Thesis statement: The opening sequence for Boss illustrates, through extensive use of symbolism and comparison, a restive and unstable Chicago.

In the opening scene the raised hands and fists of the Proletariat stirred to action lay overtop of the Chicago skyline, clearly illustrating via Symbolism the rising protest movement in the city as Mayor Pissbody's failures and corruption become more and more evident. Shots of buildings in states of construction, abandonment, and disrepair evoke images of a city stricken and unable to take care of itself, like a five hundred pound land-whale of a stepmother confined to a hospital bed, screeching ineffectively at her tired and disgusted nurse to change all of the things she is powerless to change herself; the TV channel, her bedpan, and the fact that America has a black president. Another symbol present is the face of a minstrel -- a saxophonist -- overlaid on a dilapidated building, giving a personal element and Example of life for many in Pissbody's Chicago.

Throughout the entire opening sequence, somber music and low color saturation convey a feeling of despair, hopelessness, and disgust. The song, "Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down", is a Metaphor informing the viewer of the subject matter of the show: Satan (Bigdick Pissbody, an evil authority figure with little to no redeeming qualities), and the Kingdom of Hell (Chicago, in its current state of poverty).

The "doodle" art style and whimsical credit font overlaid on top of these depressing scenes seems at first a half-hearted attempt at levity that falls flat, but eventually forms into a harmonic Contrast that only serves to highlight the serious concerns present.

The one moment in the opening existing as a ray of weak, anemic and grey light amidst the darkness is the scene twenty-six seconds in, with the figures of two children running across a bleak and featureless wasteland towards the overlaid image of a bird. The clear Metaphor there is one of freedom, showing that despite the ruin and wrack about them some joy can still be had. Also providing a Contrast are the shots of the river, the fountain, and the art installation of children holding hands and playing. These are not exactly idyllic or "happy" scenes, but instead, as with the art style of the overlays and text, serve mostly to be compared against the depths of despair depicted in the rest of the opening's development and make them appear darker.

Other scenes that could be construed as uplifting or inspiring instead provide a Contrast of a different kind, showing the massive gap between the "haves" and "have nots" in Pissbody's Chicago. A prime example is the scene of men, presumably bureaucrats, golfing. Notably, despite the relative luxury of the activiy, not even they look happy. It is immediately followed by a scene of a very different man relaxing in a very different way; a youth with a blue mohawk sitting on a street curb smoking a cigarette. These, as well as the scenes that follow them (a woman jogging, sporting sailboats on a rough sea) and many other in the clip show a clear Categorization of people in Chicago under Pissbody into one of two categories: Those with money and power, and those without.