'Bosch Legacy' Season 2 Ending Explained What Happens in the Finale?

August 2024 · 7 minute read

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of Bosch: Legacy.

The Big Picture

The latest season of Bosch: Legacy, the follow-up series from Freevee that tracks the eponymous retired police detective-turned-private investigator, Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) just ended with a number of bombshells being dropped that could have long-standing repercussions for the remainder of the series. The double-episode finale found our favorite characters leading the FBI on a merry dance following last season's plotline involving the killing of Carl Rogers, before Mimi Rogers' irrepressible Honey Chandler humiliated them in court, while her go-to IT guy Mo (Stephen A. Chang) found himself the victim of a sting operation.

Meanwhile, Harry's daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz), the rookie LAPD street cop, has been dealing with her own demons all season, following her abduction and burial by David Denham's serial rapist Kurt Dockweiler. Maddie receives a phone call informing her that Dockweiler has been killed in prison during the finale, not long after delivering a powerful, fiery, and passionate statement to Dockweiler himself in front of a judge at his sentencing hearing.

As for Harry? He's been on the hunt for Lexi Parks' killer — the true killer — after the obviously wrongful arrest of David Foster (Patrick Brennan) whose DNA was found at the scene. He had a solid alibi, as he was involved with an escort named James Allen, and claimed not to know Lexi Parks. And as we've known all along, not all was as it seemed, as Bosch finally identifies the killers as a pair of dirty cops named Ellis (Max Martini) and Long (Guy Wilson), two particularly nasty individuals.

Bosch: Legacy
TV-MADramaCrime Release Date May 6, 2022 Cast Titus Welliver , Mimi Rogers , Madison Lintz , Denise G. Sanchez Main Genre Drama Seasons 3

Who Killed Lexi Parks?

At the beginning of the season, the duo began tailing Bosch and Chandler to keep tabs on how much they knew about the case, and to throw roadblocks in their progress. Bosch discovers that Ellis and Long used Allen as an informant, gathering DNA evidence from Foster through him. Later, they killed Allen to conceal their actions. Ellis and Long had an additional hustle involving two sex workers, using them to extort men cheating on their wives. They accepted goods as payment, including a valuable watch from Dr. Schubert. Unfortunately, when the watch was pawned, it ended up in the hands of a sheriff, causing issues for both Ellis and Long. The sheriff's wife, Lexi Parks, discovered the watch was stolen and threatened to audit the Nguyens, the owners of the pawn shop, thereby endangering Ellis and Long. To prevent exposure, they killed Lexi.

When Bosch discovers this, Bosch needs Schubert's testimony against the pair and tracks down Schubert to his home, but Ellis and Long are in pursuit and a chaotic shootout takes place within the doctor's home. Bosch takes down Long, wounding him, but Ellis manages to escape to the marina, hiding out on a boat. However, loose ends cost Ellis, as the two escorts assist Bosch in finding the dirty cop and, although Ellis gains the upper hand, Maddie — who had been tailing her father — shoots and kills Ellis.

What Happens to Dockweiler?

Well, this is the real shocker. After Maddie's confrontation of Dockweiler in court, she finally appears ready to move on with both her career, and her life, but is hit with another shock when she receives a call telling her that Dockweiler has apparently overdosed in prison. Stunningly, however, the final scene of the season sees Maddie answer her dad's phone while he is out walking Coltrane, their dog. Hearing it is a collect call from a man named Preston Borders (Chris Browning) — a recurring character from Bosch — she accepts it, and Borders, with some relish, informs Maddie that he is the person who killed Dockweiler, and at Bosch's request.

When Bosch returns, a stunned Maddie simply asks her father what he has done. As Welliver told Collider, Bosch is determined to do anything he can to ensure Maddie stays safe — even if it means doing the unthinkable.

"Yeah, I think that he does recognize that in his daughter. I think what he is trying to do as a parent and a former cop is to try to teach her to be careful, to not let the darkness of that work that's done penetrate her character or her moral compass. She is her father's daughter and her mother's daughter. I think that is the beauty of the writing—she's struggling with that and he's struggling in observing that. It's almost as if the roles at times are becoming blurred and reversed. He's being very pragmatic, but he's parenting an adult now who's also in his former chosen profession. So it allows a lot of really, beautifully nuanced writing to come in there to move that forward and to stay clear of any kind of tropes."

What Happens to Chandler and Mo in the FBI Case?

Throughout the season, the FBI relentlessly pursue Chandler and Bosch, suspecting their involvement in the killing of Carl Rogers. Chandler, however, sets a cunning trap to trip up the Feds. Following her arrest, she arranged a hearing to decide the fate of the case and to determine the viability of it to hold up in court. Arrogant in the belief that their evidence is sufficient, the FBI is relying on a bag of supposedly destroyed files provided by Chandler's employee, Matthew Ramirez. These files form the basis for their search warrant but, to the FBI's surprise, Chandler reveals that she has actually given all her Carl Rogers files to her attorney, rendering the destroyed files worthless in court, and leaving the judge no choice but to dismiss the case.

However, Anthony Michael Hall's FBI Agent Baron is undeterred by the setback, and it is revealed that Jade (Jessica Camacho), Mo's romantic interest for the series, is working undercover for the bureau. They attempt to leverage Mo's feelings for Jade into turning him against Bosch and Chandler. However, Mo sees through the ruse, eliminating any leverage the FBI had on him and making it clear that their tactics are ineffective. Later, when Chandler announces her candidacy for District Attorney against Archer, journalist Scott Anderson questions Bosch about the sudden disappearance of the grand jury investigation, all but confirming that the case has been dropped altogether.

What Is Chandler's Big Announcement?

Following her victory in court against the Feds, Chandler — sick of the witch hunt against her (even if it was technically justified) for her actions — decides to take a stand, and announces her decision to stand for District Attorney of Los Angeles. And in a lovely moment, she seeks out Lance Reddick's Irvin Irving for his endorsement, in the actor's final appearance in the series prior to his passing.

Assuming Chandler follows through with her announcement, we're heading down a very intriguing new path. Bosch, in all his time on the series, has battled corruption. Working as a private investigator for the DA, who will be looking to take down crooked cops, is right in his wheelhouse. But how will that work in tandem with Maddie's own career? And how can Bosch and Maddie honestly reconcile after the actions Bosch has taken, by removing control from Maddie's own peace of mind following his instructions to kill Dockweiler. Will Maddie report him? Will she be forced to choose between her father and the law? The good news is a third season has already been greenlit, so we'll find out next year when Bosch: Legacy returns.

Bosch: Legacy is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

Watch on Prime Video

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