Tamal Kundu
Whitney Vance is one of the supporting characters of ‘Bosch: Legacy.’ He serves as an important part of the overall narrative. One day, the eponymous protagonist is invited to a meeting by a leading security firm, Trident Security. Its owner, John Creighton, tells Bosch that their employer wants to meet him. Understandably curious, Bosch enquires about the man that has hired them and learns that it is billionaire Whitney Vance. Here is everything you need to know about him. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who is Whitney Vance?
As the title suggests, the concept of legacy is a running theme in the show. The Vance family has accumulated an unthinkable amount of wealth over several generations. But with Whitney not having a family of his own, the Vance legacy is in jeopardy. Whitney is considerably old and sick and uses a wheelchair. He has learned about Bosch from the news. Aware of what is at stake here, Whitney contacts Bosch through Trident Security but doesn’t let them know why he is reaching out to a former homicide detective turned private investigator.
The Vance family has made their fortune in gold mines, steel, and aviation. Whitney ran a highly successful company called Advance Engineering. Creighton tells Bosch that Whitney is prepared to pay him $10,000 for a meeting. This immediately draws Bosch’s attention, and he agrees to meet Creighton’s employer.
When Whitney Vance is finally alone with Bosch, the former reveals why he wanted to meet the latter. In 1952, when Whitney was an engineering student at USC, he met a girl named Vibiana Duarte, who used to work in the college dining hall. They fell in love, and the girl became pregnant. It’s a classic story of romance and pathos, with Whitney’s father serving as the villain. Vibiana hailed from an impoverished Mexican family, and Whitney’s father claimed she was a fortune hunter. He threatened Whitney to disown him if he didn’t break things off with Vibiana.
Whitney reluctantly followed his father’s instructions but has regretted it ever since. Now, he asks Bosch to help him find some redemption. He doesn’t have a wife or children that he knows of. He asks Bosch to find out what happened to Vibiana and their child and lets him know that people will try to stop him. After all, it’s a matter of billions of dollars of inheritance. Bosch, who doesn’t know much about his own biological father, determines to help the elderly gentleman as much as he can.
Is Whitney Vance Based on a Real Person?
No, Whitney Vance is not based on a real person. Both ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ are loosely based on the ‘Harry Bosch’ books by Michael Connelly, and Whitney Vance is a character from the books. With the shows being set in the current time, their timelines don’t match that of the books. But Whitney’s overall storyline in the show seems to be quite faithful to Connelly’s works. Whitney recounts that he attended USC and had a tragic love affair with Vibiana both in the novel ‘The Wrong Side of Goodbye’ (also the name of the pilot episode) and in the show. The book says that Whitney had Howard Hughes as his godfather and mentor. Whitney added to the family fortune during the Vietnam War by supplying the military with aircraft parts and other materials. By the time Whitney meets Bosch in 2016, he is worth $6 billion.
Read More: Who Is Carl Rogers in Bosch: Legacy? What Did He Do to Maddie and Chandler?
