Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Broody detective spin-off has cursing, violence, sex.
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Ballard
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Based on Michael Connelly's crime novels, BALLARD is a Bosch spin-off starring Maggie Q as Detective Renée Ballard, whose hunt for a serial killer uncovers a police conspiracy. Ballard is now the head of the new cold case unit of the Robbery-Homicide Division (RHD) of the Los Angeles Police Department, which is overseen by Lt. Robert Olivas (Ricardo Chavira). She reopens old murder cases in hopes that she and her team, Reserve Officer Ted Rawls (Michael Mosley), former officer Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor), and volunteers like retired detective Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch), legal intern Martina Castro (Victoria Moroles) and intuitive genealogical researcher Colleen Hatteras (Rebecca Field) will find those responsible for the killings. Ballard has limited resources at her disposal, and the ongoing hostility she faces from some of her fellow male officers makes the investigative process more challenging. Luckily, she has a loyal team that is committed to the work, and on occasion Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) is available to fill in the blanks. Throughout it all, Ballard's got her Grandmother Tutu (Amy Hill) to give her some emotional support. But the more Ballard learns about some of the unsolved cases, the more she realizes that some of the murders may be connected, and that what she's uncovering is evidence of police corruption.
Is It Any Good?
This compelling crime procedural features all the expected investigative work one would expect from the Bosch franchise. But in-between sifting through evidence, pursuing leads, and chasing murder suspects are fresher stories about police corruption, institutional sexism, retaliatory behavior, and sexual assault, the combination of which makes Ballard both complicated and open to some interesting twists and turns. At the center of it all is Renée Ballard, who, thanks to Maggie Q's performance, is a strong, resilient, imperfect, well-developed character who's still able to access her emotions as she navigates her challenging job and even more difficult work environment. There's a lot to pay attention to here, and some folks may find it a little slow-going at times. Nonetheless, crime procedural fans unfamiliar with the Bosch universe may still find it worth investing in, while Bosch fans will find Ballard to be as entertaining as its parent series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of Michael Connelly's Bosch and Ballard stories. Why do you think they lend themselves well to TV adaptations?
Is the sexism and police corruption evidenced in Ballard based on true stories? Or are these narratives simply works of fiction?
TV Details
- Premiere date : July 9, 2025
- Cast : Maggie Q , John Carroll Lynch , Michael Mosley
- Network : Prime Video
- Genre : Action
- Topics : Book Characters
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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