Mama's Boy

"Mama's Boy"
Season 1, Episode 5
Release date	February 13, 2015
Written by	William N. Fordes
Directed by	Ernest Dickerson
Episode chronology
← previous "Fugazi"	next → "Donkey's Years"

"Mama's Boy" is the fifth episode of the first season of Bosch. It premiered on Amazon Instant Video and LOVEFiLM on 13 February 2015.

Summary

Teaser

A helicopter banks over residential Los Angeles as patrol cars fan out through the city in pursuit of Raynard Waits, while Detective Bosch coordinates the search operation from the police station. Detective Rider informs Bosch that there are few cameras monitoring the factory, while Detective Edgar researches the history of the building, and Bosch instructs Rider to pull the video from the prison van. Bosch then informs the watch commander Sergeant John Mankiewicz that Waits has Moore's badge and gun.

At his home, Waits cleans the blood off his face and applies make-up to his bruises.

Act One

At the Police Administration Building, Deputy Chief Irving speaks with Chief of Police John Tenzer, who suggests enlisting the aid of the U. S. Marshals and the FBI. Irving counters that the matter should be kept in-house, suggesting the creation of a Fugitive Task Force instead, and the Chief agrees before disconnecting.

Waits approaches the Saxon residence and enters, approaching his mother, who calls him David. Waits tells his mother that he wants to stay with her for the holidays; she agrees, and Waits offers to make dinner for her.

At the hospital, Bosch checks in on Detective Moore, sending Detective Johnson home to sleep. Johnson agrees, and Bosch sits in with Moore.

The next morning, Bosch leaves the hospital and encounters Irving, who explains that District Attorney O'Shea held a press conference the previous night in which he attempted to lay the blame for Waits's escape on the Police Department. He also informs Bosch that Captain Pounds will be placed in charge of the Fugitive Task Force, while Bosch will not be assigned to the Task Force; he instead orders Bosch to find Arthur Delacroix's real killer in order to prove that Waits was lying and O'Shea was at fault.

At the police station, Bosch learns that Johnson and Rider have been temporarily partnered and assigned to the Task Force. Inside, he and Mankiewicz watch Irving give a press conference announcing the Fugitive Task Force. Mankiewicz turns off the television, questioning the wisdom of placing Pounds in charge of the Task Force before informaing Bosch that Christine Waters is waiting to speak with him.

In Billets's office, Bosch meets with Christine, who asks if Raynard Waits murdered Arthur; Bosch shares his suspicions that Waits was lying, suggesting instead that Arthur's death was more likely connected to the prolonged abuse he suffered. Christine admits to Bosch that she saved herself at her children's expense when she left her ex-husband, and Bosch encourages her to visit her daughter while she's in town. She declines, and leaves.

At the Saxon residence, Waits cares for his demanding mother before telling her that he has to go out to work, upsetting her.

Act Two

On the road, Bosch explains to Edgar his belief that Samuel Delacroix chronically abused Arthur, and that Waits's confession was meant to put him in a position to be able to escape.

At a trailer park, Bosch and Edgar interview Delacroix about Arthur, asking after the boy's friends from the early 1990s, but Samuel becomes emotional when he sees a photograph of his son. He questions what his daughter told the detectives, but identifies several of the boys in the picture as "Deuce," Pat (or Paul), and "Stokes." Bosch questions Samuel's failure to report Arthur missing, and Samuel breaks down crying before claiming that he "killed [his] boy." Bosch and Edgar place Delacroix under arrest.

Somewhere underground, Waits constructs a tunnel while listening to a radio announcement that a $150,000 reward has been issued for information leading to his capture.

On the road, Edgar and Bosch escort Delacroix back to Hollywood as the man vomits in the backseat of the car. Bosch gleefully reminds Edgar that it his turn to clean up the vehicle as he did it last time. Edgar helps Delacroix out of the car, where he adds insult to injury by vomiting on the detective's shoes.

At the Police Administration Building, Irving instructs Ida, his secretary to answer any calls with apologies. He meets with Sergeant Washington, who informs Irving that Bosch persuaded Officer Pierce not to file a complaint against Irving's son.

At the police station, Bosch interviews Delacroix, who waives his Miranda rights before recounting the day that he claims to have killed Arthur. He remembers dropping his children off at school before attending an audition for a CBS program, then picking up Arthur on the boy's way home from school; he claims that he "lost it" when his son tried to get out of the car after Samuel yelled at the boy for wearing a dirty t-shirt. Delacroix admits to beating Arthur frequently while drinking, and claims that Arthur must have hit his head on the car door, because he couldn't wake the boy. He recalls driving around the city before taking Arthur up into a canyon to bury him, but cannot remember which canyon.

Act Three

In Billets's office, Bosch expresses skepticism regarding Delacroix's confession, insisting that it is unlikely that Samuel could have carried Arthur's body up the hill in Laurel Canyon on his own, or that the injury that killed Arthur could have been inflicted by an accidental impact against a car door. Edgar suggests recreating the conditions by finding a mannequin of Arthur's size which Edgar will attempt to carry up the hill.

