(Left) Cameron Monaghan in ‘Paradise Highway’. Photo: Lionsgate. (Right) Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in season 2 of ‘Bosch: Legacy.’ Photo Credit: Warrick Page.
Preview:
Cameron Monaghan will play Detective Harry Bosch in a new prequel series.
‘Start of Watch’ will be set in 1991.
Omari Hardwick co-stars.
Amazon is continuing to visit the ‘Bosch’ well. With two shows featuring author Michael Connelly‘s LAPD detective character Harry Bosch, played by Titus Welliver and a spin-off around the character of Renée Ballard (Maggie Q), the company now has a third in the works.
A prequel series that will explore Harry Bosch’s younger days with the LAPD is has the greenlight, with Cameron Monaghan (‘TRON: Ares’) as Bosch and Omari Hardwick (‘Army of the Dead‘) portraying his training officer, police veteran Eli Bridges.
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Monaghan makes the latest person to play a younger Harry –– both of Welliver’s sons have appeared in the role on ‘Bosch’ in the past.
And just in case you weren’t already confused where to find Bosch’s cases (since Amazon has released the main show to Prime Video and spin-off ‘Bosch: Legacy’ to the since-defunct Freevee, ‘Bosch: Start of Watch’ will debut on MGM+.
Omari Hardwick in ‘Xeno’. Photo: Blue Fox Entertainment.
The new series, which is not based directly on any of Connelly’s books, sets the clock back to 1991 Los Angeles and follows 26-year-old Harry Bosch during his earliest days as a rookie cop.
The series will explore a city on the edge, teeming with racial tension, gang violence and a fractured LAPD. Amid routine calls and growing unrest, Bosch finds himself drawn into a high-profile heist and a web of criminal corruption that will test his loyalty to the badge and shape his future as the detective who lives by the code, “Everybody counts or nobody counts.”
‘Bosch: Start of Watch’: his creator talks
Author and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 2 executive producer Michael Connelly.
This was Connelly’s statement on the new series:
“I’m deeply grateful to Michael Wright and the team at MGM+ for championing this next chapter in Bosch’s journey with such remarkable care and integrity. Being able to see how Harry Bosch became the man we have loved for 10 seasons is a gift to me and his many fans. I can’t wait to dig in with Cameron and the writers to explore this uncharted character territory.”
When will ‘Bosch: Start of Watch’ be on screens?
MGM+ has yet to specify when the show will debut, but like its sibling series, it will shoot in Los Angeles, especially having received a tax credit from the California Film Commission.
(L to R) Courtney Taylor, Maggie Q and John Carroll Lynch star in ‘Ballard’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Maggie Q, John Carroll Lynch and Courtney Taylor to talk about their work on ‘Ballard’. Q discussed introducing the character first on ‘Bosch: Legacy’, working with Titus Welliver, the team Ballard puts together and the future of the series, while Lynch talked about his character’s past with Ballard and his brother’s love for author Michael Connelly’s work, and Taylor talked about her character’s backstory and working with the cast.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
Moviefone: To begin with, Maggie, coming off the introduction of Renée Ballard in ‘Bosch: Legacy’, what has it been like for you as an actress to have the opportunity to really explore not only her past and her present, but her future with this new series?
Maggie Q: I mean, how cool is it that we were able to introduce her in that way, and I was able to just feel out the world through the eyes of obviously the ‘Bosch’ community and universe who have been established and obviously have all known each other? It was just this club, right? I come into this club, and it’s so warm and welcoming and wonderful that it just gave me such a grounding in the universe. Without that cast, and the producers and their reaction to me and the welcoming that they gave me, I mean, I don’t know that I would’ve been as grounded going into ‘Ballard’, so that was a huge gift. I mean, the episode is fun, and our outro, Titus and I, maybe we have a future together, maybe we don’t. She thinks he’s kind of a dangerous guy, and I think it set us up for a nice friendship that allows for Bosch to dip in and out and be that person that she can confide in about high-level stuff, and someone who understands her. I mean, the only other person she really has that she has history with is Laffont. It provides her something that I think we wouldn’t have without his presence. I think, building and going to the future, we’re obviously making something very different from ‘Bosch’, similar but different, in that we really wanted to create a world that was honoring the past, but also building on what they obviously did so successfully. I think that everything they did successfully, if we were smart, we would nod to wherever we can.
MF: John, can you talk about Thomas Laffont’s past with Renée Ballard, and why he decides to come out of retirement and help her on this new journey?
John Carroll Lynch: It’s funny to think about that somewhere, while all these stories were told in the ‘Bosch’ universe with Harry Bosch, somewhere in the department, Tom Laffont’s working. It’s an interesting thing to play a character that you hadn’t met in a whole new light. He retired from the police force. He changed his life. Then I think he came back to help Renée because not only of the connection that they have and that she needs the help right now, but also, I think there’s a sense he has of a debt to pay, because he wasn’t truly himself with her and he wants to be. More importantly, he wants to support her through this. I think he wants to help a good cop that he knows is a good cop.
(L to R) Courtney Taylor (Zamira Parker) and Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
MF: Courtney, just like Ballard, Parker has also had a bad experience working with the LAPD in the past. How has meeting Ballard and working with her team began to heal the trauma that she went through as a police officer?
Courtney Taylor: I believe for Parker, it allows her to see that the job that she loves did come with good people, and I don’t think she’s ever been able to lean on people the way that she’s always wanted to, and I think because of her bad experience, it made her go inward. When she meets Ballard and she meets Laffont and meets this team of passionate people on the cold case unit, I think it just reminds her of like, “Oh, that’s right. I got in this job for a reason, because not only do I love it, but I wanted to work with other people who loved it too.” I think that’s part of her healing journey, which is recognizing she’s not the only one who loves the job as much as she does.
MF: Maggie, can you talk about the team that Ballard puts together to help solve these cold cases and what it’s been like for you working with this ensemble cast?
MQ: It’s perfectly cast, right? Everybody brings something so unique to the table. What I love about that is how the writing is very clear with each character, what their journey is, who they are to the team, so that’s a huge leg up. A lot of times you’re having to create something out of thin air that doesn’t exist on the page, so having that was huge. I was able to know the whole entire arc from episode one to ten before I ever signed on. In knowing that, it was hugely invaluable to have the gift of going to be able to do character studies on each person and know really what I want to achieve with each person, and in doing that, what that would bring to the show. You don’t get that, because you’re not able to see it. I mean, people usually sign onto a show and it’s a Hail Mary, right? “I hope it’s good.” I knew that the arc of the season was great, and if the cast was going to come together correctly, that it was going to be great. I was betting on a horse that I knew was fast, thank goodness, and it doesn’t happen like that. You don’t get that gift, and so that was huge.
(L to R) John Carroll Lynch (Thomas Laffont) and Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Tyler Golden/Prime Video.
MF: John, were you a fan of Michael Connolly’s books or TV shows before joining the cast of ‘Ballard’?
JCL: I was aware of the work, and I had seen the work. I really liked the ‘Bosch’ shows. I really liked ‘Lincoln Lawyer.’ I liked those shows and I thought they were good, and I also loved the feeling of different parts of the city. Truth be told, the person in my family who knew it was my brother. When I got the offer, he was like, “I’ve read every single book. I’m waiting for the next one.” He goes, “Oh, you got to take this.” Thanks, David.
MF: Courtney, what has it been like for you personally to join this world that Michael Connolly has created and to be joined by former ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ actors, essentially giving their blessing for this new series?
CT: Well, I was always a fan of Michael Connelly’s stuff. I think ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ is great and the ‘Bosch’ series has done so well, and I think it’s an honor to be able to be a part of Michael Connelly’s legacy, which is this new ‘Ballard’ inspired series. I think just watching Titus and seeing him whenever he came to set and him not even tripping, just very much like, “You guys got it.” He was so supportive, and no giving us notes. He’s like, “You guys got it. You guys understand it. I don’t need to really say anything. I’m just here to read the lines they told me to do, to serve whatever you all need.” It was a very big support from his end, in a way where he was just like, “I don’t need to say anything. You guys have got it in the bag.” It was nice to feel that.
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Titus Welliver (Bosch) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Tyler Golden/Prime Video.
MF: Finally, Maggie, what does it mean to you to have Titus Welliver reprise his role as Harry Bosch in season 1 of ‘Ballard’ and in a sense pass the baton of this franchise on to you?
