Bosch digs into the Lexi Parks murder. Chandler's new case attracts all the wrong attention. Maddie accepts an exciting assignment that partners her once again with Reina Vasquez.
Bosch and Chandler's actions are being watched very closely. Multiple groups of people are looking into them. For the FBI, it's all about investigating their actions from the first season. They can't hold the Russians accountable for the murders of Carl Rogers and Simon Wakefield. They can certainly scrutinize Bosch and Chandler who coerced those events into happening. Meanwhile, Detectives Ellis and Long are monitoring what they know in David Foster's murder case. The audience is keenly aware of this surveillance. Bosch and Chandler know the FBI is looking into their actions. They doubt a case will ever be brought against them. That would depend on someone talking to the federal agents. That seems unlikely but they aren't taking any risks. However, they only have creeping suspicions about the threats pertaining to their current case. They are more concerned about the lies Foster continues to tell them about his life. That frustrates them. It isn't life-threatening though. It may very well get to that point sooner rather than later.
All of this also comes at a time when Bosch doesn't know what's happening in Maddie's life. She moves out of his house. He believes it's too soon. She doesn't even have a new apartment lined up yet. She's essentially moved in with her boyfriend, fellow officer Rico Perez. She wants to keep that relationship a secret as well. Vasquez knows about it. She isn't bothered so long as the personal doesn't complicate their professionalism on the job. If Maddie were to falter, it probably won't be because she's distracted by her boyfriend. It's more likely from her inability to process her trauma. She doesn't see how writing a victim impact statement will help her. When she returns to her former apartment, she lingers on the window Dockweiler broke to invade her space. That's how he entered her life and subjected her to so much pain. She's back on the job. She's even supportive of Paulina, who questions when or if she'll be ready to return. Maddie never had any doubts. Nor is she given any time to think about taking an exciting new assignment. That's thrilling even though it's yet another secret she's choosing to keep from her father.
Bosch is focused on the work. He has a job. He doesn't like Foster but his moral code requires him to offer him the best presentation of evidence of the crime. He refuses to believe Foster is guilty. He doesn't want to fall into the mindset that law enforcement planted evidence to frame Foster. He leaves it to Chandler to imagine those fantastical scenarios. And yet, several individuals are targeted by the police. Ellis and Long are monitoring Bosch and Chandler long before the reveal that they are actually law enforcement. They fabricate accusations against Chandler to gain access to her files. She knows she wasn't drunk. She knows she locked her vehicle. She's made to doubt herself. She's angry at the world for not offering her the peace she so desperately needs. She wants the space to exist. She advocates for the innocent and the abused. She fights to create a better world and hold others accountable. She has been targeted many times in the past. Things got personal in the quest to ruin Carl Rogers. Chandler prevailed even though more turmoil weighs heavily on her mind. She has to balance all of that. She has to be careful while calculating her next move. That's how she operates. It's such an isolating life though. One where Bosch presents as her one true ally.
Chandler isn't there to provide Bosch the legal protection he needs when meeting Foster. That's their first interaction. It's the first time Bosch gets to work with Rose too. That's never the predominate focus of the meeting though. Bosch applies pressure to get his new client to confess the truth. He also has to deliver the devastating news that his alibi witness was murdered. Again, that sends the alert to the viewer that a complex conspiracy is taking place. It reassures everyone that Bosch and Chandler are on the righteous path in this case. They are being targeted by malicious forces that wish them harm. Ellis and Long will abuse their authority to get whatever they want. They don't particularly care who gets hurt in the process. Bosch has compassion for those distraught over Allen's death. Foster was ashamed to admit his affair that lasted for six months. He didn't want to disrupt what he deemed as perfect. Family fulfilled that projection for him. It was all a lie. Bosch demands the truth. It's not exactly complex storytelling. The viewer can easily see the plot motives and their shifting dynamics. It's perhaps too obvious as compared to how the creative team has told stories in the past in this world.
The steps the narrative takes next to further escalate the drama will be crucial. They will determine the overall effectiveness of this ongoing story. It's all performative as a job. Not enough time is being spent on how each individual action impacts the characters. Maddie's story certainly hints at that more viscerally. She's struggling but not in a way that immediately disrupts her ability to do the job. She's ready to further prove herself. She exhibits good and honest police work. She learned from her father. Bosch maintains key alliances throughout the system. He feels protected. That emboldens him to a certain extent. However, Chandler is caught up in this mess too. Neither of them can escape their fates. They are destined to remain tied to each other. They can certainly benefit from that. The alliance opens each of them up to more resources that would otherwise be unavailable. And yet, the threat from the FBI feels like such a tangential concern that can't possibly deliver any true consequences. The viewer is never meant to truly question Bosch's actions. He is meant to be above close interrogation. That's been problematic before. It creates the appeal that anyone antagonizing him is in the wrong. That's an incorrect telling of events. It's how the show has always operated though. As such, it's difficult to break free of those assumptions now if the show wants to suggest something more could happen.
