Ballard is a spin-off of the hit Amazon Prime series Bosch, and both series are adaptations of Michael Connelly's best-selling novels. As in the books, Ballard and Bosch cross paths repeatedly in the series, and Bosch fans will be pleased to know that their favorite detective plays a crucial role in Ballard. The series centers on Renee Ballard, a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detective who was assigned to the cold case department after daring to report her colleague following an attempted assault.
Ballard operated out of the basement of the precinct and had only a handful of volunteers and reserves to help her solve cases. But that didn't discourage her; on the contrary, she became even more motivated to prove her detractors wrong. The team took on several cases throughout the series; some were solved more quickly than others.
Creators: Michael Alaimo, Kendall Sherwood
Stars: Maggie Q, Michael Mosley, Rebecca Field
Robert Olivas was a spoiled LAPD cop who blamed victims at the drop of a hat. She knew her blue-collar colleagues would never turn their backs on her, and she was right. When Renee Ballard filed a complaint against Olivas, she felt humiliated. No one cared about her version of events, and none of her colleagues supported her. Olivas continued working homicides while Ballard took on cold cases. The department wanted her gone, but she refused to leave. She knew she was a good detective, and even with the limited resources at her disposal, she was intent on taking down the bad guys.
Ballard had taken on a John Doe case, a young man who was shot but whose body remained unidentified. The last surveillance footage they had of him was from outside a motel and showed him with his baby before he was killed. Samira Parker was the investigating officer on the case, but she distanced herself from the LAPD after discovering someone within the system was trying to cover it all up. Ballard met Parker; At first, she wasn't interested in talking about the case, but Ballard knew she was probably the only one who truly cared. It turned out her instincts were right. Parker mentioned that she had information that there had been a disturbance outside the motel the night before the unidentified man was seen on camera. Apparently, a black and white patrol car had arrived, but surprisingly, there were no emergency calls recorded in the sergeant's log, and it became clear that someone had suppressed the 911 call. Ballard not only persisted, but gave Samira enough leeway to reconsider her decision to rejoin the force. Samira eventually realized that she remained deeply attached to the case, and Ballard's trust in her and his determination to solve it prompted her to take the plunge.
After joining Ballard's team as a reserve, she dedicated herself to solving the John Doe case. After several major setbacks, they finally got a lead when they traced the gun used to kill the man. It turned out that the same gun was used by Javier Fuentes in a Southeast Division case in 2023. Javier was a gang member accused of possessing and discharging a firearm. At first, Javier didn't intend to reveal anything, but when Ballard and Parker made it clear they could incriminate him in the murder of John Doe, he knew he had to provide them with valid information to avoid trouble. The victim's name was Luis Ibarra and he was a cartel coyote. Javier stumbled upon the gun by chance after it was used to murder Luis.
Javier made a deal with Ballard: she agreed to discuss his case with the prosecutor's office, but only if her information was worthwhile. Javier explained that the gun he obtained was recycled. There were corrupt cops operating in Los Angeles, known for stealing guns off the streets and selling them to cartels, and they did the same with drugs and other proceeds. He added that he obtained it from a white cop in his 40s who called himself Montana. He was still at large and still acting for both sides. As Ballard and his team began investigating cases against police officers, the name Anthony Driscoll came up. Samira discovered it was Anthony, who went by the name Montana. Anthony could be shortened to Tony, and the most famous Tony with a violent streak and drug problems was Tony Montana from "Scarface." Javier confirmed that her guess was correct. After his cooperation, he was moved to another cell, which caught the attention of a nurse who worked on Driscoll's payroll. As soon as the John Doe case was reopened, Driscoll feared someone might be able to solve it this time. Luis Ibarra was working as an informant for the LAPD and had presumably already figured out that Driscoll was a corrupt cop. Driscoll had no choice but to kill Ibarra.
Anthony Driscoll's phone records revealed that he was in regular contact with Robert Olivas, suggesting the existence of a network of corrupt cops working for the mafia. Martina Castro, an intern on Ballard's team, had recently begun a relationship with a cop named Manny Santos. While at his home, she noticed Manny in contact with Olivas and deduced that he was part of the network. Ballard and his team managed to catch Manny, who eventually agreed to confess in the hopes of a reduced sentence. Manny, on camera, admitted that after Anthony Driscoll's death, Robert Olivas was in charge of the corrupt cop group. Ballard and Parker felt a sense of victory seeing Olivas arrested in public. Parker had also been a victim of Olivas during their brief time as partners.
