a new season of Bosch as it is a true spinoff. Given the strength of the show’s initial run, this bodes well for the series’ prospects.
However, Bosch: Legacy does break with its predecessor in one key way. While Bosch’s original seven-season run aired on the Amazon Prime Video service, its continuation series has made the move to Amazon Freevee, an ad-ed streaming service free for anyone with an Amazon . On the face of it, this move to a free service might seem like a step down for the series – but it will actually benefit both the Bosch franchise and Amazon.
Crucially, Bosch: Legacy’s move to Freevee will allow the show to reach a far broader audience than the original series. While Bosch's initial seven-season run earned significant critical acclaim, its overall viewership was fairly modest, with the show’s understated class overshadowed by flashier streaming titles. With Legacy out from behind the Amazon paywall, the show now has a much broader pool of prospective viewers. This may help the series build up the kind of audience numbers its predecessor deserved. With Bosch remaining a Prime Video title, new converts will quickly find that they need an Amazon Prime subscription if they want to catch up on earlier adventures, making Legacy’s move to Freevee an effective promotional tool for both the show and for Jeff Bezos’s service.
With this, the rationale behind Bosch’s resurrection as Bosch: Legacy becomes much clearer. While the eighth season of a relatively obscure show would do little to attract first-time viewers, billing Bosch: Legacy as a new series – even if it is ultimately a continuation of the original story – is a far more effective way of expanding the franchise’s audience. With spinoff shows generally focusing on popular side characters from a larger story, Bosch: Legacy represents a significant break from the conventions of the format. As shown by Amazon itself, disrupting industry norms can often prove highly effective.
Having been renewed for a second season even before the premiere of its first, Bosch: Legacy clearly has the and trust of Amazon. While Titus Welliver’s (The Mandalorian) departure from Amazon Prime might initially appear to be a demotion, Freevee is the perfect platform to help the Bosch franchise expand on a committed but modest following. The move to Freevee may ultimately benefit both Bosch: Legacy and the legacy of Bosch – not to mention Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.