'Bosch: Legacy Series' Finale Recap & Ending Explained: Is The Flower Girls Serial Killer Arrested?

Bosch: Legacy season 3’s ending is mostly about passing down the mantle, as the titular veteran PI partners up with young gun LAPD Detective Renee Ballard to investigate a case that is quite personal to him in nature. It should be mentioned that, like Bosch, Renee Ballard is a prominent lead character in Michael Connelly’s detective novel series and has her own saga going on—which will provide the foundation of her upcoming solo series. With all the major plotlines having concluded in the penultimate episode already, the final episode dedicated itself completely to establishing a rapport between Bosch and Renee, allowing viewers a taste of what is to be expected from the upcoming Ballard spin-off series. Fans will be delighted to know that Bosch’s journey hasn’t ended yet, and Titus Welliver will continue his more than a decade-long streak of portraying the dogged detective by assisting Renee in several investigations.

Spoilers Ahead

Why Did Ballard Approach Bosch?

As Bosch: Legacy season 3 finale begins, Maddie is seen sharing Vasquez’s changed demeanor with Bosch, as the father-daughter duo meet up at dinner in a steakhouse. Bosch assures her things will bounce back to normalcy while emphasizing the importance of a partner in this particular line of work. Bidding Maddie goodbye, Bosch drives his way back to his home when he realizes that he is being tailed. Bosch calls Mo, and driving around his place allows Mo a chance to take snaps of the car tailing him. However, Mo can’t find any match by running the plates, and there is no chance to get a look at the driver through the black glass either. Bosch decides to lure his pursuer to his home and hold them at gunpoint. A young LAPD detective, Renee Ballard, turns out to be the one tailing Harry, and she mentions Bosch has apparently stolen her case files. Bosch remains confused for a while, until he realizes Renee is talking about the Flower Girls serial murder case. 

Why Was Flower Girl’s Case Personal to Bosch?

The Flower Girls serial murder investigation was a cold case from Bosch’s days as an LAPD detective. Filipino girls were brought to LA by rich crooks from Manila, drawn by the promise of a bright future in the land of opportunities, but in reality they were sold to dating/escort business owners, who used them to profiteer by arranging dates with customers. On three different occasions, three girls working for the same dating site, named Filipino Flowers, were brutally murdered in a similar manner, and their bodies were found at the same exact location—conveying that there was a serial killer in action. However, Bosch was unable to crack this case, as he suspected someone within the force sabotaged the evidence. The site was shut down by the owners following the investigation, and the anonymous killer was gone with the wind. At present, after a decade or so since the investigation went cold, the killer has struck again, as Renee confirms the same MO, similar injuries on the new victim, and the same spot being used as a dumping ground by the killer. 

Bosch couldn’t let go of the case and, even after quitting the force, had taken copies of the original case files of the serial murder investigation. The reason as to why Bosch remained attached to this case is because his mother, who used to be a sex worker, lost her life as a victim of violent crime, and her death remained unresolved. The tragic fate of his mother was the founding force behind Bosch’s iron will and determination and the philosophy that guides his worldview: either all lives matter, or none do. Bosch wanted to bring the departed Flower Girls to justice, and now that the killer is back on the field, his hopes of doing right by the victims get reignited. Renee asks Bosch to give her the copies of the investigation case file, as the originals have apparently been lost. Bosch agrees to do so only if Renee shares the new case file with him. However, unlike Bosch, who is not keen to play by the rules, Renee appears to be the by-the-book kind of cop, as she reports to LAPD Captain Seals about the situation. Given how much Seals hates Bosch already, he straight up refuses to negotiate any deal and asks Renee to slap a search warrant on Bosch’s property. The warrant, of course, needs to be approved by none other than DA Honey Chandler, who promptly gives a heads-up to Bosch. Meeting Renee where the deal was about to take place, Bosch refuses to comply any longer due to the recent stunt Seals has decided to pull on him and mentions he can catch up by simply asking Chandler to hand him the new case file. Renee later arrives at Bosch’s doorstep with the new case file as a sign of truce, but at the same time she doesn’t trust Bosch just yet, as while leaving, she puts a tracker in his car to track his movement. 

