Maggie Q Shines in Prime Video’s Exceptional, Earnest, and Kick-Ass ‘Ballard’
(Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video)
Maggie Q is back in action as the eponymous Renée Ballard in Prime Video’s Ballard, a spin-off of the successful Bosch: Legacy series and based on Michael Connelly Bosch novels (which were themselves adapted into a hit show). The series follows Ballard shortly after taking charge of the LAPD’s Cold Case Unit and assembling a team of volunteers to assist with her investigations, primarily of two season-long cases: the execution of a John Doe from five years prior and the decades-long unsolved strangulation of Sarah Pearlman, sister of Councilman Jake Pearlman (Noah Bean). Having watched screeners of the entire season twice, it’s safe to say that Ballard is kick-ass, earnest, and extremely well-written, and may well be one of the best shows of the year.
“What better way to silence a troublesome woman than to silo her in the ass end of the LAPD?” This quote from the pilot episode perfectly sums up how the deck has been stacked against Ballard when the story begins. She has suffered a spectacularly rough career stumble after calling out a fellow detective for attempted sexual assault, and her history as one of the LAPD’s finest detectives has been completely overshadowed. She is ostracized, belittled, and condemned by her colleagues and former friends, accused of lying to destroy a “good man,” with only a few remaining in her corner. Thus, she is reassigned to work on cold cases, stuck in the basement of the Ahmanson Recruit Training Center on the other side of town, left to her own devices with no operating budget or assistance aside from her chosen volunteers.
Working alongside Ballard is an admirable bunch of incredibly entertaining misfits. First and foremost, we have Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor), the original investigator on the team’s John Doe case who has since left the force. When Parker discovers the details Ballard has about the investigation don’t line up with what she remembers, Parker agrees to help out, though she is conflicted and more than a little hesitant to rejoin the world she left behind. Then, there is retired homicide detective Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch), who was Ballard’s partner for seven years and is one of the few people she trusts completely.
Additionally, empty-nester Colleen Hatteras (Rebecca Field) brings some needed levity with her zany hunches, and Colleen’s work-mom dynamic/friendship with the team’s sharp-witted, intelligent, and overworked intern/college student Martina (Victoria Moroles) is a joy. Lastly, Ted Rawls (Michael Mosley) is your typical arrogant, rich dude with his own successful security firm, brought into the fold by his former fraternity brother and best friend Councilman Pearlman—the reason the unit exists and why there’s a specific focus on his sister’s case—as Pearlman’s eyes and ears on the investigation and to offer any possible concerns about Ballard’s leadership. Frankly, it’s a rough start with Rawls, but he grows on you… eventually.
These characters come together to form an unexpected yet remarkable team, and the story expertly shows how their knowledge and strengths mesh to create undeniable results. And, while she’s not officially on the team, Ballard’s grandmother, exclusively referred to as Tutu (Amy Hill), is the show’s vibrant scene-stealer, and the relationship between the two is delightful to watch.