MQ: Literally, and he was so generous. I say this to anyone who’ll listen. People who’ve had that amount of success for a decade, who look at the people who will carry the torch forward and carry the baton forward and give them their blessing and have graciousness in their spirit, in their heart, and want to contribute to good things for us, that is not normal, by the way. I wish it was, but Titus ends up being somebody very special because that is who he is to us, and that’s what he wants to do for the show. It’s awesome.
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What is the plot of ‘Ballard’?
Ballard continues to bring Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels to life, following Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) as she leads the LAPD’s new and underfunded cold case division, tackling the city’s most challenging long-forgotten crimes with empathy and relentless determination. As she peels back layers of crimes spanning decades, including a serial killer’s string of murders and a murdered John Doe, she soon uncovers a dangerous conspiracy within the LAPD. With the help of her volunteer team and retired detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), Detective Ballard navigates personal trauma, professional challenges, and life-threatening dangers to expose the truth.
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Courtney Taylor (Zamira Parker) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
Based on a character created by author Michael Connolly and technically a spinoff of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, ‘Ballard’ is an adequate cop series but lacks the style and magic of its predecessor. While the title character was introduced in the final episode of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, the new series has almost nothing in common with the former other than a few mentions of past characters and an occasional appearance from Titus Welliver and other ‘Bosch’ actors.
It’s more akin to ‘The Closer’, ‘Cold Case’ or ABC’s ‘Highly Potential’ with Kaitlin Olson. Maggie Q does the best she can with the role but lacks the charisma or gravitas to truly lead the series. John Carroll Lynch and the supporting cast also do their best to fill in the gaps, but it’s not enough to pick up the pace and tone, which otherwise falls flat. The series does get better as it goes on, gaining momentum as the audience gets to know the cast of characters and their backstories, but it never exceeds the level of just your generic cop series.
Story and Direction
Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
The series begins by reintroducing us to Los Angeles detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q), who has recently gone through an internal affairs investigation after reporting misconduct by one of her colleagues and has now been assigned to lead her own cold case department, which she sees as a demotion. Ballard’s first case is to solve the murder of councilman Jake Pearlman’s (Noah Bean) sister, which leads to discovering other victims.
Ballard puts together a new team of her own including her former partner, retired detective Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch), volunteer and possible psychic Colleen Hatteras (Rebecca Field), intern Martina Castro (Victoria Moroles), reserve policeman and Pearlman’s friend Ted Rawls (Michael Mosley), and former detective Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor), who was also forced out of the department because of accusing her co-workers of misconduct.
In addition to investigating the councilman’s sister’s murder, Ballard and her team take on several other high-profile cold cases, eventually leading to an investigation into a team of crooked cops, that is directly connected to both Ballard and Parker’s pasts. While carefully investigating the dirty police officers, Ballard confides in her old friend Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) for advice, as he is a former LA detective turned private investigator who has had his own troubles in the past navigating the politics of the Los Angeles police department.
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Michael Mosley (Ted Rawls) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Patrick Wymore/Prime Video.
I know that ‘Ballard’ is technically a spinoff of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, but the series tries to have it’s cake and eat it too by completely stripping the tone and style of its predecessor and yet still shoehorning in ‘Bosch’ characters as if to say, “Hey, remember this is still ‘Bosch’!” And it’s not just the great Titus Welliver who returns with almost nothing to do, but more on that in a moment.
The series jumps right in as if we are supposed to already care about these characters, with no backstory explaining how they got here. To be fair, the backstories unfold as the series progresses, and that’s when you begin to care about these characters and the team they have created, but its several episodes in before that happens, and I’m afraid the casual watcher won’t give the series that long to get going.
‘Ballard’ is also missing the style and substance of ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’, which is what made the show so compelling. Those series had a noir feeling that ‘Ballard’ just can’t replicate. Ballard lives on the west side of LA, by the beach, which is in stark contrast to the Downtown LA/Hollywood vibe of the original series and fails to create an intriguing atmosphere. While the series builds some momentum as the episodes progress, it’s not enough to transcend the standard cop show syndrome the series is stuck in.
With the character of Renée Ballard only introduced in the final episode of season 3 of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, it’s not like even ‘Bosch’ fans have a long history with her and the series does nothing in the first few episodes to show us why we should care about her or the show. Ballard’s catch phrase is “The past is always present”, which holds a different meaning through the prism of solving cold cases, but rings hollow in the context of the series and just seems like a substitute for Bosch’s famous motto, “Everybody counts, or nobody counts.”
Cast and Performances
(L to R) John Carroll Lynch (Thomas Laffont) and Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Tyler Golden/Prime Video.
Maggie Q is a capable actress and has been quite good in action driven movies like ‘Mission: Impossible III,’ ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and ‘The Protégé’ but lacks the charismas or gravitas to lead a series like this in the same way Titus Welliver did with the ‘Bosch’ franchise. Welliver became synonymous with the character, and it was hard to know the difference between Bosch and the actor playing him. Welliver also had a magnetic quality on screen, you couldn’t take your eyes off him, and Q does not possess the same characteristics as Ballard.
With popular series like ‘Nikita’ and ‘Designated Survivor’ under her belt, Q is more than qualified to lead her own series, but perhaps this was not the best marriage of actor and character, as she has difficulty being believable in the role. What should be a showcase for another complex and likable Michael Connolly character instead seems like a run-of-the-mill cop you would find on any network police procedural.
The supporting cast does their best including acclaimed actor John Carroll Lynch (‘Zodiac’ and ‘The Founder’), who plays Ballard’s former partner Thomas Laffont, who has come out of retirement to back up Renée. As their past together and the reasons why Laffont retired come to the surface, there is more for Lynch to work with, but his character is a standout from the very beginning of the season.
(L to R) Courtney Taylor (Zamira Parker) and Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
Courtney Taylor’s Samira Parker has a big redemption arc in the first season and the actress is solid in the role. Having her past connect with Ballard’s was smart, if not also predictable, but works for the conspiracy plot and bringing Parker and Ballard closer together as friends.
Rounding out the cast are Michael Mosley, whose Ted Rawls is annoying at first but grows on you as time goes on, Victoria Moroles’ Martina, who’s not given much to do until the final episodes, and Rebecca Field’s possibly psychic Colleen, who is bubbly and funny, and is a standout the entire season.
Connections to ‘Bosch’
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Titus Welliver (Bosch) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Tyler Golden/Prime Video.
While the series seems completely devoid of any connections or even a similar tone to ‘Bosch’ in the opening episodes, several characters, both big and small, make their return in ‘Ballard’. The most obvious is Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch. While Welliver’s appearance is always welcome, Harry seems out of place in ‘Ballard’, regulated to basically an advisory character.
Keep in mind, when ‘Ballard’ was first announced, it was assumed that ‘Bosch: Legacy’ would get a fourth season after she was introduced in season three, but after ‘Ballard’ got picked up, the decision was made to cancel the show. Unfortunately, Ballard was not introduced early in ‘Bosch: Legacy’s final season and given time to build, instead she was injected into the final episode, which always felt more like a backdoor pilot.
Let’s get this out of the way: ‘Bosch: Legacy’ never should have been canceled! Sadly, it was and while I want nothing more than to see Titus Welliver on screen as Harry Bosch once again, this was not the right way to do it. Major kudos to Welliver for being a class act and donating his time to appear on the new series, but why the showrunners would waste his appearance like this is beyond me. If you are going to bring Bosch back, make him part of the story. Give him some actions scenes and something to recite other than exposition, please!
Jamie Hector on Prime Video’s ‘Bosch.’ Credit: Hopper Stone. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Hardcore ‘Bosch’ fans will be over-the-moon to know that Jamie Hector returns as Detective Jerry Edgar, but again, don’t get too excited. His appearances are nothing more than cameos, and a way of bridging the gap between the two series and making ‘Ballard’ feel more like it is part of the ‘Bosch’ world. But again, these attempts feel hollow and not only don’t work to connect it to the overall ‘Bosch’ universe but keeps it from standing apart as its own distinct series.
