The Lincoln Lawyer’s fourth season is now just around the corner, and there’s a lot of hype around the return of Neve Campbell as Maggie McPherson. But Mickey’s relationship with another crucial returning character has gone under the radar. The show should learn from its fellow Michael Connelly screen adaptation Bosch in this regard.

Harry Bosch’s relationship with his daughter Maggie is a central theme of Bosch and its spinoff series Bosch: Legacy, yet Mickey Haller’s daughter Hayley has remained a peripheral character in The Lincoln Lawyer so far. It won’t be possible for the Netflix show to keep her in the margins, though, given what’s going to happen in season 4.

The team behind The Lincoln Lawyer can take inspiration from many of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy’s most important episodes, which dive deep into the complex and often strained relationship between Harry and Maddie. Not only are these episodes worthwhile in themselves. They’re also pivotal to making Harry Bosch a relatable TV protagonist.

The Lincoln Season 4 Can Learn From Harry Bosch’s Relationship With His Daughter

In light of the complicated relationship Mickey has with his ex-wife Maggie McPherson, with whom he shares Hayley, he doesn’t get to see his daughter all that often, and has been through some turbulent times with her. Yet, their problems haven’t been explored in any real depth in The Lincoln Lawyer as yet.

By contrast, the relationship between Harry and Maddie is essential to Bosch from the get-go. What’s more, their heart-to-heart conversation in Bosch: Legacy season 3 serves as a climactic moment in the entire TV franchise, which effectively resolves multiple storylines at once.

Mickey Haller’s Daughter Will Play A Major Role In The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4

The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 should apply Bosch’s approach to its central father-daughter relationship to the dynamic between Mickey and Hayley Haller. Hayley is surely about to become a vital part of the series, with her father suddenly in jail and facing murder charges and her mother leading his defense case, at the same time as she’s attending law school.

Hayley is a key character in The Law of Innocence, the Michael Connelly novel on which season 4 of The Lincoln Lawyer is based. She actually takes time out of her studies to support Mickey, and frequently visits him while he’s out on bail, and during his trial.

Hayley Haller Hasn’t Featured Enough In The Lincoln Lawyer So Far

The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 focusing on Hayley Haller would mark a much-needed change from previous seasons of the show, which only feature Mickey’s daughter in around half their episodes. In fact, Hayley appeared in just three episodes of season 3. Nearly every time she’s included in a storyline, her appearances are fleeting and relatively superficial.

Given the severity of her father’s situation, it’s to be hoped that we get to see different sides of Hayley in The Lincoln Lawyer’s fourth season, with more screentime for actor Krista Warner. It’d be profoundly unrealistic for her not to be actively involved in Mickey’s trial, with her own interest in law also a factor in her involvement.