Bosch and Mo find out that the same dating service has been operating under a new site, and they arrange a date to negotiate a deal with the owners to set a trap for the perpetrator. However, Renee, who was tracking Bosch, realizes Bosch is about to take some extrajudicial measures to approach the investigation, and she meets up with the duo, mentioning that Bosch needs to back off as it is her case now, which she intends to solve with her by-the-book approach. 

How Did Bosch Learn About the Killer’s Identity?

Maddie helps her father by offering her counsel, and she is quick to spot a common connection in past and recent murders, which Harry and Renee completely overlooked. Apparently, an LAFD paramedic, Jeremy McKee, was present during both of the investigations and reported the victim’s status. Also, it is revealed that McKee had the habit of sneaking into the Hollywood precinct of the LAPD, which is why Maddie recognizes him. A basic background search reveals that McKee left the force when things were heating up back during the serial murder incidents and moved to Idaho but has returned to his former job once again since Harry quit the force. Bosch informs Renee that he has found a possible suspect, and she too confesses that under Seals’ order, she has been withholding intel from him—that DNA of the culprit has been found on the new victim. Which means they need to match McKee’s DNA sample with that of the perp to establish a proper connection. 

Were Bosch and Renee Able to Capture the Flower Girls Serial Killer?

Putting their differences aside, Bosch and Renee finally agree to work together, and longtime fans will be glad to know that the finale also includes Crate and Barrel in the investigation as well. Renee fails to get a DNA sample from McKee, and Mo manages to put the tracker set in Bosch’s car in McKee’s truck. Bosch arranges a DUI case on a drunk McKee with Maddie and Vasquez’s help, which allows him to get his DNA sample nevertheless. 

However, as Renee and Bosch take the DNA sample match to Chandler to build a case on McKee, she rightly mentions the need for more substantial evidence to make their case foolproof. The DNA match can be rebuffed at court, given McKee is an emergency responder. The only option to nab McKee appears to be catching him in the act. Which is why Crate and Barrel patrol near his household after McKee is seen to be moving, whereas Bosch and Renee remain close to the area where girls working for the Filipino Flowers website usually meet up. On the other hand, Bosch has sent Mo to break inside McKee’s house to find evidence, much to the disapproval of Renee. However, she can’t argue with Bosch’s logic that the more they delay by adhering to legal methods, the more chance they will allow McKee to take another life. Renee begrudgingly agrees to let Bosch use his methods, and Mo finds the stolen case files in McKee’s room—thereby securing solid evidence. By hacking McKee’s computer, Mo also learns that he has set up a date on the next day with one of the girls from the site; Renee and Bosch are quick to realize that McKee’s deliberate misdirect is to cover up his tracks. 

A tense scenario brews up as the tracker runs out of battery (due to not having been properly hotwired), and McKee disappears near the area where he is supposed to meet up with his Filipino date. However, Bosch and Renee manage to arrive just in time to catch McKee red-handed and rescue a captive Jasmine, who was moments away from meeting the same fate as the Flower Girls who lost their lives earlier. Bosch, nabbing the sick, sadistic murderer at long last, zones out for a bit—perhaps his negative thoughts and memories of his mother were clouding his judgment. Renee alerts him in time to come back to his senses, Bosch arrests McKee, and rest assured, he will rot in prison for a long, long time, possibly for the rest of his miserable life. 

Will Bosch and Renee Cross Paths Again?

Successfully closing the investigation, Renee and Bosch meet once again and share their mutual appreciation for each other. Even though they didn’t get off on the right foot initially, Renee agrees to some extent that Bosch’s end justifying the means method is needed when the system shackles its defender and allows the perps free rein. Bosch also respects the enthusiasm and confidence of Renee and the fact that her heart is in the right place. Before leaving, Renee can’t help but mention that their profession takes a mental toll on them, and as one of her former partners had mentioned, might send them on the dark path in the long run. Renee senses that Bosch harbors such a kind of darkness and warns that he shouldn’t let it consume him. With a wish to work together again in the near future, Bosch and Renee part ways as the finale comes to an end. 

As mentioned previously, Renee and Bosch will team up once again in the upcoming Ballard spin-off, as indicated by the teaser trailer of the series already. This will be a new territory for Bosch, as he will probably take the role of a mentor and provide a contrast to Renee’s composed, balanced demeanor. 

...