The TV crime drama genre welcomes a new protagonist to the landscape – and he isn’t the standard morally-bankrupt detective, writes Debashine Thangevelo
Having one central character helm a procedural drama warrants the implementation of a few cardinal rules from the TV bible.
Firstly, you have to be generous when fleshing out the lead’s backstory. Let’s just say the more inscrutable and conflicted the character, the more engaging they are.
And writers love pushing that envelope too, especially by blurring the parameters with the morality of the protagonist.
We have seen this beautifully manifested in Luther, where Idris Elba’s character’s overriding sense of justice saw him break the law many times. Yet, he remained likable.
And that’s kind of the bottom line – if the weight of the show is going to rest on one actor’s shoulders, they should be given stories that do them justice.
While Elba’s character explored one extreme, Backstrom, with Rainn Wilson, examined another. He was a raging alcoholic, living with his gay half-brother, who has a proclivity for dabbling in the world of shady dealings. Ditto for season two of True Detective with Detective Raymond “Ray” Velcoro (Colin Farrell).
As paradoxical as that sounds, he redeems himself by tenaciously going after the perpetrators.
Now we come to the latest arrival on the crime-fighting scene – LAPD Detective Harry Bosch (played by Titus Welliver) in Universal Channel’s Bosch.
He, unlike Elba and Wilson and their questionable actions, has a heroism that is more overtly righteous. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have his fair share of demons, given that he was raised by a physically abusive father since from age 11 after his prostitute mother was murdered. But rather than have this unhinge him, he channels his emotions in a more productive light – putting away bad people like those he was exposed to in his childhood. Crime-solving has also become something of a crutch for him.
And he is unyielding in his pursuit of criminals – to the point where he can be quite defiant with his superiors.
Bosch is the epitome of cool – nothing rattles his cage. Viewers witnessed this in the first episode, where he found himself on trial for killing a serial killer.
After more than two decades in the industry, Welliver (Deadwood, Sons of Anarchy, The Good Wife) has enjoyed leaving his mark on the big and small screens.
Chatting to Hitfix.com, he shed light on his TV character: “They want me to be the sort of austere, intense guy. What’s wonderful about playing Harry Bosch is his sense of humour, really good sense of humour. So there are moments of buoyancy and levity that come out.”
Although Bosch sticks to his convictions in the face of every adversity – his defiance isn’t without context. He has a sense of loyalty that is commendable. He can be aloof and, as such, unwittingly creates an air of mystery.
On how the book character differs from the TV translation, he adds: “In the book, Harry’s always wearing suits. I thought it would make him more accessible if he’s a guy who just wants to reach into the closet and grab a shirt and a pair of pants. He’s not a guy who’s going to show up in a Brioni suit. He wears comfortable clothing…”
The bonus, for him that is, is that he didn’t have to grow a moustache.
There’s also a certain charm about him, especially with that salt-and-pepper look, those penetrating azure eyes and his profound sense of justice. Of course, it does help that Bosch also engages with its script and well-etched, eccentric characterisations.
This whodunit whets the appetite.
l Bosch airs on Universal Channel (DStv channel 117) on Wednesdays at 8.50pm.