Episode 5 of Bosch: Legacy brings judgement day for Honey Chandler as election day finally arrives. Meanwhile, Bosch and Maurice make a chilling discovery in the Murphy case. Maddie and Reina match wits with their trio of thieves.
Honey Chandler and her team continue to campaign as the election is only a few days away. She attempts to court the Black vote at a local diner, where business owner Dennis Williams vocalizes that he doesn’t vote. He says his son Shawn’s murder went unsolved. When Chandler investigates further, she discovers the young man died of an overdose. That is when Dennis explains that Shawn, who was gay, was injected with the drug by a white, gay senior socialite, Patrick Curry. When they brought these accusations to the police, nothing was done.
Meanwhile, Bosch and Mo go on the offensive in the Murphy family case. With Sheila Walsh dead, Bosch is convinced the family never made it to Mexcio. After reviewing footage of the family days before their disappearance, they hypothesize the bodies must be buried not far from the cabin. Tracking the location history of a missing backhoe, Bosch finds the family of four in shallow graves.
With this discovery, the Murphy case is handed to the LAPD, under Detective Jimmy Robertson’s jurisdiction. He promises to keep Bosch updated on its progress. In the meantime, Jimmy and Detective Perry Lopez arrest Rita Tedesco for her role in her husband’s escape attempt.
Maddie meets with Internal Affairs and confesses her failure to report Borders’ call. She’s prepared to accept any punishment. With that behind her, she and Reina find a recipient of the thieves’ stolen merchandise. He tells them the seller is a woman named Fortune. She usually calls before visiting. Reina suggests he notify them of their next appointment.
Days later, Fortune and her boyfriend are on their way to sell when she suspects something is off. In an instant, they change route, and she calls 9-1-1 about an alleged gunman. Her instincts pay off; Maddie and Reina were scouting the duo’s car, preparing to catch them in the act. Instead, they race to the false gun call, realizing they had been made. Later that evening, Reina visits her mother and sister for dinner. Here, it is revealed that her nephew is one of the thieves and Fortune’s boyfriend.
Over at Chandler headquarters, Honey receives the call she’s been waiting for: she won the election, beating Archer by a slim margin. Her team basks in the victory just as the city suffers a tremendous loss and challenge for their newly elected DA.
Episode five, directed by Ernest Dickerson, details how politics orchestrates how justice is administered or delayed; mostly, at the expense of victims and their families. The performances are solid, with most of the strength lobbied by the writing and narrative developments. Kudos to the writers for tackling the harrowing tale of Democratic donor Ed Buck. He openly victimed Black queer men for years and used his political identity to shield himself from consequences. And Reina’s family reveal was a welcome surprise, giving that mundane storyline a much-needed boost.
Rating: 9/10