Now That It's Returning for Season 2, You Have To Watch Prime Video's Best Action Thriller Series - Sunburst Viral- Latest News on Celebrities, gossip, TV, music and movies

Prime Video’s Bosch may have come to a startling stop this year with the final season of Bosch: Legacy, but the franchise is still alive and well, with a new character in the Michael Connelly universe carrying the torch. We move on from Titus Welliver‘s iconic titular character to another detective in the same universe, Renee Ballard (Maggie Q), who now helms her own spin-off, Ballard. The spin-off was met with much critical and audience praise, and has been fortunately renewed for a second season, keeping the franchise alive. And considering the first season ended with one hell of a cliffhanger, fans are thankful we are going to get some answers.

So, with news of its renewal, there is no better time to watch Ballard if you haven’t had the chance to. The show is independent enough that you don’t necessarily have to be a Bosch fan to watch it; you can be a crime drama fan or simply someone who wants to dip into the genre. It is one of the best action thrillers currently available on Prime Video and what makes it so compelling and accessible is how the series takes all the classic components of a crime drama then refreshes it beautifully. So, whether you’re new to the genre or a dedicated fan, Ballard will (re)ignite your love for yellow tape and chasing leads.

What Is ‘Bosch’s Spin-Off ‘Ballard’ About?

The set-up of Ballard plays out like a classic cop drama, where we have an underfunded and overworked group of volunteers working on long-forgotten cold cases on one hand, and corruption in the police force on the other. Ballard is the leader of this ragtag group of volunteers and their overarching case that ties the entire season together (which also is the reason for the unit’s existence) is the disappearance of the sister of a high-profile councilman. Naturally, the pressure is on to get results if they want to continue working on other cases, where the victims and their loved ones feel forgotten.

When Ballard also hires another new face onto the team, ex-cop Samira (Courtney Taylor), she also discovers that they may have more in common than they thought. Previously, Ballard was a respected detective in a higher position, but after she was sexually harassed by a fellow officer and couldn’t prove it, she was demoted to this unit. Samira may also have a similar story. Together, they also embark on a side mission to root out corruption in the LAPD and stumble into a conspiracy that is much larger than they initially believed.

Prime Video’s ‘Ballard’ Refreshes Everything We Love About Crime Dramas

Ballard presents us with an underdog framework that is recognizable to any fan of crime dramas, where we root for the mismatched team as we get to know them more. From dependable retired cops like Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch) to fresh-faced interns like Martina (Victoria Moroles), the archetypes are ones we know and love. But this is also intertwined with some pleasant surprises, like Colleen (Rebecca Field), a former soccer mom, who has a knack for internet sleuthing and so volunteers for the cold case unit. By combining well-worn character types with more modern ones, Ballard creates an eclectic collection of dynamics that provides endless fun, which are especially nuanced by their individual backstories and surprising depth.

The same mixture of old and new is found in the show’s storytelling, where familiar narrative beats provide the framework for Ballard to jump into larger, more contemporary issues. The ideas of cold cases, where victims and loved ones are still waiting for justice to be served by a system that has essentially neglected them, and of bureaucratic conspiracies that involve large networks of dirty cops are ones we’ve seen in crime dramas plenty of times before, especially in Bosch. But Ballard makes them feel novel and pertinent by also weaving in stories of sexual harassment and female rage, making commentary on gender bias within the system while still keeping us hooked on the cases. This is all delivered with a gritty ’90s crime noir atmosphere that is also very stylistically shot and colored, once again blending a classic feel with a modern one.

Maggie Q Gives Us a New Kind of Lead Detective in ‘Ballard’

Ballard-Maggie-Q3-1 — Detective Renee Ballard looks on in Ballard Season.

At the center of Ballard’s mixture of traditional crime drama and modernity is the eponymous character herself, who embodies this atmosphere precisely. Q’s character delivers a refreshing take on the lead detective trope — and no, not just because she is a woman. In many crime dramas, including Bosch, we have come to recognize the lead detective as a dour, hard-boiled character who frequently skirts the law in the name of justice. Ballard is definitely tough, world-weary, and carries her past on her shoulders, but what surprises us is her empathetic attitude and a reluctance to bend the rules in her favor. Instead, she communicates with victims and their loved ones with compassion and emphasizes the importance of evidence and procedure, in case the investigation doesn’t hold up in court.

Alongside the intriguing and grounded take on writing the character is Q’s performance, which reflects this mix perfectly as well. Her performance pays tribute to the trope by becoming a genuinely believable badass, who is gripping to watch. The moments of kindness and empathy are woven in seamlessly as well, ensuring they never overpower Ballard’s worn nature, but still make the character feel brand-new again. Throughout Ballard’s arc, Q also plays her scenes of vulnerability and female rage with the visceral note they require, further making the show feel relevant amongst its more timeless crime drama elements.

Ballard hits you with a compelling combination of old and new that you never knew you needed within this genre, but it is one that carries you all the way to the jaw-dropping ending. So, ahead of the show’s second season, it’s definitely time to check out this expansion to Bosch‘s gritty universe, with all its new characters and storylines to offer. And as mentioned before, even if you haven’t watched Bosch, Ballard‘s refreshing take on crime dramas is enough to reel in new potential fans or old veterans looking to re-live their love for the genre again.