Key Takeaways
- Bosch: Legacy’s cancelation means fan-favorite characters will only have brief appearances in Ballard.
- Ballard introduces new main characters, risking overcrowding and sidelining established characters.
- Concerns were raised over the dilution of Michael Connelly’s universe with the cancelation of Bosch: Legacy.
Bosch: Legacy will hit screens in March 2025, and it’ll likely be the last time fans see some of their favorite characters, but Michael Connelly has promised there will be some surprise guest stars in the Ballard spin-off. The author of the books and executive producer hasn’t revealed which characters could appear, but fans already know Harry Bosch will guest star in three episodes of Ballard season 1.
There are so many characters who could appear in Ballard, with the events still taking place in Los Angeles, albeit on a different side of the city. However, fans are concerned there won’t be enough time to explore their favorite characters with likely fleeting guest appearances, and this is why the petition to Save Bosch: Legacy is so important. It would make more sense for Bosch: Legacy and Ballard to both run alongside each other, but as it stands, Michael Connelly’s universe is being diluted from three potential shows to only one, with the Jerry Edgar spin-off also on Amazon’s scrapheap.
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Michael Connelly’s Final Book Means Bosch: Legacy Needs To Come Back
Michael Connelly says his planned final book will be a solo Harry Bosch case, meaning Bosch: Legacy surely has to continue.
What Has Michael Connelly Said About Potential Surprise Guest Stars in Ballard?
Michael Connelly has tried to put a positive spin on Bosch: Legacy‘s abrupt ending, but it must be frustrating to see his beloved Harry Bosch being relegated to a side character in his own universe. Bosch and Ballard are joint co-leads in Connelly’s recent books, but Titus Welliver will no longer play Bosch in the lead role after Bosch: Legacy‘s cancelation. However, Connelly has promised in an interview with The Irish Star, that in addition to Harry Bosch’s guest appearances, other fan favorites will also feature in Ballard.
We didn’t get the word Bosch: Legacy was not going to go on until we were well into producing Ballard but that kind of frees up some of our Bosch characters. So I think going forward there’ll be some surprise appearances.
The end of Bosch: Legacy doesn’t really ‘free up’ the characters from that show as such. It just relegates them to bit part appearances in Ballard. Fans appreciate the sentiment, but it would be much better if characters like Maddie Bosch and Honey Chandler continued with their own solo stories in Bosch: Legacy while also making guest appearances in Ballard. A compelling crime saga was being built up, only to be dismantled by Amazon in the matter of weeks back in September of this year.
Save Bosch: Legacy Petition Key Facts
- A petition to Save Bosch: Legacy can be signed HERE
- The Fans And Hollywood Need To Work Together To Save The Show
- Amazon Freevee is being shut down ahead of Bosch: Legacy’s final season.
Ballard Has A Brand New Cast Of Main Characters, Meaning The Fan Favorites Will Probably Only Make Brief Cameo Appearances And That Isn’t Enough
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Ballard Season 1 |
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Starring |
Maggie Q, Courtney Taylor, John Carroll Lynch, Michael Mosley, Rebecca Field, Victoria Moroles, Amy Hill, Ricardo Chavira, Noah Bean, Alain Uy, Hector Hugo and Titus Welliver |
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Based on the books by |
Michael Connelly |
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Directed by |
Jet Wilkinson |
Fans are excited about Ballard, with the introduction of the fiery cold case investigator played by Maggie Q. Unfortunately, that hype was tamed by the cancelation of Bosch: Legacy. It now feels like a consolation prize rather than an exciting expansion of Michael Connelly’s Bosch-verse. The promise of fan favorites popping up in Ballard also feels like a poor alternative to seeing important characters fleshed out properly in future seasons of Bosch: Legacy. When it was initially announced that Bosch: Legacy would crossover with Ballard, fans were salivating at the prospect of seeing the ex LAPD detective in not one, but two shows moving forward. The harsh reality is that he’s now a recurring character in only one show.
If Harry Bosch is only in three episodes of Ballard, other characters, like Crate and Barrel, won’t have any significant role to play in the upcoming spin-off, if they even appear at all. Maddie Bosch actually joins Ballard’s cold case team in Connelly’s new book, The Waiting, so she could appear much later on in the Ballard television series. However, what if Ballard flops, and it gets canceled after one season? Renee Ballard will be surrounded by a brand-new cast of exciting characters who deserve their own storylines, but what about the characters fans have bonded with over the last decade? Ballard could suffer from what could appear to be fan service, by shoehorning in popular characters, to appease fans still mourning the end of Bosch: Legacy. This will do a disservice to both the new and legacy characters, and could result in a very overcrowded show, which has the added pressure of carrying the Bosch-verse, while trying to establish itself as its own entity.
Sign The Petition To Save Ballard And Bosch: Legacy HERE
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Michael Connelly’s Contract Clause Could Explain Bosch: Legacy’s Cancelation
Michael Connelly revealed a key stipulation in his contract with Amazon which could explain Bosch: Legacy’s cancelation.