 4 stars from a possible 5 is the average-ness of the direction. There is more craft and art in the direction of some other network and cable crime dramas (with worse writing) than in Bosch. Bosch (the show) wants to be noir, but the direction isn't quite there yet. Don't get me wrong, it's not *badly* directed... it just doesn't have more striking visual aspects of real noir for me. The direction of Bosch is closer to L&O than to true noir, though the novels read as police/crime potboiler noir.

Your mileage may vary, but I found Low Winter Sun (AMC's one-season forgotten gem) with Mark Strong to have far more visual noir aspects and more narrative suspense than Bosch. (I also bingewatched Low Winter Sun when it became available via Netflix; I like Mark Strong who, similar to Titus Welliver, though British, also hasn't had many lead roles to flex his acting chops, mostly just great supporting roles.) So if you liked Bosch, check out Low Winter Sun.

All of that being said, Bosch is well worth viewing and it stands up well against any major prime time crime drama (and fares better than most). It also bears repeat viewing. Hopefully it will really hit its stride in Season 2.

BOSCH is a refreshing addition to a TV genre burdened by cliches, over-saturation, and just plain mediocrity--The Cop Show. From the ridiculous fact that LAW & ORDER: SVU is in its 17th season, to hackneyed remakes of Steven Bochco's horrible attempts, cop shows are mercilessly resurrected over and over again.

Which is why I simply wasn't interested upon hearing about Amazon's production of a somber, borderline-bipolar, semi-old school homicide detective "on the trail of a serial killer." Been there, done that WAY too many times. But with BOSCH, we get a character who is ACTUALLY complex, as opposed to a hack writer's (or perhaps a meddling studio's) idea of a complex character--"a rough iconoclast with a checkered past trying in the present to make things right." Just writing that sentence made me want to puke. Ironically, though, that isn't an inaccurate description of Harry Bosch--divorced, slightly insubordinate, listens to jazz on vinyl, military background, and abused as a kid. But this character doesn't succumb to the cliches that so often befall that kind of exposition. Bosch's moral center is ironclad, but he's aware of the realities of life, and compensates when necessary, whether that ends up being a wise decision or not. He knows that society is nothing without the rule of law, but even then he can't disguise a contempt for how that law is sometimes enforced. He walks a very, VERY fine line between that rule and a reasonable judgment about when and how far to cross it. Best of all, he isn't full of disingenuous self-loathing, as so many characters with this past are so horribly written. He doesn't waste time blaming himself. When he screws up, he owns up to it, and then moves on to get the job done.

As stated, other characters have this profile, so why do they fail so miserably as believable. Well, part of it is the casting. Titus Welliver delivers this character PERFECTLY. He doesn't over play it. Many actors make the mistake of leaving the written character behind when they burst into fits of rage. Welliver doesn't do this. Even when he blows his top, he remains the controlled, calculating ex-military person that he is, not stupidly losing it on a suspect or adversary by beating the tar out of them. He conveys so much with his eyes that he doesn't need to state the obvious. This coupled with the superb scripts he obviously receives make for a superb rendition of Michael Connelly's creation.

BOSCH isn't without its faults, hence 4 stars instead of 5. While the conflict with his romantic interest in this first season is interesting, the character herself still comes off as shallow, and not because she's morally ambiguous. And the way the romance ensued truly WAS cliche. The easy relationship displayed with his ex-wife isn't exactly believable. Kudos to the writers for not making it a typical divorce, but his ex is just way too forgiving of him. He wouldn't have fallen for someone who rolled over so easily. And lastly, his colleague as an adversary seems like more of a prop. We don't get much from this character other than to see him as a foil. This may be remedied in the following season(s), but in the first, he just isn't authentic.

But BOSCH mitigates these faults well with a nuanced plot. We're distracted by one villain from another, but the resolution to both aren't at all cliche. There's a very authentic drive for justice in how these cops carry on that doesn't give way to a writer's melodramatic impulses. This is so rare that the experience was pleasing. I can only hope the 2nd season is as good.