Legacy Doesn’t Live Up to the Original Series

Debuting on Amazon Freevee on May 6, 2022, Bosch: Legacy is a lackluster spin-off of the popular police procedural Bosch. The continuation tracks Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) as he transitions into a new chapter in his life, retiring from the LAPD to become a private investigator. The original Bosch series lasted seven seasons and 68 episodes, while Legacy has been renewed for Season 3 after concluding its 20th episode in November 2023.

An inferior product across the board, several reasons are attributed to the spin-off’s failure to live up to the original series thus far. For instance, Bosch: Legacy starts with a bang in Season 1, only to become noticeably weaker by Season 2. While many fans have cited Maddie Bosch’s unconvincing storyline as the primary culprit, other glaring factors stand out. As Amazon prepares Bosch: Legacy‘s third season, perhaps the studio will take heed and rectify Legacy‘s mistakes.

The Opening Music & Constant Commercials

As superficial as it may sound, the opening music of Bosch: Legacy is one of the first things that turned fans of the original off. The theme music to the original long-running cop showBosch perfectly encapsulated the tone and temperament of the character and his environment through a dark, jazzy musical score. The opening theme song, “Can’t Let Go,” instantly conjured a moody atmosphere that fits perfectly within Bosch’s noirish foray into the criminal underworld. In deeply disappointing contrast, the opening theme to Bosch: Legacy is all wrong.

Bosch: Legacy opens with a much poppier, EDM-style dance record that evolves into a choral semi-gospel song. All the danger and foreboding menace of “Can’t Let Go” is absent, leaving fans to wonder what type of spin-off they’re in for. While the opening theme song hardly makes or breaks the overall experience, it’s one of many examples that fall short of the original and one of the first noticeable qualities of the spin-off that alienated fans of the original. With the transition to Freevee, fans have also grown tired of the countless TV ads and commercials that disrupt the flow of the show, something they didn’t experience in the original Bosch.

Starts Strong But Fizzles in Season 2

In all fairness, Bosch: Legacy starts strong in Season 1 with a criminal storyline as compelling as the original series. As Bosch retires from the LAPD and transfers to a private investigator, he’s hired by billionaire Whitney Vance (William Devane) to find a woman Vance impregnated decades prior. Meanwhile, Bosch’s daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz) is training to become an LAPD officer and follow in her father’s footsteps.

As Bosch searches for Vance’s potential heir and advises Maddie on how to investigate, Season 1 takes a rivetingly unpredictable turn involving the Russian mob. Bosch is forced to work with Honey Chandler (Mimi Rogers), a well-connected lawyer who is targeted and shot by ruthless business entrepreneur Carl Rogers (Michael Rose). Between Welliver and Roger’s onscreen chemistry, the twisty plotting, and a satisfying resolution, Bosch: Legacy’s first season more or less lived up to the original series. Season 2 is when the show nosedived.

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Maddie’s Season 2 Storyline Left Fans Cold

The number one reason most fans feel Bosch: Legacy is inferior to the original relates to the character Maddy’s Season 2 storyline. In Season 2, the dramatic focus shifts away from Harry Bosch and focuses on his daughter Maddy’s LAPD training. Fans tuning in to watch Bosch use his investigative prowess to solve crimes were robbed of the show’s fundamental appeal. Instead, fans were given a thoroughly unconvincing performance by Lintz as a naive newbie learning the tricks of the trade.

In a Reddit thread wondering if fans of the original Bosch should finish Season 2 of Legacy, several responses cited Maddy’s distracting subplot. As Killerklowninvisicar puts it:

“I struggled with S2 because to me they gave Maddie a huge role and I didn’t think the actress was really up to it. There was also a lack of secondary characters that provided richness to the original series.”

Supporting the sentiment, Alternative-Ad-1238 adds:

“As much as I love Madison, she isn’t cop material. I don’t buy for a minute she is law enforcement. I understand placing the characters in danger and another rescues them etc. but when his daughter has been placed into severe trouble on multiple occasions, just not believable. Madison’s demeanor, acting Harry-ish etc. just doesn’t float. He is an ex-vet and well-tenured detective. He is going to have a chip on his shoulder. She seems like she is pretending to be that way.”

In yet another criticism of Maddie’s dominant story arc, Suitable-Banks-2703 declares:

“It’s gone downhill. Will not watch season 3. The decision to put so much emphasis on Maddie was a mistake. She is annoying and I don’t care what happens to her.”

Beyond Maddie’s underwhelming Season 2 arc, others have cited the lack of the gritty, film noir intensity that defined the original Bosch series.

Lack of Gritty Film-Noir Intensity

In addition to Maddy’s dissatisfying storyline in Season 2, Bosch: Legacy suffers from the suspenseful film noir tropes and tenets that made the original so strong. This is not only reflected in the opening theme song, it’s also seen through Bosch’s character. While it’s understandable that Bosch loses a step as he ages and enters retirement, his character undergoes such a dramatic change from keen to inept investigator that it’s hard for fans to reconcile.

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For instance, despite being an expert detective with years of military training, Bosch’s inability to spot the surveillance operation conducted by corrupt police officers doesn’t add up. As one Redditor notes:

“Why is Bosch, a veteran with decades of experience in the field, was so blind to surveillance and other actions of those two dirty cops? When Honey tells him “Someone’s been through my papers” and Bosch is like “Nah… You’re just seeing things” – this felt like a peak non-Bosch thing to do.”

Devoid of the gritty intensity that defined the original series, Legacy feels like a much different show. The original appeal was steeped in hard-boiled mystery, compelling criminal cases that Bosch would systematically solve, and adhere to classic film noir staples. In contrast, Legacy is a dull, paint-by-numbers spin-off that bastardizes Bosch’s lovable characteristics. As one Redditor points out:

“Bosch has become some sort of a childish hooligan. He yells and screams at CSI people and police supervisors for no reason. He commits serious felonies that would ruin most criminal cases. He’s given access to crime scenes, the Coroner, and witnesses that would never be allowed. He even sneaks into a police station and assaults a kidnap suspect, then is allowed to leave! I call him “Botch”, because thats what he does to cases. He would have lost his PI license almost immediately. This series was never credible, but the portrayals of investigators and judges like Honey Chandler are ridiculous!”

Despite fans voicing displeasure about Bosch: Legacy Season 2, it’s only a matter of time before Bosch: Legacy‘s Season 3’s release date is announced.

Bosch: Legacy is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video & Freevee.