Despite being a highly popular and acclaimed show on Prime Video, theBoschfranchise has already experienced two jarring cancellations. The first was after seven seasons of the flagship show, but only a year later did the titular character, played byTitus Welliver, return inBosch: Legacy. Despite its ardent fandom and positive reception, this sequel spin-off once again faced a shocking cancellation just this year, leaving many unsatisfied as the show didn’t even close off properly. Instead, it used its series finale to act as a backdoor pilot to another spin-off in theMichael Connellyuniverse,Ballard.
While Prime Video’s reasons behind the decision haven’t been fully explained (only theorized),Welliver has expressed his own disappointmentabout the show’s cancellation. Fans can definitely attest to that sentiment, butit is amplified when we see Welliver’s Harry Bosch appear inBallard. When the lead to a franchise proves he is willing to continue playing a role, but his main show doesn’t have a confirmed future, it feels like adding salt to a wound.
Titus Welliver Reprises His ‘Bosch’ Role in ‘Ballard’
Bosch only appears in a handful of scenes inBallard, deferring the main stage toMaggie Q’s eponymous character.Renee Ballard is working on a major cold casethat connects to one of Bosch’s previous cases, and when Bosch gets wind of that, he approaches her. Despite her misgivings about the way Bosch works, she eventually accepts his aid, andhe almost becomes a vague mentor figure for her throughout the serieswho ishappy to do some of the less-than-legal stuff so she can root out the corruption in the LAPD. This is essentially the extent of Welliver’s cameo in the series, popping up occasionally in the context of the corruption storyline while offering guidance and help where required.
Although Welliver is reprising his role in a reduced capacity, between his appearance and his comments, it’s clear he is more thanwilling to continue working on the franchise. Even though it is a treat to see the suave, strong-willed, and ready-to-bend-the-law character again, it is also frustrating. Unbidden questions certainly pop up: why does he need to appear inBallard? What is he doing between appearances? Why can’t he have his own show?
Why Is ‘Bosch’ Being Abandoned for an Expanded Universe?
Ballardis an amazing spin-off in its own right,earning a 100% RT score and fleshing out the universein a compelling way. This is the franchise’s first endeavor to branch out from Bosch’s character, and there is no question that it is a successful one. But,there shouldn’t be a need to completely abandon the Bosch-centered shows in favor of an expanded universe. Those two things should be able to exist side-by-side, which is what many shows usually do.Boschhas made such a lasting impact on audiences and the franchise thatBallardfelt the need to add the character in, even if it was sparingly.
The decision to prioritize franchise expansion over the original show was actually evident before the cancellation was even announced. Bydeigning to resolve theLegacySeason 3 storylinesin the finale and instead using the episode to introduce Ballard, the show essentially told us what it cared about more.But it also means thatBoschstill has the potential to have a future or be revisited, since Welliver is clearly open to it, and there are still unwrapped threads waiting to be pulled on. Every time we see him on the small screen duringBallard, the unresolved storylines ofLegacyhaunt us, reminding us of what we lost.
Maggie Q’s ‘Ballard’ Shouldn’t Rely on Harry Bosch
The fact that Welliver only makes a few cameos inBallardmakes it clear whyBoschneeds his own spin-off.Ballardwas introducing itself in the wake of a huge series and needed to distinguish itself while incorporating Bosch in some way. If they involve him too much, his presence would have overpowered the independence of the spin-off. As talented as Q is,whenever she is on-screen with Welliver, our attention is instinctively drawn to him. Bosch has an enduring, dominating, and meaningful impact on the universe, and Q simply can’t compete with thatthis early intoBallard’srun. This is less about Q andBallardand more a testament to Welliver andBosch’slegacy.
Therefore, Bosch needs his own show. You can’t contain all that presence in tiny cameos that may detract from the autonomyBallardis trying to achieve. In fact,it wouldactually be beneficial forBallardas well for Bosch to have his own series, as each of his appearances onBallardwould have fewer connotations of yearning and potential resentment. It is also just generally frustrating to only get glimpses of Bosch and watching him work in a reduced capacity after following his every move for numerous seasons.
“We Have To Elevate”: ’Ballard’s Maggie Q on Taking the ‘Bosch’ Universe in a Whole New Direction
Author Michael Connelly also discusses honoring the ‘Bosch’ legacy while expanding the universe in new ways.
Is Welliver’s future in the franchise going to be brief cameos that only present a shadow of his character’s former self throughout an array of spin-offs that expand the Bosch universe? Is the character who kicked off the franchise, the one fans fell in love with at the beginning, really going to be forgotten in the face of expansion?Watching Bosch inBallardis a bitter pill to swallow,forcing us to accept that this may be it for Welliver’s characterin the wake ofLegacy’scancellation. We can only hope that Prime Video potentially revisits the series or backtracks like it did in 2022, but for now, it seems like Bosch’s fate is limited to coffee shop rendezvous and background work.
