Chandler enlists Bosch to defend a man accused of a brutal crime. Back on the job, Maddie struggles to find her footing. The FBI sets its sights on Bosch and Chandler.
Maddie doesn't want to dwell on the traumatic experience she went through. She doesn't want to give that power to Dockweiler. Four months have passed. She has returned to work. It's only limited desk duty. However, she's growing confident in her investigative instincts once more. Her colleagues know not to curb her desire to go above what's expected of the job. She hasn't lost her spirit. And yet, she's also at risk of growing numb to the world. Bosch has tried to protect her from the harsh realities for a long time. Even then, she's still faced a lot of turmoil. She's seen her fair share of pain and trauma. She wants to trust her surroundings again. She's back at home with her father. Some things seemingly never change. She's also training to build up her endurance. She is pushing her body past its limits. She aims to be even tougher moving forward. Bosch is willing to share brutal crime scene photos with her now. She asks questions. She helps the investigation. The brutality on display barely gets a mention. That shows how she has grown up even though it's not always in the healthiest ways.
Moreover, Bosch lies to his daughter about why he is working with Chandler again. He previously said he was done with that relationship. They relied on each other heavily in the pursuit of Carl Rogers. They disrupted his business to the point where the Russians needed to kill him. And then, Bosch needed Chandler's resources to help rescue Maddie in time. They have all returned to relative normalcy. They are also finding new ways to cope and deal with the stress of life. An added pressure is the FBI looking into Chandler and Bosch. Two agents visit Chandler first. They already have the cell phone data that places both Chandler and Bosch at the dock before Rogers' container was shipped overseas. He was dead long before his body was discovered. Moreover, the agents know Bosch was at the illegal pipeline Rogers created for his criminal enterprise. They theorize that he was behind the explosion that ultimately destroyed everything for Rogers. It's enough evidence to get a wire tap on Bosch. Chandler is more protected. The two simply have to be working on a case together to maintain attorney-client privilege.
A new case just happens to land on Chandler's desk. A former client has been arrested for murder. She aims to keep him calm as the process begins. Discovery has been delivered by the prosecution. Moreover, David Foster lies about his alibi. That's an immediate red flag. He's not particularly original with his lie either. He explains he was at home with his wife. He offers the illusion of a weekly date night. In reality, she had no idea where he was. She only suspected that he was using again. He relapsed and was getting high with his dealer. That's unsavory behavior that doesn't paint Foster in a flattering light. Chandler depends on the honesty provided by her clients. That's the only way she can effectively do her job. She has to manage their egos and expectations. That's the aspect Bosch doesn't like of defense work. He sees the holes in the evidence. He believes Foster is innocent of murder. He just has to put the pieces together. The real killer still lurks out there. He hasn't been brought to justice. As such, he could kill again. Bosch can't abide by that. Lexi Parks is a stand-in for what could have happened to Maddie. It's personal. The parallels are there even though they aren't the initial reason for why Bosch decided to work with Chandler again. A valid reason was still produced to get him to care.
Bosch can't find the point of connection between Lexi and Foster. Their lives didn't intertwine in any way. The evidence seemingly depicts a crime of passion. The pillow placed over the face of the victim symbolizes shame or a guilty conscience. Bosch and Maddie understand the basic psychology of criminal behavior. It was developed over a lifetime for Bosch as a homicide detective. Maddie picked up those keen instincts from her father. He always ensured she remained perceptive of the world and willing to help whenever she could. It doesn't matter if people appreciate her efforts. Doing the right thing is always noble. She should always be proud of that. Everyone just needs to be patient. That's the overall sense of storytelling this series embodies. At times, the narrative choices are painfully obvious to get a point across. Other times, the show is just casually dealing out new information without any immediate awareness of how it connects to the other stories. Purpose will eventually be found in the two separate scenes centered around sex and crimes. In fact, the connection may already be obvious in that Lexi Parks had a much more complicated life than anyone was willing to admit. That would be the easy reveal. It would be lame. And so, the show needs to challenge itself to look beyond those simple explanations to offer something much deeper.
And yet, the narrative has already established a foundation that works. The big change of the season was designed into how it started. The first two episodes were solely focused on the search for Maddie. It was deeply personal for Bosch. He wasn't distracted with any other cases. Now, the investigative work begins as the characters seek to influence the lives of people they've never met before. It still holds potential consequences. They have to be very careful with their actions. They each essentially decide who is deserving of protection. Bosch would break all the rules to save his daughter. She's the only family he has left. He wants to help her any way he can. He knows the healing power that can come from drafting a victim impact statement for Dockweiler's upcoming sentencing. Maddie doesn't want to risk bringing all of those emotions to the forefront again. She sleeps with a gun under her pillow. That's the trauma still coming out in potentially dangerous ways. However, the work remains the same. Cases are presented every single day that require the attention of each element of the criminal justice system. Bosch, Maddie and Chandler have separate roles to play. They are frequently asked to interact with one another. Those bonds are reliable. They invite uncertainty in as well. It's unlikely to have any lasting impacts though. At this point, the audience knows what to expect. It's not going to be any serious consequences. Bosch will find a way to wiggle out of any jam. His house hasn't crumbled yet. He may be tempting fate. It's just unlikely now will be the time for any of that to change in a significant way.
