The Smog Cutter

"The Smog Cutter"
Season 3, Episode 1
Release date	April 21, 2017
Written by	Eric Overmyer
Directed by	Adam Davidson
Episode chronology
← previous "Everybody Counts"	next → "The Four Last Things"

"The Smog Cutter" is the first episode of the third season of the streaming series Bosch, and the twenty first episode of the series.

The episode premiered on Amazon Instant Video along with the rest of the third season on 21 April 2017.

The episode is rated TV-MA for "adult content, adult language," and "graphic violence".

Summary

Sixteen months have passed since Harry Bosch identified his mother's murderer as Dave Ward. On election night, Hector Ramos is re-elected mayor in a landslide since the video of the O'Shea/Waits incident portrayed O'Shea as a coward. A man in a trailer is murdered. The shooting is witnessed by a street kid nicknamed Sharkey. Bosch tracks a murderer, Ed Gunn, who got away. Unbeknownst to Bosch he is also being followed by a mysterious white man who has also been involved with Gunn. After Bosch leaves a restaurant, the man steals a glass which Bosch drank from.

Maddie Bosch has moved in with her father and, to his chagrin, demands driving lessons. Bosch testifies in the case of Veronica Allen but is portrayed as a corrupt cop by the defense attorney resulting in a mistrial. Ramos again begs Irving to accept the Police Chief job to be permanent but Irving refuses. Bosch preps the trial of Andrew Holland with DDA Anita Benitez where he's taunted by a retired detective turned defense investigator, Rudy Tafero. Bosch and Edgar are assigned the murder of the man found in the trailer. The uniformed officers responding dismiss the killing as a homeless on homeless crime. This disturbs Bosch as the man has a military tattoo. Billets is told by her new Captain, Ellen Lewis, that Bosch is a liability. Bosch confronts O'Shea in public. O'Shea tells Bosch he won't re-try Veronica Allen and Bosch angrily replies that O'Shea is weak which is caught on cameras and posted online harming Bosch's already damaged reputation.

Irving is approached by Bradley Walker, chair of the police commission who also insists the city wants him as Chief. O'Shea demands Irving rein in Bosch. Bosch and Edgar identify their victim as Billy Meadows and talk with his family. They learn that Meadows started using drugs after returning from war. Billets shows up at Bosch's house and warns him that he's become more erratic since solving his mother's murder. A black man on bike attacks a woman in Koreatown. After his daughter goes to sleep, Bosch continues to watch Gunn on cameras he illegally set up.

Teaser

A street kid going by the handle Sharkey sprays his signature tag on the wall beneath an overpass. He is startled when a dark SUV pulls a sharp U turn and takes cover behind a pile of refuse. Shots are fired inside a nearby RV and the SUV tears away from the scene. Sharkey enters the RV and finds the body of a man who has been killed by a shot to the head. Sharkey quickly flees the scene.

Bosch sits in his home, listening to news reports of the November 8, 2016 elections. The reporter relays that Mayor Hector Ramos has won a second term, defeating republican challenger and current District Attorney Rick O'Shea.

An unidentified cyclist rides past a down town bar, the Smog Cutter. Inside Ed Gunn tries to order another whiskey but Shaz, the bartender, attempts to cut him off. He reminds her that his drinks are being covered by Jesse Tafero and she reluctantly pours another. Gunn suggests she have one for herself; she checks with Tafero who profanely assents.

Bosch's viewing is interrupted by a call from Officer Webster at Rampart Division. Webster explains that he has Gunn in custody and picked up an alert to contact Bosch. Bosch asks Webster to keep Gunn awake and heads over. By the time Bosch arrives Gunn is passed out in a pool of his own vomit. Webster apologises and quizzes Bosch about his interest in the drunk. Bosch explains that Gunn is a suspect in a cold case - the murder of a series of young women. He plans to return in the morning when Gunn is likely to be awake. Bosch heads home along Sunset Boulevard. He lets himself into his daughters room and lovingly covers her and strokes her hair before switching out her light. Still troubled he steps onto the balcony for a cigarette.

Act One

Gunn is helped home by a young woman, Marissa. She holds him upright as they go through the security door to his building and upstairs to his apartment. He directs her to his door and she lets him in and hurriedly leaves.

