Bosch: Legacy marks a new chapter for not only Maddie Bosch but the actress who plays her. Star Madison Lintz hits the ground running in the Amazon Freevee (recently rebranded from IMDb TV) spinoff as the daughter of detective turned private investigator Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver). New to the Los Angeles Police Department, she’s a “boot” on the beat looking to find her footing.
A parking lot shootout, coupled with all those years observing dad (and her late mom) on the job, led to Maddie’s decision to pursue law enforcement. Two years have elapsed since the events of the original show—and this new series is also built from source material from cocreator Michael Connelly’s books.
Ahead of Bosch: Legacy’s premiere, TV Insider caught up with Lintz to delve into Maddie’s new world as a cop.
We talked toward the end of Bosch about how you had Maddie becoming an officer on your Pinterest board. How did it feel to put on the uniform for the first time and make it official? It was absolutely insane and also nerve-wracking because it’s a lot of layers. There was the tactical vest, belt, another belt, and boots, and the shirt that needed to be tucked in a specific way. It was a little overwhelming but also very strange. I’ve had those pictures on my Pinterest board for years and never knew why. So to see it come full circle like this is wild.
Take me through the training as Maddie enters the field. That was very fun. We wrapped [Bosch] in January of 2021, so I had February through May to get prepped for this. I worked with a dietitian for the physical stuff. I worked with a trainer and a boxing trainer to put on the weight. I gained around 15, 20 pounds. The boxing was also for the cardio aspect. There is a lot of foot pursuit action this season.
There were some nights I was doing close to 12 miles a night. It was definitely physically challenging. That really brought into perspective how hard Titus and everyone in the action worked for the first series. It’s no joke. I went to gun range training every weekend for a while. I did some ride-alongs as well. That whole four months are a blur of me doing everything I could to make sure the authenticity is there. A lot of people who are police officers watch our show. I wanted to do my absolute best to represent them in the best way possible. I hope I measured up.
Bosch has such a dedicated fan base. When you do a spinoff, there are always those who wonder what will change. How will it compare to the original? …although Legacy really does maintain a lot of the same elements and spirit that made the original so beloved.
The bones are there. It’s like a house that got renovated. Those are Mimi [Rogers’] words. Titus said frequently that it’s not necessarily a spinoff but a continuation. The next chapter. Not many people get to take characters this far. We had seven seasons, and this show is what happened after. It’s interesting because the focus is on three characters in their separate journey and pursuit of justice.
Tyler Golden
There are also new faces, including your tough-as-nails partner Reina Vasquez, played by Denise G. Sanchez. How was it playing off each other?
Denise is so absolutely incredible. Working with her was one of my favorite parts of this whole season. I don’t think I could have done it without her. I worked so much with Titus and Mimi in the past, so to have this partner was definitely challenging and interesting. Maddie in the beginning is this “boot” who comes from a law enforcement background and thinks she knows it all. And of course, she doesn’t. Denise’s character keeps her grounded and has been around the block. She knows what she is doing and gives her tough love—not to be mean but because you can get killed out there.
How would you describe Maddie’s evolution this season, as well as her relationship with Harry?
I wouldn’t say their dynamic is flipping, but they are definitely more of equals. He is sort of standing aside and allowing her to find her own way. He is allowing her to come to him when she wants to seek counsel. They have each other’s backs, but she is really trying to find her own way and not worry him. It’s funny because that is what Harry did in the first seven seasons. She is being careful with her words to not come off weak or [indicate] that she can’t handle her own. This season Maddie is stepping into this new frontier of her life. She really wants to do well and be seen as not just a Bosch but as a good cop in her own right. That’s a journey she goes on this season, and it’s a tough one.
The Bosch code has always been everyone counts or nobody counts. Maddie seems to have adopted the same mantra as she tackles her own cases.
Maddie is very much like her father in that things stick with her. It’s a theme this season. There is a line Harry says where you have to choose if this is a job or something more. It’s pretty clear what Maddie chooses and how these cases start to affect her like they have her father for so long. It’s a tougher element to portray because of how heavy the topic is but also an honor.
The connective tissue from one show to the next is the lingering effect of Carl Rogers (Michael Rose) failing to answer for his crimes. This impacts everyone involved.
It’s affected all our decisions. You can say what happened was the catalyst for this show. Maddie internalized everything a great deal. It’s what sent her in this direction. A lot of these cases are more than the case itself. It’s the injustice of what happened in Season 7 and trying to find a way to reconcile that. Not everyone is brought to justice, so then and thereafter, every case is the one that has to be brought to justice because Carl Rogers wasn’t.
Bosch: Legacy, Series Premiere, Friday, May 6, Amazon Freevee