It took her time to process the rape and she told Ballard about it. After several dead ends and obstacles, Ballard finally found a glimmer of hope in solving the serial killer case when she stumbled upon a crucial piece of evidence: a lipstick. It had been on the floor when Sarah Pearlman was found dead. After a brief glance, Samira commented that the brand targeted Black women. But why was this particular lipstick in Sarah's room? A forensic test revealed that the DNA found matched that of one of the victims in an assault case. The case was closed at the time because the serial killer hypothesis had yet to be presented. Naomi Bennett was the only surviving serial killer, and Ballard hoped it would help them solve what seemed like an impossible case.
Naomi had moved from Los Angeles, and when Ballard and Parker showed up at her door, she explained that she didn't remember much from the night of the assault. It had been 25 years since she had experienced the horror, and she was at a stage in her life where, even if she wanted to remember what happened that night, her brain would work against her. Later, Parker suggested that Naomi come with them to Los Angeles. She believed that by returning to the apartment, she would remember something valuable. Naomi was reluctant, but she did it for the victims and their families, who had been waiting for answers for years.
After entering her old apartment, Naomi slowly began to recall details, but she couldn't recall her attacker's face. She only remembered his brown eyes. Naomi had also mentioned that, before the attack, she had recently been promoted at work and that it was the first time she had been able to afford her own apartment. Ballard had developed a theory that, roughly, explained the victims' profile. Each was at the top of her game, something the killer couldn't live without. Naomi's recent promotion fit perfectly with his theory, and Ballard was convinced they were getting closer to finding the killer.
After returning to Naomi's old place of work, Ballard discovered that the mall employees were parking their vehicles around the corner. Naomi mentioned that a building on the corner was being renovated at the time. Given the motive for the murders, Ballard deduced that the predator was monitoring his victims from afar. The building under renovation, a real estate development, was perfect for that purpose. Ballard contacted the owner, who agreed to send her a list of subcontractors. As soon as Ballard saw the list, she was stunned. She discovered that Sarah Pearlman's father, Gary, was on it.
Naomi confirmed that Gary was the serial killer. Ironically, the case was reopened after Jake Pearlman, Sarah's councilman and brother, pressured the Los Angeles Police Department to identify his sister's killer. He had no idea she had been living with the killer the whole time. Ted Rawls, a deputy on Ballard's team, was at Jake's house when he received the call from Ballard confirming that Gary was the killer. Rawls was stunned, as he had been in the kitchen with Gary when he received the news. He tried to hide it, but Gary realized the secret had been discovered and wasted no time in shooting him. After losing a dedicated member of his team, the search for Gary intensified. The homicide department attempted to locate him, and it was assumed he had already crossed the border.
Ballard was relieved after Gary's arrest, but refused to rest until Olivas was sentenced for his cartel ties. She looked forward to the trial but was heartbroken to discover that Olivas hadn't been charged. He had promised to help the prosecution track the cartel's operations, and considering the bigger picture, he was allowed to walk out of prison. Ballard was horrified; she said, even if the information he assured them he would provide was crucial, letting a corrupt cop walk free should never have been part of the deal. At the end of the last episode, Ballard approached Robert Olivas's door.
Furious, she pushed and punched Olivas when he came out to greet her. Ballard was frustrated; even after everything he'd done, the system always seemed to forgive him. Olivas matter-of-factly declared that the world is never fair and it wasn't his fault. Olivas was confident that his life would return to normal, but Ballard reminded him that she already heard the rumors. People were talking against him; He'd lost his reputation, and his wife and children had abandoned him. Everything he'd once cared about had been taken away. So he wondered if he'd ever consider his situation a success. Olivas didn't know what to say; after all, he was right.
After the heated conversation with Olivas, Ballard decided to spend the night with Parker. Although, after hours of investigation and multiple leads, things didn't go as they'd hoped, Ballard didn't believe it was all in vain. At least he'd lost his badge, and his reputation had been reduced to ashes. Parker admitted she hated that Olivas had been allowed to walk out of prison scot-free, but at least she had someone to share her pain with.
Without Ballard, Parker would never have had the courage to accept that she'd been raped and would always blame herself for giving him the wrong signals. The conversation between Ballard and Parker was abruptly cut short when a patrol car approached. In Ballard's final scene, Renée Ballard was arrested for the murder of Robert Olivas. Parker quickly checked her phone and discovered that Olivas had been shot, and since Ballard was possibly the last person seen at her door, it was assumed she had killed him. The series ends abruptly, leaving plenty of room for a second season!
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