It’s also particularly disappointing as ‘Bosch’ fans were really hoping for J. Edgar to reunite with Harry on screen before the end of ‘Legacy’, which didn’t happen. So, seeing him here seems like another wasted moment. Speaking of wasted moments, Stephen Chang who was a series regular on ‘Legacy’ for three seasons as Mo Bassi returns for one scene where he has no dialogue and only walks out of a house. I appreciate the continuity, but why make Chang return for that?
Several other recognizable faces from the two previous series return, including Troy Evans as Barrel and Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler. Just like Welliver and Hector’s returns, they don’t amount to much other than connecting ‘Ballard’ to the greater ‘Bosch’ universe. But since the show goes so far out of its way to establish that this show is not ‘Bosch’, it confuses me as to why they even bothered with the cameos. In all other ways, style, substance, tone, music, there are no connections to the previous shows, so these cameo appearances feel a bit off. But if you are going to bring back these excellent actors in the future, please give them more to do.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Courtney Taylor (Zamira Parker) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Adam Rose/Prime Video.
While ‘Ballard’ is a fine cop show, it just can’t hold a candle to the previous two ‘Bosch’ series, which is probably an unfair comparison. But since ‘Ballard’ tries so hard to both be part of the ‘Bosch’ universe and something completely new, it fails on both counts. Maggie Q lacks the gravitas required for the role and the series fails to create any real urgency to watch. In the end, ‘Ballard’ is just another cop show and does not live up to the legacy of ‘Bosch’.
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What is the plot of ‘Ballard’?
Ballard continues to bring Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels to life, following Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) as she leads the LAPD’s new and underfunded cold case division, tackling the city’s most challenging long-forgotten crimes with empathy and relentless determination. As she peels back layers of crimes spanning decades, including a serial killer’s string of murders and a murdered John Doe, she soon uncovers a dangerous conspiracy within the LAPD. With the help of her volunteer team and retired detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), Detective Ballard navigates personal trauma, professional challenges, and life-threatening dangers to expose the truth.
Per Deadline, he’s headed back on the beat for a new MGM+ series called ‘The Westies,’ a period crime drama that hails from ‘Narcos’ co-creator Chris Brancato and Michael Panes (who worked with Brancato on ‘Godfather of Harlem’).
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J.K. Simmons is already aboard the new series, an eight-episode first run that will start rolling its cameras next month in Toronto.
Here’s MGM+’s Michael Wright on the show when it was announced:
“We are thrilled to bring our viewers another provocative, exciting crime drama from the incomparable vision of Chris Brancato. Chris is a gifted showrunner who builds his stories around compelling characters operating in dangerous worlds about to explode. ‘The Westies’ is him at his best, and we can’t wait to bring it to our MGM+ audience.”
The new is set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies’ home turf in Hell’s Kitchen promises a financial windfall for the Irish-American organized crime gang.
Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.
But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI’s ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia.
Welliver is aboard to play Glenn Keenan, a troubled NYPD officer who grew up with the Westies crew, torn between loyalty to the law and love for his wayward son.
He’ll spar with Simmons’ Eamon Sweeney, the charismatic but ruthless leader of The Westies.
What else is Titus Welliver up to?
Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
While Welliver has become mostly closely been identified with LAPD veteran detective Harry Bosch in the Prime Video series based on Michael Connelly’s books, he’s also got plenty of other shows and movies to keep him busy.
Original ‘Bosch’ spin-off ‘Bosch: Legacy’ wrapped its run this year, but he’s already set to reprise the character in at least one episode of the second series spawned form the original, ‘Ballard’, which stars Maggie Q as LAPD Detective Renee Ballard, who is placed in charge of a a new cold case division.
Outside of the ‘Bosch’-verse, Welliver has a few projects on the way.
He’ll next be seen in the indie film ‘Ricky’, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It stars Stephan James as Ricardo Smith, who has been released from prison at the age of 30 after being incarcerated as a teen. He must navigate the challenging realities of life post-imprisonment, and the complexity of gaining independence for the first time as an adult.
Set after the events of ‘Dracula’, the movie sees Abraham van Helsing (Welliver) move his two sons, Max and Rudy, to the US in an attempt to escape their past.
And finally, there’s ‘Killing Castro’, based on the historical moment when Fidel Castro came to America to speak at the UN.
He is invited by Malcolm X to stay in Harlem at the famous Hotel Theresa. Unsure of his intentions, the FBI, CIA and the Mafia, attempt to eliminate him by any means necessary.
When will ‘The Westies’ be on screens?
MGM+ has yet to announce when the show will premiere, but given the July shoot, a 2026 launch seems the most likely plan.
It’s personal for Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) as season 2 of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ kicks off with a two episode premiere this fall on Amazon Freevee. Photo Credit: Tyler Golden.
Currently available to stream on Prime Video is the third and final season of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, which is based on characters created by author Michael Connelly and is a continuation/spinoff of the groundbreaking seven season series, ‘Bosch’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with actor Titus Welliver about his work on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 3, the decision to end the series, playing the character for the final time, if he is happy with how Harry’s story ends, if he will reprise his role on the upcoming spinoff ‘Ballard’ starring Maggie Q, and bringing back fan favorite characters like Paul Calderón’s Jimmy Robertson.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, as a hardcore fan, I’m heartbroken by the ending of ‘Bosch: Legacy’. Can you talk about the decision to end the series now, and what was it like for you to play this character for a final time?
Titus Welliver: Well, here’s the thing. I did not know that. Nobody knew that. We were already talking about what we were going to be doing in season 4. So, as Harry would say, “That’s above my pay grade”. I don’t know all the different machinations or reasons. Am I saddened by that? Deeply. You know, I love the people that I work with. I have formed a very close, deep bond with the character, even though he’s a fictional character. There’s a part of that that penetrates you to a certain degree when you do that. When you breathe life into a character, they become some sort of odd manifestation. So, I miss Harry. I really missed him. I know if I could get on the phone and call him, I would. I really do miss the character. I miss working with this group of people and the joy that it’s brought me for a decade was such a tremendous privilege.
MF: Without giving away any spoilers, can you talk about crafting Harry’s final moment on screen? How involved were you with that, and are you satisfied with how Harry’s story ends?
TW: No, because we were not aware at that point when we shot that. There’s no closure at all. That’s not atypical for ‘Bosch’. We would leave things kind of hanging. But as far as when you see the final scene, it’s not a ride off into the sunset. It’s not a so long. It feels like the end of a season, but it doesn’t feel like the end. As Harry would say, “Closure is a myth”. There is no closure. What it does do is it introduces the character of Renee Ballard, who’s played brilliantly by Maggie Q. She fully embodies the character, and it was such a tremendous pleasure working with her. We got to do some solid work together and laughed our asses off. She’s very deeply funny, and very gracious and generous as an actor. That relationship is introduced, and I think very well realized. So, in that regard and that they are doing this ‘Ballard’ show, I think it tees it up well for that, but it will not feel like this is teeing up for a spinoff. The only finality is that it’s the 10th episode, but there is no closure.
MF: So, here is the million-dollar question: With the ‘Ballard’ series in the works, is it possible that we could see you return as Harry Bosch on that series at some point?
TW: You never know. Hollywood is a strange and aerial place, right? There’s talk. Since this season has come out and it’s the final season clearly even on the poster and all the ads and everything. I have people coming up to me on the streets very vexed and not happy about it at all. But they’re also really enjoying this this season, which always makes me feel good because that’s what it is for. It is meant to entertain and to give our audiences that which they have invested so much time in, not only the viewers of the show, but the readers of the books. They get that it’s a kind of mutual gratification there. But the temperature in the public over the years has been very warm, and there’s a kind of personal connection that people feel with this character, which I find interesting. They feel a connection and a kind of ownership of the shows. I was just in in New York, and I had this one guy who was a New York cop say to me, “This is our show. We’ll let you know when we’re tired of watching it. So go back to these guys and tell them we’re not ready to go. We’ll let you know.” I was very moved by it, but it was also great because it was coming from a cop, and it had a genuine emotional tone to what he was saying. He wasn’t doing it with a smile. He was kind of emphatic in a way, which I was touched by.
MF: Finally, can you talk about how this season ties up loose ends from not only ‘Legacy’ but the original series as well, and having the opportunity to bring back fan favorite characters like, for example, Paul Calderón’s Jimmy Robertson?