Chief Irvin Irving visits the grave of his son, George.

Bosch is up and ready for court as Maddie emerges. She comments that he looks smart but tired and he explains he is ready for court and was up late watching the election returns. Maddie jokingly plays dumb but then lets him know that she is aware of the outcome already. She points out that she is almost old enough to vote and presses him to let her obtain her driving license.

Bosch and Maddie drive in together and she quizzes him about the trial, noting that he has already testified. He explains that the defence attorneys have held their cross examination of him until the end of proceedings. Maddie asks if Veronica Allen is guilty of murdering Father Tabakian and Bosch states his certainty. Maddie smells that Bosch has been smoking and does not hide her disappointment. He promises to quit again and throws his cigarettes out the window. Maddie pushes Bosch for a promise before he drops her off.

Bosch heads back to Rampart to check in on Gunn and is annoyed to find that he is already out of the drunk tank. The watch sergeant, Suzuki, explains that Gunn was bailed out by a bondsman working for AAA Bail. Bosch wonders who would bother to pay to bail out a drunk who was about to be released anyway and Suzuki speculates that it would be his friends or family. Bosch angrily retorts that Gunn has no friends. Bosch is furious to have missed an opportunity to question Gunn and demands that Suzuki ensure that next time he get his interview.

Irving is surprised when his secretary Ida announces a visit from Mayor Ramos. Irving directs her to show the Mayor in. He stands to receive the Mayor and his chief of staff Jen Kowski, stating that he would have happily come to them. Ramos explains that he is making his victory lap and has come to thank Irving. Kowski relays that Irving's endorsement was crucial in securing the win and tells him that he is a popular figure around the city. Ramos asks Irving why he has not made use of the Chief of Police's office, noting that it is nicer even than the Mayor's. Irving says he is comfortable remaining in his Deputy Chief's seat and still plans to step down at the end of the year. Ramos says that gives him more time to convince Irving to remain in post as Chief.

Bosch is cross-examined by Honey Chandler. He reiterates that Allen was covered in blood and distraught when he arrived at the church. Chandler asks him to describe the scene inside Father Tabakian's office. Bosch describes the body and the nearby murder weapon, a heavy trophy. Bosch notes that a pair of scissors had been placed under Tabakian's hand. Chandler focuses in on Bosch's conclusion that the scissors were planted by Allen to support a self defense argument. Chanlder brings up Bosch's involvement in a suit where he was accused of planting evidence. Bosch truthfully reveals that the jury found for the plaintiff in that case. Deputy District Attorney Amanda Scones follows-up with questions allowing Bosch to clarify that there was no judgement that Bosch had planted evidence and that the plaintiff was awarded just one dollar in damages in that case. O'Shea watches from the wings as Bosch is allowed to step down. Chandler calls for Mrs Allen herself to testify next but Scones notes the late hour and the judge agrees to recess until the following day.

Bosch picks up a takeout meal from El Compadre, where he and the waitress Gladys know each other by name. He finishes a drink he had ordered while waiting and leaves the glass on the bar. After he leaves Jesse Tafero takes his place at the bar.

Over dinner Bosch and Maddie talk about the difficulty of reaching Eleanor as she is living in Hong Kong. Bosch tells Maddie not to whine, just try. Maddie asserts that she is not whining and observes that Bosch has been working late a lot. He cites the upcoming Holland trial as the reason but Maddie notes that he has been spending a lot of time with Deputy District Attorney Anita Benitez. Maddie is interested in the personality of the accused, film director Andrew Holland. Bosch describes him as a creep and is perturbed when Maddie notes that she has seen his films and they are creepy. Maddie asks to attend the trial but Bosch refuses, saying that it is a murder trial not an entertainment. Maddie disagrees noting that the salacious details of the case (director kills aspiring actress during sex) have grabbed the public's attention.

Act Two

Bosch and Edgar return to court the following day to hear Allen's testimony. Allen tearfully explains that she had approached Father Tabakian to recover funds stolen from her by her husband's mistress. Allen falsely claims that Tabakian threatened and assaulted her. She builds a credible story of self defense and is careful to express her remorse. Outside the court room Edgar approaches O'Shea who is concerned that Allen may have succeeded in swaying the jury given that Chandler was able to paint Bosch as a potential dirty cop. O'Shea tells Edgar that his office will let the detectives know when a verdict is reached and storms off.

