The Lincoln Lawyer showrunner Dailyn Rodriguez discusses Bosch’s replacement, offering insight on how the Netflix legal drama will handle the switch. Even though The Lincoln Lawyer‘s Mickey Haller and the titular Harry Bosch are both characters created by author Michael Connelly, sharing space in the novels, the on-screen crossover between the two shows is more complicated. The Lincoln Lawyer streams on Netflix, while the original Bosch and its recent continuation are under Prime Video’s umbrella.
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In an interview with Screen Rant‘s Dani Kessel Odom, Rodriguez was asked about the show’s plan to handle Bosch’s absence. Although not officially renewed, The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 looks likely as the third installment continues to rack up viewership. Rodriguez, who serves as showrunner with Ted Humphrey, touches on the inability to use the Bosch character but teases that someone could very well fill the Bosch role in a future season. In the quote below, Rodriguez also talks about how a supporting player Cisco (Angus Sampson) will end up having more to do as a result:

Yeah, it’s just unfortunate because we don’t own that character. Netflix didn’t own the character, so we can’t do any crossovers. I would be giving a spoiler if I told you what we were going to do, but we definitely have an idea of how we can bring in someone else that could play the Bosch in a future season.

Also, we kind of are just giving Cisco more to do. We give the characters that we have a little bit more to do, and that sort of offsets some of the issues that we have with not being able to use Bosch, which is unfortunate. We would love to do that, but we can’t.

What The Showrunner’s Comments Mean For Bosch & Lincoln Lawyer

It Could Still Happen In An Unexpected Way

The connection between Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer is a tricky one that does not look likely to clear up anytime soon. Even though Bosch: Legacy is ending with season 3, which will release in 2025, Titus Welliver will still reprise the role in Prime Video’s Renée Ballard spinoff. The veteran star and producer of the Bosch franchise will help launch Nikita‘s Maggie Q in the role of Ballard.

So, even though Bosch has its own separate universe and considerations, The Lincoln Lawyer has done well to spotlight different characters. The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 cast is an example of this, giving more space to a new face like Andrea Freeman (YaYa DeCosta) and showcasing her chemistry with Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Haller. By having to remove a pivotal character from the books, others have stepped up.

The absence is a bit trickier after the chaotic and eventful Lincoln Lawyer season 3 ending, since the focus of season 4 seems primed to be on The Law of Innocence. Bosch does feature in that book. However, in the co-showrunner’s latest remarks, there is a plan in mind to speak to that void and still make upcoming episodes of Netflix’s adaptation compelling.

Bosch’s Connection To Mickey Haller & The Law Of Innocence Novel, Explained

The Two Characters Are Related

In the Connelly novels, Mickey is the younger half-brother of Harry Bosch. However, in Netflix’s adaptation, Mickey is written as an only child. While this has so far solved the Bosch issue, season 4 may have a bigger problem on its hands because of the novel it is adaptating. In the finale of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, which is written and directed by the co-showrunners, Mickey is accused of murdering his client.

Lincoln Lawyer Book Title
Year Released

The Lincoln Lawyer
2005

The Brass Verdict
2008

The Reversal
2010

The Fifth Witness
2011

The Gods of Guilt
2013

The Crossing
2015

The Law of Innocence
2020

Revolution Walk
2023

This happens when the titular character is pulled over by the police, and a body is discovered inside the trunk. The implication, of course, is that Mickey is being set up. This story draws from The Law of Innocence, which is a very personal novel for Harry and those closest to him.

That means a greater presence for Mickey’s ex-wife Maggie, who is played in the Netflix series by Scream star Neve Campbell, but it also means a larger role for Bosch as he investigates what happens to his brother. Netflix’s version will be missing that element, but it has laid the foundation to tell its own narrative.

Rodriguez mentions that supporting characters like Cisco could step up, gaining a larger share of importance than what he has in the Connelly books. It is also true that Andrea, introduced as recurring in The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, could take some of the emotional burden of Mickey’s false accusation. These discussions and diverges speak to larger questions, though, in terms of whether adaptations should be faithful or whether they should aim, as much as possible, to recreate the source material for a different format.

Our Take On Bosch’s Lincoln Lawyer Absence

It’s An Interesting Case

The situation between the two Connelly adaptations is an unfortunate case where different streamers alter the source material. However, given the positive reception to the show so far, viewers should have faith that The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 can deliver a compelling story. By allowing other characters to step up, The Lincoln Lawyer has done a solid job of allowing other actors in the supporting ensemble to step up.

It may be interesting to imagine what might happen if Netflix and Prime Video were open to working together on a crossover. They are arguably the two biggest streaming services globally, and it’s hard to imagine that the competitors would be willing to come together for a project. But, purely as a thought exercise, it would be fun to have both The Lincoln Lawyer and Bosch work to incorporate a half-brother that was previously unacknowledged in a soapy twist.