TW: Paul Calderón and I have known each other for 30 years. Prior to even knowing him, I was always very aware of Paul. You know, we both come from New York. We’re New York theater guys and then we worked together a million years ago on a show called uh, ‘New York Undercover’. So we go that far back. His realization of the Jimmy Robertson character is an absolute chef’s kiss of work. First, you get an actor who brings a level of gravitas and we’ve been blessed over the years to have actors on the show that have a certain caliber. Obviously, any opportunity to see Crate (Gregory Scott Cummins) and Barrel (Troy Evans) again always brings a smile. I love those guys so dearly. I never had to really act with those guys. First, Troy Evans and I have known each other also for probably about 30 years and he and I are extremely close. Playing any element of humor or buoyancy with them, the hardest part of my job doing scenes with Troy and Greg was not losing it and cracking up because that was the banter that existed in between takes. We were all crying laughing. But to bring back Jimmy Robertson and then to circle back and that relationship between he and Bosch, their contemporaries, they are from the old school, and their relationship in the past has been contentious. He’s investigated Bosh once before and now he’s thrust into this. So, there’s mutual respect that exists there, but he saves Bosch’s life, and we see the beginning gestation of a different kind of relationship between those two characters. But Bosch maintains his silence about certain elements of things. Robertson respects that, but they move past that and the fact that Harry says, “Let’s do this again sooner than later”. So, as an audience remember, you go, “Oh, that’s cool. These guys, it’s not a love fest, but it’s a genuine relationship”. But we never get to see it realized and then his character is so suddenly taken out and that infuriates Bosch. So, then you see Bosch ignited into this parallel investigation, which leads and connects other threads. All cases are personal with Bosch, but I think in this season, when he’s hired to find this family that’s disappeared, any detective will tell you that all cases that they work, and I’m speaking particularly about murder cops, takes a piece of them. We see that with Harry and him looking into the abyss, but they will all say unanimously, the cases that haunt them are cases that involve children. So, Harry investigates the darkness probably deeper than he’s ever looked, maybe except for the times where he confronted the killer of his mother, and when he confronts Dockweiler, who kidnapped Maddie. We see an element of that with this. It penetrates him in a way. I think the audience will really worry and or question if this is something that will push Harry into a place of compromising his moral compass, which we know to be flawless, right? “Everybody counts or nobody counts”. But this one is very specific, and we see him unravel a bit.
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What is the plot of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 3?
Season Three of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ is based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling novels ‘Desert Star’ (2022) and ‘The Black Ice’ (1993). The murder investigation of Kurt Dockweiler (David Denman) brings dangerous secrets to light and threatens to ruin the lives of our three principal characters. The disappearance of a family haunts Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) and forces him to confront the limits of justice. In a hotly contested race, Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers) is poised to become the next District Attorney of Los Angeles, and Maddie Bosch (Madison Lintz) gets entangled in a series of violent follow-home robberies.
Premiering March 27th on Prime Video is the third and final season of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, which is based on characters created by author Michael Connelly and is a continuation/spinoff of the groundbreaking seven season series, ‘Bosch’.
As a hardcore fan of both ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch Legacy’, it is bittersweet to think that season 3 of ‘Legacy’ will be the end of Harry Bosch’s story and the last time we’ll get to see Titus Welliver (pound for pound the best actor working on TV today) in his signature role … at least for now (more on that later).
The third and final season of ‘Bosch Legacy’ picks up with a four-episode arc (which is all that we were allowed to see for this review), that completes the cliffhanger that season 2 ended with, as well as tying up loose ends from both this series and the original ‘Bosch’.
The first four episodes will lead the audience to begin to question everything they know about Harry Bosch, concluding in a redemption of sorts for the character. It also introduces another mystery, that presumably, will be the main plot in the remaining episodes.
Welliver once again gives a powerful performance as Harry Bosch, and brings the character full circle while dealing with the demons of his past. Madison Lintz, who we’ve practically watched grow up on screen as Maddie Bosch, continues to stretch the character in new directions and her relationship with her father is still the heart of the series. While Mimi Rogers’ Honey “Money” Chandler, runs for District Attorney, and fends off a threat of her own, with Bosch’s assistance.
There are two different stories that run through the first four episodes of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 3. The main story involves an investigation into the death of Kurt Dockweiler (David Denman), the man who kidnapped Maddie (Lintz) at the end of ‘Legacy’ season 1. It is revealed at the end of season 2, that convicted criminal Preston Borders (Chris Browning) may have been involved, and that Harry (Welliver) may be involved too. With the current District Attorney, who is running for reelection against Honey Chandler (Rogers), eager to pin Dockweiler’s death on her friend Harry, Detective Jimmy Robertson (Calderón) and his new young partner (Miles Gaston Villanueva), are assigned to the case and begin investigating Harry.
Meanwhile, Chandler gets a threatening visit from former Detective Francis Sheehan (McShane), and asks Bosch for protection. The secondary story, involves a new case Harry is working on involving a missing family. Along with his client – Orla Brady (Siobhan Murphy), and his associate Mo Bassi (Stephen Chang), Bosch begins to unravel the conspiracy behind their disappearance, while at the same time trying to defend himself and protect Maddie from Robertson’s investigation.
At this point, ‘Bosch: Legacy’, and the entire franchise, is like a well-oiled machine. That’s not a criticism, but rather a fact. The tone, style, dialogue, locations, and music all fall into place perfectly and feels like an old familiar friend from the first frame of the new season. While season 3 does not start off with the same urgency that the previous season did, with the search for a missing Maddie, it is just as captivating watching past characters like Robertson and Sheehan return, and Harry have to defend his actions throughout his career.
Harry Bosch has always walked a fine line between the law and justice, but has never crossed over it. ‘Legacy’ season 3 explores that notion and allows the audience to really question the character in a way we never have before. More importantly, it allows the character of Maddie to wonder if she really knows what her father is capable of and question his tactics for herself. But this threatens her relationship with Harry, as well as her own career, and is fertile dramatic ground to explore.
Make no mistakes, ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ have always been Titus Welliver’s shows, and a brilliant showcase for the veteran actor. Welliver fits the character of Harry Bosch like a glove, and I believe is now synonymous with the role created by Connelly in his popular novels.
In my opinion, this is Welliver’s signature role, and the part he will be remembered for. I also believe that he has continually been the best actor on TV for over a decade now and it is an absolute travesty that this man has not at least been nominated once for an Emmy for playing this role. Shame on you Emmy voters!
Welliver’s performance in the first four episodes is so reserved and layered, that if that isn’t an example of great acting, then I don’t know what is. And while he is certainly comfortable in the role after all these years, season to season, he is always growing the character in new and unusual ways, and never hesitates to take a risk or explore the different aspects of Harry’s complex personality.
The heart of the series is still Harry’s relationship with Maddie, who we first met as a teenager and is now a member of the Los Angeles police department, just like her dad. Madison Lintz continues to shine as Maddie Bosch, and watching her relationship grow with her father over the course of the franchise, has been one of the highlights of the series. However, that relationship is truly tested this season, and Lintz is terrific navigating those emotions as Maddie questions her father’s legacy for herself.
Mimi Rogers is given a lot to explore this season with Honey Chandler’s run for office, which I assume will carry through most of the season and resolve in the finale. Chandler was first introduced as an adversary to Harry, but part of the fun of the series has been watching them become close friends. She’s like a surrogate mother to Maddie now, and one of Harry’s closest allies. Rogers has been excellent in the role from day one, but she is given more to do this season, including introducing Chandler’s own daughter into the mix.
As a fan, its great seeing Paul Calderón and Jamie McShane return as Detective Jimmy Robertson, and former Detective Francis Sheehan, respectively. It’s kind of like a high school reunion or seeing old friends. But with this being the end of the Harry’s story, at least for now, I hope that the finale includes a few more familiar faces from the franchise like Grace Billets (Amy Aquino), and of course, Jamie Hector as Jerry Edgar. Dear Producers: You can’t end the series without J. Edgar!!!
Which brings us to the big question: Is this really the last we’ll see of Harry Bosch? Maybe, and maybe not. Season 3 of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ also promises to introduce a new character, Detective Renée Ballard played by Maggie Q (‘Live Free or Die Hard’). She is a cold case investigator, and while the character does not appear in the first four episodes provided for review, she does appear in a scene with Harry that was included in a preview of the remainder of the season. Presumably, she and Harry will team up together before the season’s end.
