Title: Por Sonia
Directed by: Patrick Cady
Written by: Michael Connelly and Eric Ellis Overmeyer
Air Date: June 25, 2021
Previous: Workaround
Next: None
Guest Starring: Adrian Bustamante, Moronai Kanekoa, Julie Ann Emery, Eric Ladin, Matthew Lillard, Linda Park, Gino Vento
"Por Sonia" is the eighth and final episode in the seventh and final season of Bosch.
The city council votes on Irvin Irving's retention as chief of the LAPD. With councilman Delgado in his corner now that Irving has blackmailed the mayor, Irving wins another term as chief. Bosch, who knows that Irving is up to something underhanded, hisses that "The fix is in." Harry goes to Detective Collins of the gang unit, who tells him that orders from on high are that the cops are to stay away from the Las Palmas gang and the El Cholo restaurant, which the gang uses for meetings.
Maddie has a change of heart regarding her career path. She decides to join the LAPD, rather than follow in Honey Chandler's footsteps and study law. She sends off an application. Later she meets with an LAPD mentor, whom she tells that she is joining the police because she wants to "make a difference".
In other career news, Irving, newly confirmed as chief, comes by Hollywood station and tells Billets that with Captain Cooper under arrest and on his way out, she is getting permanently promoted to captain to replace him. Billets posts the new assignments for her detectives: Edgar is going to RHD, Bosch and Vega will be working West Bureau Homicide, and Pierce will be assigned to "the late show", working the night shift, to Pierce's horror. Everyone meets at Musso & Frank's after work, which is where Maddie tells her father the job. After he gets over the shock he tells her he'll always be proud of her.
Meanwhile, Bosch is still pursuing the Mickey Pena case. He meets Agent Reece, who tells him that the Critical Incident Team is gathering for a big operation. Next Harry goes to Luke Goshen (Matthew Lillard), his FBI acquaintance last seen in Season 3. Bosch wants to know where the big meeting is going down, but Goshen, who is not involved with the Pena case, is reluctant. However, later Goshen is present when Agent Bremmer gives the CIT a briefing about the meeting that is going down at El Cholo.
Honey Chandler comes out of her coma. Maddie comes to the hospital and tells Honey "Welcome back."
Bosch also is looking into why Irving is so willing to let Mickey Pena off the hook. He goes to Scott Anderson of the Times, who reveals that there was an FBI investigation of Lopez which never went anywhere. Harry confronts Irving directly, accusing him of letting Pena walk in return for getting incriminating info about the mayor from the FBI. Irving blows him off.
At the station, Edgar sees Harry with paperwork, and Harry tells him that he's filing charges against Mickey Pena. Edgar forcefully reminds Harry that they have been ordered to stay away from Pena, and if Bosch pursues the case he'll wreck his career. When Bosch says that he refuses to let Pena walk for the five deaths in the arson fire, no matter what Irving says, Edgar agrees to help. Soon after, Harry gets a text—obviously from Goshen—about the place and time of the meeting.
Edgar and Harry arrive at El Cholo. As Edgar waits outside, Harry sneaks into the restaurant by the back door and snatches Pena out from under the nose of the FBI. As Edgar and Harry whisk Pena away, he tells them that they're ruining their careers for nothing: he's a protected CI and as soon as the FBI finds out where he is they'll just take him into custody anyway. Harry does not care. Pena is correct: when SAC Brenner finds out that the LAPD grabbed Pena, he calls Chief Irving and angrily demands Pena back. Irving, who realizes what has happened, heads for Hollywood station.
Pena is booked. Anderson comes to the station at Harry's summons, and Harry tells him everything about Irving's dirty quid pro quo about letting Pena walk away from five counts of murder in exchange for blackmail material against Lopez. As both Anderson and Jerry leave, Harry tells Jerry that he will take the blame. Irving shows up at the station and orders Pena's immediate release into FBI custody.
Irving, enraged, tells Bosch he is suspended. Meanwhile Pena, who has been taken outside by FBI agents, is allowed to smoke a cigarette on the sidewalk. Suddenly Sonia's father Hector shows up. He points a gun at Pena, says "Por Sonia," and shoots him to death. The cops outside gun down Hector, and he dies just as Harry rushes out to him. As a shocked Irving looks on, Harry gives Irving his badge.
Back at home, Maddie sees her father with all the unsolved cases from his desk at work. She asks what he'll do next now that his LAPD career is over. The answer comes in the next scene, the last of the series, as Harry files an application for a private detective's license.
Tropes:
- And This Is for...: Hector Hernandez says "Por Sonia" as he produces a gun to kill Mickey Pena.
- Back for the Finale: Matthew Lillard becomes the last old cast member to take the bus back for the final season. Luke Goshen reappears for the first time since season 3, when Harry looks him up. Goshen operates behind the scenes to help Harry snatch Mickey Pena away from the FBI.
- Bad to the Last Drop: When meeting Anderson at the newspaper cafeteria, Harry says "coffee sucks but it's better than what is brewing at RHD".
- Call-Back: The seventh season ends like the first, with the person responsible for a child's murder getting killed vigilante-style by the father of the child in question.
- Call-Forward: The TV broadcasts news of a strange virus coming out of China.
- Creator Cameo: Tim Marcia, an LAPD detective who for a long time has helped Michael Connelly with research when writing the novels, appears in a non-speaking cameo as an FBI agent.
- The Fellowship Has Ended: Hollywood Homicide is dissolved as the LAPD reorganizes and all the detectives are assigned elsewhere, except for Bosch, who quits.
- Grand Finale: To the series. The Hollywood homicide bureau is dissolved, Billets gets a big promotion, Maddie embarks on a new career with the LAPD, all the detectives are reassigned, and Harry quits the force.
- Mythology Gag: With the reassignments of the Hollywood Division homicide detectives, Pierce is being reassigned to what Crate and Barrel call "The Late Show".
- Sequel Hook: Bosch is shown applying for a private investigator's license, while Maddie's application to the police department is accepted.
- Suicide by Cop: Irving orders Mickey Pena released and turned back over to the feds. As he's being escorted out, he's accosted by Hector Hernandez, who produces a gun and says "por Sonia", before shooting him dead. He's promptly shot dead by Officer Rodriguez. Given he came to the police station, he likely was planning to be killed by the police, so he could join his wife and daughter in death.
- Take This Job and Shove It: Bosch decides to quit the force, disgusted with Irving playing political games with a murder case.Irving: Who are you if you don't have a badge?
Bosch: I'm going to find out. - Title Drop: Hector Hernandez says "Por Sonia" before he shoots Mickey Pena.