Edgar asks if Bosch is headed back to the station but Bosch explains he needs to meet with DDA Benitez about the Holland case. Edgar observes that Benitez is attractive and close to Bosch's age. He suggests Bosch ask her out and Bosch replies that they are working together. Edgar wryly points out that has not stopped Bosch in the past.

Bosch and Benitez meet at Holland's home to go back over the crime scene. They are joined by Holland's attorney Fowkkes and his investigator, retired detective Rudy Tafero. Holland makes a show of photographing Bosch from inside the house as they meet on the driveway. Bosch sardonically suggests that Holland would be allowed to join them despite being under house arrest. Benitez states the facts of the case - Donatella Spear arrived at Holland's place at 8:32 on October 21st 2015 as show on the security data and video of his expensive home. The video was stopped but the security data confirms that someone left the house at 11:20pm and that the main gate did not open for a further fourteen minutes. Fowkkes claims that this was Holland driving Spear home but Bosch asserts that she was already dead by then. Fowkkes and Tafero claim that the couple were inebriated and still engaged in consensual sexual activity while making their exit. Bosch counters that the time was spent while Holland tried to put a seatbelt on Spear's corpse.

Benitez notes that the gate reopened when someone returned home at 1:52am. Bosch expands that Holland told them that he dropped Spears at her home at midnight and returned by 12:30am leaving almost 90 minutes unaccounted for. Fowkkes argues that his client was inebriated and made a mistake. Tafero questions why Holland would lie about timings that could be checked so easily and Bosch cites Holland's arrogance. Tafero counters that Bosch would know something about arrogance. Bosch asks Tafero if he misses police work and Tafero answers not at all. He notes that he is not a "lifer" like Bosch. Bosch accuses him of spending his 20 year detective career just going through the motions. Tafero counters that Bosch has no life outside of his work and predicts that when the department forces Bosch to retire he will kill himself.

Bosch and Benitez next drive to Spear's home. They note the journey took 40 minutes in traffic which would equate to approximately ten minutes in the middle of the night. Benitez tells Bosch that she has visited at night time and that the driveway is dark and well concealed. They talk over the lack of evidence at Spear's home. Benitez notes that the place has been wiped clean and that signs of a struggle appeared to have been staged there. She theorises that Holland had help moving the body and staging the scene and Bosch suggests Tafero might have been responsible. Bosch regretfully predicts that Holland will beat the case in court because he is a semi-famous director with an expensive lawyer. Benitez is more hopeful but knows that Bosch's testimony is important to challenge the defence's theory that Spear's killed herself accidentally through auto erotic asphyxiation after Holland had left. Their discussion is interrupted by a call from Detective Edgar to tell Bosch that they have a fresh case.

Bosch and Edgar report to the scene of the shooting in the RV. They are met by Officers Julius Edgewood and Ray Powers. Powers was first on the scene and the animosity between Bosch and he is obvious as he talks them through what he found. Inside the RV is a dead white male, approximately 30 years old with cause of death an apparent single gunshot wound to the back of the head. The body has begun to decompose and the scene is nausea inducing. Bosch recognises a military tattoo on the decedent's arm before Edgar bails out of the RV, stating that the coroner and crime scene technicians can handle it.

Bosch asks Powers if he ran the plates on the RV and Powers is annoyed Bosch doubted him, handing over a name and address for the registered owner, a male from Eagle Rock. Bosch notices the fresh graffiti and Edgewood states that he might be able to produce the tagger. Powers is dismissive, calling the shooting a homeless on homeless drug murder that they will never clear. Bosch quotes his credo "Everybody counts, or nobody counts". Powers remains antagonistic stating that something written on the wall at Robbery Homicide Division does not necessarily hold true in the streets. Edgar steers Bosch away and Bosch tells him that the tattoo means the victim was in a special forces unit.