Prime Video is also developing a spinoff for Q and the Ballard character, so the “Bosch Legacy” really will live on, but it is unclear if Harry himself will appear on the proposed new series. In fact, it was recently announced that Titus Welliver has signed on for a potential spinoff of CBS’ ‘The Equalizer’, which could indicate that he is not planning to return to the character anytime soon, but never say never.
While it is sad to think that we will never see Titus Welliver play Harry Bosch again, fans still have the new season to enjoy and will not be disappointed. After eleven years of playing the character on TV (if you count both series), Welliver’s performance is just as powerful and complex as ever, and the final season is a fitting send off to one of the best TV cops of all time.
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What is the plot of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 3?
Season Three of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ is based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling novels ‘Desert Star’ (2022) and ‘The Black Ice’ (1993). The murder investigation of Kurt Dockweiler (David Denman) brings dangerous secrets to light and threatens to ruin the lives of our three principal characters. The disappearance of a family haunts Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) and forces him to confront the limits of justice. In a hotly contested race, Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers) is poised to become the next District Attorney of Los Angeles, and Maddie Bosch (Madison Lintz) gets entangled in a series of violent follow-home robberies.
Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
Preview:
Prime Video and Freevee have announced that ‘Bosch: Legacy’ is to end.
Titus Welliver stars in the show as former LAPD detective Harry Bosch.
The series’ final season will be on screens next year.
We recently learned that Prime Video has decided to wrap its Freevee ads-based service in with its main offerings (especially now that all of Prime Video carries commercials unless viewers pay an extra fee).
With that, we’re also now getting word that one of Freevee’s biggest shows is coming to an end.
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‘Bosch: Legacy,’ which continued the story of novelist Michael Connelly’s veteran LAPD detective Harry Bosch –– brought to life with winning grumpy power by Titus Welliver across seven seasons of original Prime Video series ‘Bosch,’ launched in 2022.
Its third season, due in March next year, will be its last.
What’s the story of ‘Bosch: Legacy’?
(L to R) Officer Reina Vasquez (Denise G. Sanchez) and Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) in season 2 of ‘Bosch: Legacy.’ Photo Credit: Warrick Page.
‘Bosch: Legacy’ follows Bosch, the retired homicide detective-turned-private investigator, as he embarks on the next chapter of his career; attorney Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers), who struggles to maintain her faith in the justice system after surviving a murder attempt; and Maddie Bosch (Madison Lintz), as she discovers the possibilities and challenges of being a rookie patrol cop on the streets of Los Angeles.
‘Bosch: Legacy’ Ends: The Producer and Studio Talk
Author and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 2 executive producer Michael Connelly.
Here’s executive producer Connelly’s statement on the show:
“I am so proud of what we have accomplished with this show. Ten years ago I asked Titus Welliver if he could stick with Harry Bosch for five seasons, and he said he could do it forever. Well, five became 10, and the character, thanks to Titus, will live forever in the hearts of viewers and in the streaming world as the detective who knows that everybody counts, or nobody counts. The good news here is that we have not seen the last of Harry Bosch. As in the books, Bosch is part of the Renée Ballard world, and I can’t wait for the next chapter to open.”
And this is what Vernon Sanders, Head of Television at Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement:
“For 10 years, Bosch and Bosch: Legacy have been two of our most defining series for Prime Video, Freevee and Amazon MGM Studios. They are a testament to the enduring power of the storytelling universe that Michael Connelly built for the fans. We are proud of the impact these series have made, and we are excited that Michael, Titus, Henrik and the creative team have more engaging stories to tell in the Bosch world with the final season of Bosch: Legacy, our new Ballard series and more to come.”
Is this really the end of ‘Bosch’ on TV?
Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in ‘Bosch: Legacy.’ Photo: Tyler Golden. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
Of course not! As Connelly alludes, the next iteration, which will follow the character of Renée Ballard (played by Maggie Q), is due in 2025.
The untitled series follows Detective Ballard, who is tasked with running the LAPD’s new cold-case unit — a poorly funded, all-volunteer unit with the largest case load in the city. Ballard approaches these frozen-in-time cases with empathy and determination. When she uncovers a larger conspiracy during her investigations, she’ll lean on the assistance of her retired ally, Harry Bosch (Welliver), to navigate the dangers that threaten both her unit and her life.
‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2 premieres October 20th on Freevee.
List of Movies and TV Shows Based on Michael Connelly Novels:
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with iconic Hollywood actor Anthony Michael Hall about his work on ‘Trigger Warning’, his first reaction to the screenplay, playing the villain, his action sequences, and working with Jessica Alba and director Mouly Surya.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to see what Anthony Michael Hall had to say about Netflix’s ‘Trigger Warning’.
Anthony Michael Hall. Photo Credit: Mark Binks.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay for ‘Trigger Warning’ and why did you want to be a part of this project?
Anthony Michael Hall: Well, it came up about three and a half years ago. My managers are a great company, Untitled Management, and they set up a meeting for myself and Mouly Surya, the filmmaker. So, I watched her film that was nominated, it was called ’Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts’, also like ‘Trigger Warning’, a female driven revenge thriller, and she did a beautiful job with that. That’s like her ‘Kill Bill’, and she’s a very talented filmmaker. So, I met with Mouly. We had a nice Zoom session meeting because it was COVID times, and she was lovely. She was cool about it. She had grown up watching a lot of my films. That’s why I feel old. Anyway, she was really kind enough to invite me to join the party and to make ‘Trigger Warning’ with them. It was interesting. I liked the script a lot. John Brancato, the guy who wrote it, is a friend of a mutual friend of mine that I knew in Brooklyn growing up, and I knew of his writing. He was talented. So, the guys did a good job with it. I think there’s something very stark about the good versus evil reality. When I did ‘The Dark Knight’, or even in a film like this, there’s shadings of a Western here too. But she’s, as you know, a special ops military woman who comes into town and discovers her father’s been murdered. I’m playing this career politician, Ezekiel Swann, who is a senator, and a dirty character. It was funny for me too, because suddenly I’m on set, and I’m in my late fifties and I have two grown men playing my sons. I was like, “Okay. I guess I’m my age now.” They did a great job. Jake Weary plays Elvis and Mark Webber plays Jesse, very different actors. They’re my Cain and Abel, my two sons. It was just an interesting project from all these vantage points. The fact that we were produced by Thunder Road who did the ‘John Wick’ series, so that guaranteed this level of action. We had the 87eleven, which is this famous stunt group that does all those films, so they just could not have been more prepared. By the time we got to the set in Santa Fe, the stunt crew had been there for about five or six weeks. So, they pre-visualized everything. They’d already shot the sequences, and so we had fight training and we had choreographed sequences and training to do, and it was just a lot of fun. I’d never done an action picture where there was that much of a focus on the action. It was great to be a part of. Then working with Jessica, she was game. She really did a good job. I think her acting is excellent. She did a nice job carrying the film. But also, with that background in action, it was very important for her that we execute on those levels. There’s that line in the film, which she says to Jake Weary, who plays my son, Elvis. She said, “You should put a little more weight on your back foot. You wouldn’t punch like such a b**ch.” I mean, she was game on. I think she ad-libbed that in the moment, and they used it in the film. But I thought the script was solid. It was a good group of actors I got to work with. Experientially, just being in Santa Fe, and shooting a picture there was a lot of fun too. All those elements become ingredients in the making of something and it was great to be a part of. I had fun.
MF: Can you talk about Senator Swann and Parker’s history together and working on that backstory with Jessica Alba?
