Bosch Will Change Forever After Ballard Season 2

Published Aug 16, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT

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The debut season was a success for the crime drama. Ballard currently holds an impressive 100% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and a 75% from audiences. Clearly, Maggie Q’s titular detective won over a large portion of the Bosch franchise, and the Ballard TV show will continue to find its footing in season 2. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too much longer.

While we don’t have an exact release date yet, based on Michael Connelly’s update, Ballard season 2 should come out in late 2026 or early 2027. This won’t be the only new addition to the Bosch franchise, though. The upcoming show Bosch: Start of Watch also has the same release estimate, so there’s a small chance it will come out beforehand. However, we expect Ballard season 2 to come first. If that happens, the second season will officially mark the end of an era, as Bosch: Start of Watch will introduce a new lead actor as Harry Bosch.

Titus Welliver & Cameron Monaghan Will Represent Two Parts Of The Bosch Franchise

Titus Welliver was the sole face of the Bosch franchise for a decade. Since Bosch: Legacy ended, the actor has continued to appear in Ballard, albeit in an extremely reduced role. He showed up in three episodes of season 1, and he’ll be in another three for season 2. However, he will have to share the spotlight once Bosch: Start of Watch releases. He’ll no longer be the only lead actor to play Harry Bosch. That being said, Titus Welliver and Cameron Monaghan will be the faces of two different branches of the Bosch franchise.

The prequel series starring Cameron Monaghan will release on MGM+, not Prime Video. It will be the first TV show from the franchise on the premium cable TV and the sister streaming site. This makes the idea of a new lead Bosch actor a little easier to swallow. Titus Welliver will still be the figurehead of the Prime Video branch of Bosch, appearing in seasons of Ballard, while Cameron Monaghan would represent MGM+’s division.

In a way, this division is a good thing for fans. It would be a little more painful if another actor took over on the original streamer. Plus, Cameron Monaghan will already have to live in the shadow of Titus Welliver. He has the best chance of succeeding as Harry Bosch if he operates in a separate part of the franchise.

This feels akin to Matthew McConaughey and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo being two great versions of Mickey Haller, except the two The Lincoln Lawyer projects don’t share continuity. Welliver and Monaghan can both have their own place as Harry Bosch without canceling each other out. On the other hand, it’s asinine for Amazon MGM Studios to expect Bosch fans to subscribe to two different streaming services just to enjoy the whole franchise.

Bosch: Start Of Watch Will Diverge From The Bosch Franchise In Another Major Way

The lead actor is the most obvious way Prime Video's Bosch shows and MGM+’s Bosch: Start of Watch will differ, but it’s not the only way. The show will obviously have a different setting, taking audiences back to 1990s Los Angeles. However, a much more significant change is the connection to Michael Connelly’s books.

Bosch, Bosch: Legacy, and Ballard all draw from his novels, even if they mix them together. Bosch: Start of Watch will be the first part of the Bosch franchise not to adapt source material. The story is completely original, only using a few small references to Harry Bosch’s early life as inspiration. However, Michael Connelly is an executive producer, and he helped guide Tom Bernardo and Brian Anthony, the co-creators and co-writers. As such, Bosch: Start of Watch should maintain the same tone as the Prime Video shows and literary universe.