That night, Bosch and Edgar visit Sheila to inform her that her father admitted to killing Arthur, but Sheila refuses to believe the confession. She insists that her father is not violent, and that he never hit either her or her brother, despite what her mother may have said. Bosch questions why Samuel would lie about committing a murder, but Sheila remains adamant that her father is innocent.

At the Irving residence, the Deputy Chief encounters his son, and explains that Pierce considered filing a complaint regarding the Waits traffic stop. Irvin tells George that the complaint would have destroyed the case against Waits, but that Pierce was persuaded not to file, then advises his son to get out of patrol and pursue the command route. He also informs his son that George will be assigned a new partner during his next shift.

At the Brasher residence, Bosch arrives to find the house dark. Later, in bed, Bosch tells Brasher that he is considering travelling to Las Vegas, and Brasher asks about Bosch's ex-wife; Bosch explains that Eleanor was an FBI profiler when they met, but that she is now a professional poker player who has remarried. He tells Julia that Eleanor moved to Hong Kong with Madeline for three years. Brasher assures Bosch that she will be there when he returns.

Act Four

The next morning, Edgar struggles to carry a mannequin up the hill in Laurel Canyon before calling Bosch to admit that there was no way that Delacroix could have carried Arthur's body up the hill alone.

At the Saxon residence, Waits searches for his mother's eyeglasses until they overhear a news broadcast concerning a police cruiser that collided with a bus while pursuing a tip on Waits's whereabouts. Waits assures his mother that she has nothing to worry about before leaving, claiming that he needs to go shopping.

At a convenience store, Bosch buys a pack of cigarettes before remembering Delacroix's cat.

Bosch returns to Delacroix's trailer, but finds Sheila inside; she claims that she came to get her father's cat, and Bosch allows her to leave before searching the residence. He examines the bedroom, finding a locked drawer which he manages to open to discover a hidden envelope containing provocative Polaroids of Samuel and Sheila.

At his house, Waits touches up the make-up covering his bruises before receiving a cellphone call from his mother, which he ignores.

Later, Waits drives through the city before pulling over to pick up a male prostitute, who agrees to spend the night with Waits.

At a Harvard House Motel, the prostitute tries to undress Waits until Waits stops him; Waits then sits on the bed behind the prostitute, eventually strangling him and snapping his neck as the television shows a news report concerning the manhunt for the serial killer.

Production

Credits

Cast

Starring

• Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch
• Jamie Hector as Jerry Edgar
• Amy Aquino as Grace Billets
• Lance Reddick as Irvin Irving
• Annie Wersching as Julia Brasher
• and Jason Gedrick as Raynard Waits

Guest-Starring

• Veronica Cartwright as Irene Saxon
• Scott Klace as John Mankiewicz
• Mark Derwin as Captain Harvey Pounds
• Troy Evans as Detective Barrel Johnson
• Gregory Scott Cummins as Detective Robert Moore
• Jenica Bergere as Sheila Delacroix
• Pat Skipper as Samuel Delacroix
• Mary Page Keller as Christine Waters
• Rose Rollins as Detective Kizmin Rider
• Robbie Jones as Officer George Irving
• Jeff Griggs as Chief of Police John Tenzer

Co-Starring

• Deji Laray as Officer Julius Edgewood
• Jonathan Ahmadi as Armin
• John Eddins as Sergeant Wash
• Joni Bovill as Ida
• Terry Anzur as Terry Anzur
• Kent Shocknek as Kent Shocknek
• Monique Barajas as Officer Scott

Crew

Opening Credits

• Laura Schiff, CSA - Casting
• and Carrie Audino, CSA - Casting
• Jesse Voccia - Music
• Rachel Rusch - Producer
• Patrick McKee - Producer
• Tom Smuts - Supervising Producer
• William N. Fordes - Consulting Producer
• Diane Frolov - Consulting Producer
• & Andrew Schneider - Consulting Producer
• Pieter Jan Brugge - Co-Executive Producer
• Mikkel Bondesen - Executive Producer
• Jan David Frouman - Executive Producer
• Henrik Bastin - Executive Producer
• Michael Connelly - Executive Producer
• Eric Overmyer - Executive Producer
• Michael Connelly - Based on the Novels by
• Eric Overmyer - Developed for television by
• William N. Fordes - Teleplay
• Ernest Dickerson - Director

Closing Credits

• Patrick McKee - Unit Production Manager
• Brian Faul - First Assistant Director
• Francesco Tignini - Second Assistant Director
• Paul Sommers - Director of Photography
• Chester Kaczenski - Production Designer
• Dorian Harris, ACE - Editor
• Catherine Adair - Costume Designer
• Erin Scotto - Associate Producer
• Terrill Lee Lankford - Co-Producer
• Joe Gonzalez - Staff Writer
• Blake Leyh - Music Supervisor
• Tim Marcia - Technical Consultant
• Mitzi Roberts - Technical Consultant
• Rick Jackson - Technical Consultant

Reception

The episode has received 46 ten-out-of-ten ratings and 33 nine-out-of-ten ratings (out of 123 total ratings) on IMDb for an average rating of 8.6 out of 10.

Episode

• "Mama's Boy"