AMH: That’s a great point. I think acting is often in the eyes more than it is the words. You’re right, there’s that backstory element that she doesn’t like me. You even wonder if Mark does, my son who’s the sheriff. A lot of that is how you can read their faces in the scene where I show up and I tell her, “Welcome back,” and she’s side eyeing me going, “This guy, he’s a real career politician.” Even though I didn’t base it on any one character, one of the things I tried to do, which was just give a little bit of a non-descript southern background to him, so I gave him a little bit of a southern snarl. Even though my sons weren’t doing that. But when you get to a set, it’s interesting. When I met with the costume department and our designer, she was great. She had a vision board and she had pulled all these pictures of Ted Turner from the ‘80s, guys that are very wealthy but just choose to live in the southwest and that country cowboy lifestyle, even if they’re not necessarily real cowboys. So, I think that that breathed life into it. Being in Santa Fe, seeing the level of production and professionalism from the stunt team. All these ingredients really make for a nice mixture. So, it was just fun to execute. Then working with Netflix, I’ve had the pleasure to work with them, and Amazon, I’ve done two shows for Amazon, ‘Reacher’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’, but I did a film called ‘War Machine’, that I started in with Brad Pitt for Netflix. I have to say, they’re a great company to work for. I mean, they give you the resources, they’re supportive and they’re not meddlesome. They’re not looking over your shoulders as you’re making something. Even as an actor on the set, I saw that they had free reign to really deliver the movie that they were going to deliver. It was great working with Thunder Road and Mouly, and she couldn’t have been sweeter. She’s such a nice lady, but has great instincts as a director, gives great adjustments, and has a great eye visually. So, it was really a pleasure.
MF: Is it fun playing a villain and what’s your approach?
AMH: I’ve played bad guys a lot. I’ve done a bunch of villains over the years, but this is probably one of the more prominent films that I’ve done. I mean, I enjoy it. I think there’s a no holds barred approach, and I think when you’re playing a bad guy, you can pull out all the stops. I also think it’s important to inject a little bit of humor in there. One funny thing happened. There’s that scene where Jessica and I are talking, and I’m talking about Latinx and questioning her. The scene opens with me saying something asinine like, “Everybody in my town knows I’m not racist.” When we shot the scene, I didn’t find any humor in it, but when we were watching it with an audience a few weeks ago, my wife laughed her butt off. I started laughing, and the audience was laughing. It’s funny. It’s great when there’s a surprise element of humor and you didn’t really intend it, and that’s what happened in that scene. It was fun to work on and I really enjoyed it. I also really appreciated working with this core group of women that were really leading the charge. I thought that was impressive. In recent years, I’ve worked on ‘The Goldbergs’ and several shows, even on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ for Amazon, and I’ve had the good fortune of working with a lot of female directors, and I think it’s great. I think we need more of it. Because obviously the world should be about inclusivity and people getting opportunities, and I’ve been very proudly directed by a bunch of great women directors in recent years, and I enjoyed it. Mouly being probably the best among them.
MF: Jessica Alba is also an executive producer on the movie. What was it like working with her as both a producer and actress?
AMH: Jessica comes ready. She’s very serious. She’s very serious about her work and is very caring, but she’s also a great mom. Her daughters were on set with her. She’s very much a take charge woman. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her and her husband before we made the film, and they’re cool people, they really are. So, I’m happy for it.
Molly Ringwald in ‘Sixteen Candles’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: It’s the 40th anniversary of ‘Sixteen Candles’, what are your memories of making that film with director John Hughes. You ended up working with him a lot, but was that the first time?
AMH: What’s interesting is he had written ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ in 1982, and then it gets made I think in ’82 or ’83. It was released in ’83. So, I didn’t meet John on that. I met him at the auditions here in New York City for ‘Sixteen Candles’ at the Universal building on Park Avenue. It led to me doing the two other films with him right away. So, if you include ‘Vacation’, the first four films of my career, they were written and directed by John, or written by John in the case of ‘Vacation’, so I think that there was something in the stars with us. He was just such a great guy. I can’t speak highly enough about him. He was so wonderful, so down to earth, and so helpful. When you worked on a John Hughes film, it was always a collaboration in process. You could discuss anything with him. We would typically shoot two or three or four takes as written, and then if you had ideas, he would be like, “Try that.” He had such a God-given ability as a writer and a director. He loved music, the way he incorporated music into his films to uplift certain moments, and the things that he did. But also, his sense of collaboration, I think that was another one of his real gifts because he wasn’t precious about it. He allowed things to happen, and he allowed you to play around and to ad-lib. If we were going to embellish something or change something, as long as it worked for the scene, he was all for it. He was really a great guy in so many ways.
(L to R) Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall in ‘The Breakfast Club’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Are you surprised by the legacy of ‘Sixteen Candles’, ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Weird Science’ and that new audiences are discovering those movies and loving them?
AMH: Yeah, I am. I’m truly grateful for that. It’s amazing how they continue to find younger and younger audiences and new generations. I’m so appreciative of that fact. It’s interesting, I had many years to think about this. I think there is a paradigm to his work. In other words, all the characters start out at a certain place, but there’s an arc and they all wind up in a better place than they started, through finding love and humor. But also, mainly by showing their vulnerabilities, by showing the rough parts of childhood, by being honest about it, warts and all, pimples and all. I think that there is a method to his madness in a way. He allowed characters to be vulnerable, to be real, to let their guard down, all these very interesting things that we can all now see and reflect on. But when I look back all those years ago, to think that he was a relatively young guy. He was in his mid-thirties, so the fact that he had that kind of awareness and intelligence as a writer, and overview to be able to see his projects, was very impressive. I’m just grateful that they continue to find younger audiences. I think ‘The Breakfast Club’ particularly, because I think there’s a strong message of anti-bullying and just the overall idea that we’re all more alike than we’re different. To celebrate that and to celebrate the differences is I think something that the world has grown more accustomed to. For example, this new generation of kids, people that are millennials, they’re a lot more open-minded and a lot more inclusive let’s say, than the prior generation. I think that shows a healthy sort of evolution in our general character I think, as people, and I think that that’s very healthy and helpful.
Johnny Depp in ‘Edward Scissorhands’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
MF: What was your experience like working with director Tim Burton on ‘Edward Scissorhands’? Did you recognize his genius right away and what did you think of his vision for that project?
AMH: I did. Again, he’s another one where I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. You look at his work, I mean, his movies are artful, they’re masterpieces, they’re beautiful, and there’s an evolution there too. It’s interesting, when I look back on ‘Scissorhands’, I have a couple thoughts about it. I mean, it is like ‘Pinocchio’, and it’s a little bit of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. But when you look at his life, Tim Burton grew up in Burbank. He was a student of animation. His favorite actor was Vincent Price. The fact that he is in many ways, I think very Walt Disney like himself, and that he created this world unto himself as a filmmaker. I just think he’s brilliant. I loved Tim, and I still love Tim and I love all his movies, and that was the first of a great collaboration between he and Johnny. They went on to make another, seven or eight movies together. So, I felt very privileged to be a part of that, and it was exciting to work on. I think at that point, I had just come off the John Hughes films, and ‘Saturday Night Live’, and everything else I was doing as a kid. I had sprouted up; I had just grown into a bigger guy. I think he found that interesting and compelling. Like it could be interesting to pit me against Johnny, who was a different thing. But Johnny, God bless him, he had a lot of work to do. Just even before the cameras rolled, he would get to work at 3:30/4:00 AM, I remember reading the call sheets. Because it would take like three hours to do his face, and they had a team of people just getting him into that suit, and then putting the hands on, the scissors. It was quite a production. But again, a great project. Just happy to be a part of a Tim Burton film.
(L to R) Heath Ledger and Christian Bale in ‘The Dark Knight’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
MF: Can you also talk about working with Christopher Nolan on ‘The Dark Knight’? What did you learn from watching the specific way that he makes movies?
