Bosch: Legacy is essentially Bosch Season 8: "They knew better than to mess with Harry"

The New York Times

Titus Welliver's return as old-school detective Harry Bosch on Amazon Freevee is if as though Bosch never really went away. "It’s the same show, which wasn’t unexpected but still counts as a relief," says Mike Hale. "It was developed by a Bosch writer, Tom Bernardo, and key personnel like the executive producers Eric Overmyer and Michael Connelly, author of the Bosch mystery novels, have stayed on. (Connelly wrote the season’s first episode with Overmyer and its last with Welliver.) The unhurried pace, the cleverly interlocking story lines and the general lack of pretense and contrivance remain in place. It is still, depending on your preferences, a doddering throwback or an oasis of old-school rationality and calm. (If you’re keeping score, we’re going with oasis.) The most important holdover, of course, is Welliver, whose tightly controlled performance has made Bosch one of the most indelible television characters of the last decade. Crotchety, self-righteous and quick to anger, but also loyal, compassionate and soulful, he’s the whole hard-boiled package."

ALSO:

• Bosch: Legacy understands the secret Bosch sauce: "At a time when so many limited series stretch two hours worth of story across a handful of episodes and streamers like Netflix often end even their big hits after a handful of seasons, there's something admirably old school about Bosch: Legacy's unwavering commitment to a model of serialized storytelling where you watch a character slowly evolve over nearly a decade," says Dan Jackson, adding that "winding down the show on Prime felt like an odd decision, so the choice to essentially resurrect it on Freevee makes sense. The news that it was already renewed for a second season before its premiere shouldn't come as a shock, either: When you want to get a job done, you call Bosch."
• When Welliver and Mimi Rogers (as Honey) are on screen, what they’re doing is nothing short of low-key brilliance: "Here are two seasoned actors showing how to get across plenty of subtext and introspection without laying it on thick. They are forever bending and breaking the rules," says Nina Metz, adding: "Welliver’s contemplative talents have long been on display in this role and the show is at its best when it’s just Harry quietly talking with people. But Rogers, with that immaculate blunt cut bob, had me intrigued in these newest episodes. Honey is good at her job, full stop. She’s measured and curious and she’s not interested in showboating as she methodically sizes up and then takes down her opponent. She’s just extremely, impressively competent, which is fun to watch."
• Titus Welliver calls Bosch: Legacy more of a "natural progression" than a spinoff: Asked "How is this not Bosch Season 8?," Welliver replies: "You know, it really is, ultimately. But from a focus point, it’s not. Harry’s not a cop. He’s not partnering with Edgar. The focus is a bit more myopic than it was in the previous show. But it’s still the Bosch universe, and we push Maddie and Chandler up against the side of Harry." As for the season premiere shakeup, Welliver says: “I think the idea is to sort of ‘separate Harry from his perch,’ and disorient him. But it was very much a big part of a discussion, and it’s by design."