by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
Straight from the world of Bosch comes the latest detective drama starring Maggie Q, Ballard.
LAPD detective Renée Ballard is a survivor. Now in a new role, she is the only officer in the newly formed cold case division, which she leads. With the pressure of a congressman breathing down her neck, a police department that she can’t trust, and a set of inexperienced, mostly civilian volunteers, Renee finds herself struggling to complete the one investigation that means everything, especially redemption. Along the way, she wonders if redemption is even possible.
Ballard is a crime drama series created by Michael Alaimo and Kendall Sherwood based on the Renee Ballard novels written by Michael Connelly. It is a spinoff of the shows Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, which starred Titus Welliver. The series stars Maggie Q as Renée Ballard, Michael Mosley, Rebecca Field, Victoria Molores, John Carroll Lynch, Courtney Taylor, and Amy Hill. There is even a special guest appearance by Welliver as the retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch.
The announcement of the spinoff police procedural came shortly after the resurrection of the cult classic show in 2023. Based upon aggregated events in three of Connelly’s books, Ballard allows Maggie Q to lead her show with a twist on the elements from the prior series.
Fittingly, Renée Ballard is jaded and suspicious of her former cohorts in the LAPD. The abusive betrayal she suffered at the hands of several men in the department, including her partner, remains a sticking point to her ability to work with and trust anyone in the department. As a last resort to save her career, she is assigned to lead the cold case unit and tasked with solving the death of a politician’s daughter. Armed with a ragtag mix of former police officers and dedicated volunteers, Ballard finds that something is deeply wrong in the LAPD, and a cover-up seems likely.
It is clear that this show is a spinoff, and some crucial story points are missing in the beginning if the viewers have not watched Legacy. But Ballard is accessible to those who have not seen either of the previous shows. It is fun to see Maggie Q working in this fashion, but the show seems very familiar. The first few episodes play out like every procedural out there. As an unexpected twist plays out in the later episodes, Ballard attempts to set itself apart from other shows.
The star power of Maggie Q is in full effect. She emotes well, being cold and aloof at times, and then showing the clear impact of PTSD at others. She leads the cast, being in almost every scene, but connects well with each member. He interacts with her. Tutu is precious, and veteran actor Amy Hill is great fun in the role, keeping Renée in check.
At the time of this writing, the official rating for Ballard was unavailable, but there are scenes of drug use, limited violence, and some language. The best thing about Ballard is Maggie Q, who is doing her best work since Nikita almost fifteen years ago. The show is as compelling as this type of drama can be. The best of the show is the acting.
Ballard is available for screening (and bingeing) on Prime Video starting July 9, 2025.
Grade: B-