AMH: Well, you just said it. That was the key word. I was very watchful. I remember feeling, it’s almost like you remember that old movie, ‘Amadeus’ about Mozart? I felt like Salieri watching Mozart. I’m looking at this guy, and I had just finished ‘The Dead Zone’, and I kept looking at Chris Nolan and he just feels like such an old soul. There’s something very aristocratic about him. Obviously, he’s a highly intellectual person, a very smart man, but very eccentric in some ways too. He would come to work in the same thing every day. He wore a vest, a dress shirt, a three-quarter length jacket, like a conductor almost. He certainly was a conductor to work with. But I just remember having this feeling when I worked with him like, wow. This guy, he’s fascinating. I’ve got to tell you, scene by scene, the way he attacked it was amazing. I mean, some scenes we would shoot, it would be a three or four camera set up, and some there would be seven, eight, even ten cameras going. His technical prowess and his technical abilities are impressive, but also just his filmmaking. I remember seeing ‘Memento’, that was a great film. It really was an incredible movie. I’ve always been impressed with Chris, and it was an honor to work with him. I had a great time. I had auditioned for another role when I did ‘The Dark Knight’, and then he brought me back in for the role that I wound up doing. But it was interesting. At that time, all those years ago, 2007, after I did the audition, it was a period of months before I even found out about it. They circulate the tapes among the studio executives and all that. But just a great project to be a part of. We shot in London, and then I shot in Chicago for three weeks. I mean, I worked on the film for about a month, even though it was a small role. It was a great lesson too, in terms of that adage of “There are no small parts, only small actors.” I had a small role in the film, but I had the pleasure to work with Chris and to work alongside Gary Oldman. I can say I was in a movie with Michael Caine, even though I didn’t get to meet Michael Caine. I’m on the background on the TV in some of those shots, with he and Christian. But in terms of Christian and Heath, if I can just speak to those guys for a second, I mean, they’re both brilliant. I remember asking Chris Nolan about it. He said Christian was the first guy he met with at Warner Bros., and he just had an instinct. He just felt like he was the right guy. Then after we had made the film years later, I remember reading about his interactions with Heath. Heath was incredible. I know two of the things that were inspirational for them was ‘A Clockwork Orange’, because that’s a great film. Then also something about the Sex Pistols. He wanted to bring some sense of anarchy to the film, which obviously was reminiscent of the Sex Pistols in the ‘70s. I think there’s some Johnny Rotten in the Joker as well, a little Sid Vicious. So, that sense of anarchy coming in and attacking Gotham was very powerful. As we know, I think he just brought a lot of gravity to a comic book film. What he did reinvent the genre. It’s amazing.
(Right) Anthony Michael Hall joins ‘Bosch: Legacy’ as Special Agent Barron. Photo Credit: Tyler Golden.
MF: You appeared in a recurring role in season 2 of ‘Bosch: Legacy’. Will you be retuning for season 3?
AMH: Well, apparently, I don’t think I’m going to be returning on ‘Bosch: Legacy’. It was interesting. It ended the season in a cliffhanger, so I thought there might be an opportunity, but it didn’t play out like that. But again, it was a pleasure to work with those guys. I love Michael Connelly. I mean, they gave me a great opportunity there. I was playing a lead FBI investigator going after him, as you recall.
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Prime Video’s ‘Reacher’ season 2.
MF: Finally, I understand that you will be appearing on season 3 of Prime Video’s ‘Reacher’. What can you tell us about your character and working with Alan Ritchson?
AMH: Season 3 of ‘Reacher’ was incredible. We started last summer, and we had a four-month break due to the strike, and it was supposed to wrap in November. We wound up starting in November and shooting until June. I just wrapped a couple of weeks ago. They’re going to be finishing next month. But I can tell you this, they’ve really upped the ante on the action. They continue to push the boundaries with that. I think that’s very important to the audience, that the action is there. I like Alan Ritchson a lot. I think he’s a good guy. I like working with him. I think he’s doing a nice job with his performance. He’s very vested too in the process, which was nice to see. It reminded me when I had ‘The Dead Zone’, because as the lead actor you must be the quarterback of the team. You must not just know your own stuff, but you must be able to be supportive, be a team player, and really help galvanize your team and get everything done. I saw myself in him because I see where he’s at right now in his career and he’s doing great. But he’s a nice guy. He’s a standup guy. He’s got a good heart, and it was a great show to be a part of. I’m excited that people will see it. It’ll air in 2025, due to the strike.
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What is the plot of ‘Trigger Warning’?
A skilled Special Forces commando (Jessica Alba) takes ownership of her father’s bar after he suddenly dies, and soon finds herself at odds with a violent gang running rampant in her hometown.
Maggie Q as Tess in the action/thriller, ‘Fear the Night,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Preview:
Another ‘Bosch’ series is in development at Prime Video.
Maggie Q will star as the character of Renée Ballard.
Titus Welliver is likely to show up as Harry Bosch.
The “Bosch-iverse” based on author Michael Connelly’s grumpy LAPD (and now retired) detective character has proven to be quite the fertile franchise ground for Amazon’s Prime Video.
We had seven seasons of the main ‘Bosch’ show adapted from the books and starring Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch between 2014 and 2021. He’s a man unafraid of digging into Los Angeles’ darkest corners to figure out cryptic violent crimes, partially driven by the ghosts of his past, including the unsolved murder of his mother.
That was followed by the ongoing series ‘Bosch: Legacy’ on ad-supported sibling channel Freevee, which sees a retired Harry working as a private eye and allied with his one-time enemy Honey Chandler (Mimi Rogers).
(L to R) Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler and Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
Looking to keep the ‘Bosch’ party going (and this time back on the main Prime Video service), the company has now commissioned a second spin-off, this time one not featuring Harry Bosch.
Instead, Maggie Q will star in an untitled new show about Detective Renée Ballard, a character from another series of Connelly’s books, albeit one where Bosch pops up from time to time.
It’s personal for Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) as season 2 of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ kicks off with a two episode premiere this fall on Amazon Freevee. Photo Credit: Tyler Golden.
The new series follows Ballard, who is tasked with running the LAPD’s new cold case division — a poorly funded, all-volunteer unit with the largest case load in the city. Ballard approaches these frozen-in-time cases with empathy and determination. When she uncovers a larger conspiracy during her investigations, she’ll lean on the assistance of her retired ally, Harry Bosch (Welliver), to navigate the dangers that threaten both her unit and her life.
This new show will be based on the Ballard books, of which there are six. The character was introduced in 2017 tome ‘The Late Show’, named after the night shift, called “the late show,” that she works. It was followed by ‘Dark Sacred Night’ in 2018, ‘The Night Fire’ in 2019, ‘The Dark Hours’ in 2021 and ‘Desert Star’ in 2022. The sixth book, ‘The Waiting’, is scheduled for release on November 5th.
Who is making the new ‘Bosch’ spin-off?
Author and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 2 executive producer Michael Connelly.
Michael Alaimo and Kendall Sherwood will run the new show, which is now in pre-production, while Connelly is as usual involved as a writer and producer.
Now, if only Amazon and Netflix could work out a deal, so we can have the TV version of Connelly’s other big character, ‘The Lincoln Lawyer‘ (with Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller) crossover with the Bosch-iverse…
When will the new ‘Bosch’ spin-off be on screens?
With the show at a relatively early stage, there is no official release date on the books just yet. ‘Bosch’ fans will for now have to content themselves with the third season of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, which is filming and could well be out later this year.
Maggie Q as Tess in the action/thriller, ‘Fear the Night,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
(L to R) Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch and Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Titus Welliver and Mimi Rogers about their work on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 2, what playing Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch and Honey “Money” Chandler has been like for both of them, respectively, how Harry’s relationship with Maddie has grown over the years and how that was jeopardized by the season 2 cliffhanger, Honey’s relationship with Maddie, shooting her final scene with the late Lance Reddick, his importance to the franchise, and what fans can expect from season 3.
Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, Titus, Harry Bosch has really become your signature character and you will forever be recognized for this role. At this point in your career, what does it mean to you to be on a long-lasting series like this and have the chance to bring Michael Connelly’s popular literary character alive on screen?
Titus Welliver: Look, it’s an absolute dream come true. I mean, I always thought that if I was going to do a series, I would really hope that it offered the sustenance that would carry me through, and the writers have delivered that in spades. I get to work with incredible actors. I mean, I’ve got Mimi and Madison Lintz, Denise Sanchez and Stephen Chang, but over the years, it’s been a revolving door of great guest actors. I’ll do it for another 30 years if they’ll have me. I mean, Mimi joked earlier she was saying, “We’re going to do Bosch and Chandler at the retirement home, which will be called ‘Bosch: Sedentary.’” But it never gets old, and there’s always new stuff to find. Although he’s so clearly defined in the books, there’s those little movements of evolution for Harry. There’s never something where you go, “Oh, he’s a different guy.” He’s the same guy, but he’s always in a state of forward movement. They do a great job of throwing avenues for me to take Harry down, and it’s endlessly rewarding.
Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
MF: Mimi, what has it been like for you to have this opportunity to explore Honey Chandler over all these seasons and get to work with Titus and Michael Connelly on this franchise?