Lieutenant Grace Billets makes awkward small talk with Captain Ellen Lewis as they wait for coffee to brew at the Hollywood Station. Lewis has heard that the Allen defence used Bosch's reputation against the prosecution case. Billets stands up for Bosch, stating that despite the accusations no-one has ever proven wrongdoing on his part. Lewis changes the subject to the Captain's test, congratulating Billets for passing the written exam. Billets is offended when Lewis tells her the oral portion of the test will be right up her alley but Lewis is already walking away.

As night falls on Los Angeles the mysterious cyclist traverses Koreatown controlling a second bike with a hand on the steering column.

Cast

Starring

• Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch
• Jamie Hector as Jerry Edgar
• Amy Aquino as Grace Billets
• Madison Lintz as Maddie Bosch
• Jeri Ryan as Veronica Allen
• and Lance Reddick as Irvin Irving

Guest-Starring

• Paola Turbay as Deputy District Attorney Anita Benitez
• John Ales as Andrew Holland
• Mimi Rogers as Honey Chandler
• Arnold Vosloo as Rudy Tafero
• Troy Evans as Detective "Barrel" Johnson
• Gregory Scott Cummins as Detective Robert "Crate" Moore
• Scott Klace as Sergeant John Mankiewicz
• Brooke Smith as Captain Ellen Lewis, Hollywood Division
• Steven Culp as Richard O'Shea
• Yancey Arias as Mayor Hector Ramos
• Daya Vaidya as Jen Kowski, Mayor Ramos' Chief of Staff
• Chase Kim as Nicky Shirilla
• Jared Ward as Jesse Tafero
• Spencer Garrett as Fowkkes
• John Getz as Bradley Walker
• Bridger Zadina as Sharkey
• Gavin MacIntosh as Arson
• Jimmy Bennett as Mojo
• Stephanie Erb as DDA Amanda Scones
• Bob McCrackern as Hal Meadows
• Patricia Bethune as Evelyn Meadows
• Verona Blue as Janice Shaz, bartender at The Smog Cutter

Co-Starring

• Deji LaRay as Officer Julius Edgewood, Hollywood Division
• Ryan Ahern as Officer Ray Powers, Hollywood Division
• Jason Sims-Prewitt as Officer Rhodes, Hollywood Division
• Al Foster as Officer Thomas, Hollywood Division
• Joni Bovill as Ida, Chief Irving's secretary
• Frank Clem as Ed Gunn
• John F. Schaffer as Pudgy John
• Reggie Watkins as Officer Webster, Rampart Division
• Steve Suh as Sergeant Suzuki, Rampart Division
• Justene Alpert as Marissa Marta
• Jackie Torres as Gladys
• Monti Sharp as Man on Bike
• Kelli Kirkland as Judge Simmons

Crew

Opening Credits

1. Laura Schiff CSA - Casting
2. Carrie Audino CSA - Casting
3. Helen Geier CSA - Casting
4. Jesse Voccia - Music
5. Titus Welliver - Producer
6. Jeffrey Fiskin - Consulting Producer
7. Elle Johnson - Co-Executive Producer
8. Daniel Pyne - Executive Producer
9. Henrik Pabst - Executive Producer
10. Jan David Frouman - Executive Producer
11. Pieter Janne Brugge - Executive Producer
12. Henrik Bastin - Executive Producer
13. Michael Connelly - Executive Producer
14. Eric Overmyer - Executive Producer
15. Michael Connelly - Based on the books by
16. Eric Overmyer - Developer
17. Eric Overmyer - Writer
18. Adam Davidson - Director

Closing Credits

• Mark Douglas - Producer
• Jamie Boscardin Martin - Co-Producer
• Francesco Tignini - Unit Production Manager
• Gary Marcus - First Assistant Director
• Stephanie Tull - Second Assistant Director
• Patrick Cady, ASC - Director of Photography
• Chester Kaczenski - Production Designer
• Steven Cohen, ACE - Editor
• Monique Adams - Costume Designer
• Paul Schreiber - Supervising Location Manager
• Marc Dabe - Art Director
• Betty Berberian - Set Decorator
• Elizabeth Marighetto - Script Supervisor
• Tim Marcia - Technical Consultant
• Mitzi Roberts - Technical Consultant

Episode

• "(Bosch 3x01)"