In the series finale of Prime Video’s Bosch: Legacy, Bosch meets his equal in LAPD cold case unit’s Detective Renee Ballard (Maggie Q) as they track a serial killer that’s resurfaced. Elsewhere, DA Honey Chandler settles a score with Chief Hughes’ decision to hand the Zorillo case to the State Attorney.

After an evening with his daughter Maddie, Bosch finds himself tailed home. The stranger turns out to be LAPD’s Detective Renee Ballard. The abrupt meeting is to retrieve files Bosch has on three cold cases; women murdered similarly with the assailant unknown. Ballard’s new victim, a young Filipino woman, succumbed to injuries similar to Bosch’s case. After some ego testing, the two settle to compare notes and pursue the suspect.

The victims are immigrants, trafficked from Manila with promises of fortune in America. The trafficking ring is orchestrated by a gang known as the Hi-Five Boys, as the victims all share a common tattoo signaling their affiliation with the criminal enterprise. The first three cases transpired 13 years ago. The murderer had been dormant until now. Ballard and Bosch both suspect a police officer is involved, given the long absence and the fact that some of the files on the victims wound up missing.

Ballard relays Bosch’s hunch to her boss. They want to use his expertise, but cautiously. Ballard tracks his movements in case he goes astray with his tactics. She doesn’t have to wait long as Bosch and Maurice discover the once-defunct sex worker website back online. Ballard crashes Bosch’s attempt to question the women without a search warrant.

Harry recruits Maddie as an extra set of eyes to review the evidence. Maddie finds a potential lead: one firefighter paramedic was on the scene for two of the murders, including the most recent. Bosch has Maurice do a complete sweep on anything he can find out about a Jeremy McKee. McKee not only had access to the Hollywood station’s files, but he lived near the interstate bypass where the original victims were found. Plus, he moved to Idaho shortly after the original murders, only recently relocating to Los Angeles.

Bosch connects with Ballard about McKee. That’s when she reveals her big Joker: the suspect left DNA on the victim. With this revelation, Ballard joins Bosch’s crew in surveying McKee and shift to get a sample for comparison. As she plays cat-and-mouse with McKee, Maurice hardwires a tracker on his truck. Forced to cut the job short, Ballard misses her chance to get the sample.

Bosch reaches out to Maddie and Reina, who pull McKee over for possible DUI. After some short resistance, McKee agrees to the breathalyzer test. With DNA in hand, they let him go with a ticket for failure to stop.

Ballard and Bosch consult with Honey, who easily pokes reasonable doubt. She requires stronger evidence before filing any charges. Bosch sends his team to track McKee’s movements as Mo searches his apartment. Mo discovers the missing case files in a hidden bookshelf and a room with a lone desktop computer. Mo hacks inside as Bosch’s team loses McKee in the night. He’s on the hunt.

Maurice discovers a date McKee scheduled with an escort, but canceled. Ballard surmises he sets up the date for the address, and arrives later for the kill. Bosch and Ballard arrive to the apartment complex minutes after McKee has broken inside. They catch McKee in the act, saving the young woman from a fatal fate. With all evidence leading back to McKee, the new duo finalize their case with Chandler.

While the episode is serviceable, the abrupt 180 to Ballard, with no connection to the season’s past cases, is disappointing. Councilman Curry would have been a better bridge to Ballard. Hopefully, the writers utilize that storyline in the future spinoff, bringing back Bosch and Chandler in cameo appearances.

Rating: 7.0/10