Mimi Rogers: Well, it really is a dream come true. It’s not often as an actor that you have the luxury of playing a character over such a long period of time. It’s really through that that you can continue to evolve and find new elements and new areas of creativity. Again, like I said, it’s very rare to have an opportunity to play a character for this long, and I’ve been doing this a long time. This is probably my favorite character and my favorite job, my favorite situation of all time. It’s Michael Connelly’s amazing books. It’s working with Titus. It’s working in LA. We don’t have to leave home. It’s a character, for a woman of a certain age, who’s not a grandmother or a mother or an aunt or a girlfriend, or an ex-wife. She’s Honey Chandler. She’s a fully-fledged character who’s professional and dynamic and intelligent and strong. Seriously, what could be better?
(L to R) Madison Lintz as Maddie Bosch and Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
MF: Titus, from the original series all the way to ‘Legacy,’ we’ve really watched Maddie Bosch grow up in front of our eyes. She’s been through so much in this past season alone with her abduction at the beginning and Harry’s betrayal of her at the end. Can you talk about how that relationship has grown and changed, working with Maddison Lintz, and where that relationship might go in season 3?
TW: Well, originally that character was going to kind of come into play maybe for a couple of episodes, and then seeing the chemistry that Madison and I had together, but also the idea of, Harry’s always this kind of isolated lone wolf character. But now if you create a relationship or Harry can be gotten to because he has a vulnerability and an exposure that didn’t exist before because she’s been living away from him, and he didn’t raise her. So, then you bring her into his life and she’s right at that age moving into a teenager, and then there’s that rocky thing. Harry did not have the skillset. He doesn’t know anything about parenting, so it’s all sort of improvised. Then you move it to the place of her as a young adult. Working with Madison, for me, is that you, the audience, have watched her grow up on this show, I’ve had the experience of being able to watch her mature and spread her wings as an artist, going from a child to a young woman. From the beginning, I was always very protective, and I remain the same way. Even though now she’s a grown woman, there’s a cocoon that exists. There’s a sphere, a bubble that is only for Madison and me to exist in that when we’re doing those scenes. We don’t over-rehearse things. We know who these characters are now. We know the dynamics and the relationship, but what we do is we just create a place that’s sacrosanct and it works well. Look, sometimes art imitates life. I know that when Madison started dating, I kept saying, “Oh, when am I going to meet…” She said, “I’m never bringing him to the set. That’s not going to happen because I know that you’ll do something.” I said, “No, what am I going to do? Don’t be ridiculous.” But to be able to witness that as a fellow traveler, it’s incredibly rewarding. I think in this season, we had an ability to move that relationship to the highest stakes emotionally, both individually and together, and it carries through. I think when after you’re dealing with what’s going on in real time in the first two episodes, and then there’s the aftermath and/or the recovery, so even though time has passed, you really do clearly see the thread there as to what’s going on. It’s just the gift that keeps on giving, truly.
(L to R) Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler and Madison Lintz as Maddie Bosch on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
MF: Mimi, Honey has really become a surrogate mother for Maddie in a way and was pivotal in Harry’s search for her at the beginning of the season. Can you talk about how her relationship to Maddie has really brought Harry and Honey closer together throughout the years?
MR: I mean, it’s interesting because in some odd way, we’re kind of a family unit, and particularly during the time Maddie was working for me in the law office. Between that and then both of us having been targeted by Carl Rogers and what we went through, she and I share a very strong bond, and I think it was a tremendous opportunity for us to see a different side of Chandler’s character. But she cares very much for this young woman in kind of a maternal way. She and Harry have been through all sorts of different phases of their relationship. But this is another way that they’re connected because as you see in the first two episodes, and particularly in the second episode, Honey will do anything. Maddie, she’s not my child, it’s different than what Bosch has but on the next level, she’ll do anything to protect Madison. She’ll do anything to help, and she cares very deeply. So, I love when they intersperse through the series moments where Chandler and Maddie just get to hang out together. Even when she was moving out, I was joking like, “Well, I live in this big house. Why don’t you just have her move in with me? We’ll be roommates.” But it’s been terrific.
(L to R) Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler and Lance Reddick as Irvin Irving on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
MF: Season 2 of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ was dedicated to the late Lance Reddick, who makes his final ‘Bosch’ appearance in the finale. Mimi, you shared that scene with Lance, what was it like working with him on that day?
MR: Well, that’s one of the few times that Lance, and I had the opportunity to work together, certainly one-on-one, so I hadn’t had the opportunity to get to know him as well as everybody else. Just a gentle giant, just the sweetest guy ever. It came as a terrible shock to all of us, his passing. We had a lovely time shooting that scene. He’s such an imposing figure when you look at him on screen and then when you know him, when you see him in life, he was just a gentle, giant, kind of shy, and just very sweet.
Lance Reddick as Irvin Irving on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
MF: Titus, do you have any memories of working with Lance on the series that you could share, and can you talk about his importance to the ‘Bosch’ universe?
TW: Well, Lance and I have been friends over 20 something years, so we knew each other long before we ever did ‘Bosch’ together. I remember having to have a nudging conversation with him because he, at first, didn’t want to sign on to play another cop, to which I just said, “Look, you don’t understand. This is going to be something completely different and look at who is involved and who’s writing and who’s producing. Look at the source material.” Thank God he made the decision to come on and do the show. I mean, the character of Irving, I feel like Irving and the city of Los Angeles were these two bookends with Harry in the middle of it. We saw Irving, he was a very political animal. He’d been a righteous cop, but we also found out later that he had played around with evidence in the Preston Borders case, and Harry called him out on that. Irving, he was a very smart guy. He was a good cop. I think certainly the season where Bosch and Irving team up to find who killed his son, for Lance and me, that was great. We were both always giggling about the fact that, “Oh, all we ever do is he comes in, and he goes, ‘BOSCH.’” We were like, “Look, let’s put them together.” The scene in which he discovers his son in the supermarket, to me, is probably one of the most heartbreaking scenes and depictions of that kind of loss. It blew me away. I mean, I watched it repeatedly. It’s very, very hard to talk about him without it being emotional. He was not my friend; he was my brother. I loved and adored him. We were very close. His departure was a shock. It was a body blow, and it has left a wound in many people’s hearts that I don’t think will ever heal. It will heal in the abstract sense of that. But I miss him terribly. When that scene came up with, he and Mimi. In the end, I cried like a baby, as I’m sure many people did, certainly the people that knew him and loved him. I don’t know, it’s kind of inexplicable. I’m inarticulate in being able to express the magnitude of respect and love that I had for him. I mean, pound for pound, one of the greatest actors of our generation, without question. I miss him. I miss him, terribly.
Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
MF: Finally, I understand that season 3 will begin shooting early next year. What can you tell the fans to tease them about the upcoming season?
TW: Well, honestly, we really don’t know because everything kind of collided at the beginning of the writers’ room opening back up again, then the next thing, boom, we were back after the strike. We have a sense of what the framework is, but we really don’t know anything. I mean, obviously we closed on a cliffhanger, so it wasn’t closed, and that’s up for interpretation and extrapolation, I think, in the audience’s mind between now and when it comes out. Mimi and I and everybody else are certainly curious about what’s going to happen there. But what I can assure you is the conversations that I have with the writers and the producers is on the level of excitement, which it always is. We’re like little kids hoping for a new bike, and Mimi and I and Madison and everyone involved, we get new bikes every year, so we’re excited. But I could make something up, but then you won’t be my friend anymore, so I’m not going to do that.
(L to R) Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler and Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
What is the plot of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 2?
Continuing where ‘Bosch’ season 7 left off, ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 1 saw Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch (Titus Welliver) retiring from the LAPD and working as a private investigator for defense attorney Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers). Harry begins investigating businessman Carl Rogers (Michael Rose), who previously hired a hitman to kill Chandler in the final season of ‘Bosch.’ Meanwhile, Bosch’s daughter, Maddie (Madison Lintz), navigates her first days as a patrol officer with the LAPD, working from Hollywood Station, where her father used to be assigned.
The first season of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ ended with Maddie being kidnapped by a serial rapist that she was investigating, and season 2 begins with Bosch and his former partner Jerry Edgar (Jamie Hector) leading the manhunt to find Maddie. The rest of the season is based on Connelly’s book, ‘The Crossing,’ and ties up loose ends from both series.
Who is in the cast of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 2?
Titus Welliver (‘The Town‘) as Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch
(L to R) Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch and Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 2. Credit: Tyler Golden/Amazon Freevee. Copyright: Amazon Freevee.
