Harry Bosch is back and working without a badge in ‘Bosch: Legacy’

The best thing about Bosch has always been Harry Bosch. And in 'Bosch: Legacy', the LA detective is off the force and in fine form.

Titus Welliver returns as Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch. Credit: Tyler Golden / Amazon Freevee

Badge or no badge, Bosch is always Bosch. Though in this not-really-a-spin-off of Bosch, there’s still a Bosch with a badge – just not the one you might expect. Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch (Titus Welliver) has turned his back on the LAPD and started work as a private detective, but now his daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz) is in uniform chasing down crooks… and learning that on the streets, having a legendary name counts for nothing if you can’t back it up.

For those that thought there was nothing broken about original Bosch, don’t worry. This new version picks up exactly where the old left off, both with (much of) the cast and with the tone. Based on the long-running series of crime novels by Michael Connelly, having Bosch go from police detective to private detective has long been part of the character’s natural ebb and flow. He may not be hanging around with his buddies on the force quite so much – though expect to see some special guests such as former partner Jerry (Jamie Hector) – but he’s the same Bosch, through and through. (And fear not, fans of the now-retired crime-fighting duo known as Crate & Barrel; Troy Evans and Gregory Scott Cummins also make a guest appearance this season.)

So if he’s same old Bosch, what makes Bosch: Legacy different? For starters, being a private eye means Bosch is now getting mixed up with your typical private eye business: background checks, runaway kids, keeping tabs on people and so on. As he says, “beats the shit out of retirement”. But it’s still a mission for him. As he always says (usually before taking on some case the system’s ignored), “every body counts, or nobody counts”.

Bosch is still chasing answers. Credit: Tyler Golden / Amazon Freevee

Here that means meeting with billionaire Whitney Vance (William Devane). He’s old, he’s sickly, and he doesn’t have long to live, so he wants to track down his old college girlfriend and find out what happened to the child she was carrying when he left her. Harry might have an unlisted number and only take on cases via word of mouth, but this one clicks with him: he’s on the hunt.

Meanwhile, defence attorney, and Bosch’s former frenemy (he likes her when she’s defending him; when she’s defending people he arrested, not so much), Honey Chandler (Mimi Rodgers) has recovered from the gunshot wounds she suffered in the final season of Bosch and – if her performance at a shooting range is any indication – is back with a tough new attitude.

Bosch (Titus Welliver) with Honey Chandler (Mimi Rogers). Credit: Tyler Golden / Amazon Freevee

Now that Bosch is off the force, Chandler can use him as an expert witness in her day job defending clients wrongly arrested by the LAPD. But she has a deeper reason for keeping Bosch close: they both want to take down dodgy businessman Carl Rogers (Michael Rose), the man behind the attempt on Chandler’s life (in her own home no less) but who’s evaded courtroom justice after a mistrial.

And if all that wasn’t enough on Bosch’s plate – especially when both cases bring him into contact with shady types who want him dead – now he’s got to worry about his daughter following in his footsteps. As a fresh recruit, she’s meant to keep quiet, do what she’s told, and accept that as a “boot” she has zero room to tackle cases on her own initiative. Does that sound like a situation a Bosch is going to accept, especially when there’s a serial rapist on the loose?

A man with neat grey hair and blue jacket sits beside a young woman, who leans towards him, talking.

Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) with daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz). Credit: Tyler Golden / Amazon Freevee

Harry might have a new job title, but all the pleasures of classic Bosch are here. Well, maybe not Bosch’s hilltop house; those amazing views of LA are off limits after an earthquake renders it unsafe (like all classic PIs, he starts sleeping in his office). But his love of jazz is still strong, and now he has a fellow buff to geek out with in the form of Mo (Stephen Chang), who handles the technical side of the PI business in between mocking Bosch for his old school ways (like paying in cash).

While there’s plenty going on here story-wise, as always it’s the performances that make Bosch click. Welliver’s mix of laid-back charm and righteous anger is just as potent as ever, and Rogers makes for an excellent foil; seeing these two veterans banter back and forth is a masterclass in acting, where each look and gesture says so much more than the script ever could.

And then there’s the simple pleasure of watching Bosch at work. He’s the kind of detective who knows what he’s doing and gets the job done. You could easily say the same about Bosch: Legacy.

Bosch: Legacy season 1 is streaming now on SBS On Demand, along with seasons 1 and 2 of the original Bosch series.