It was only a matter of time before LAPD Detective Renée Ballard landed her own streaming series. Bestselling author Michael Connelly debuted the character in his 2017 mystery, The Late Show, focusing on the surf-loving investigator who ruffled feathers at Parker Center by filing a sexual harassment claim against a fellow officer. Her punishment was being assigned to the midnight shift, an assignment she grew to enjoy. In Ballard, streaming on Amazon Prime, Renée now heads up a cold case squad created at the insistence of a city councilman who is determined to find out who killed his sister six years ago.
Maggie Q as Renée Ballard (Tyler Golden/Prime Video)
Casting is crucial in both films and streaming series, as fans have grown attached to the characters on the page and need to connect with the actor portraying them on screen. Maggie Q is a terrific choice to play Ballard. No surprise that her athleticism is on full display – whether she’s chasing a suspect or catching a wave – since she was a protege of action star Jackie Chan who encouraged her to perform her own stunts. But Ballard’s determination to seek justice for the victims is what drives her dedication to justice and the law in the Connelly books. Maggie Q captures that side of Renée, never giving up even when leads have dried up or higher ups are creating roadblocks.
Maggie Q as Renée Ballard and Titus Welliver as Bosch (Tyler Golden/Prime Video)
Maggie Q made an appearance in the final episodes of Bosch Legacy, starring Titus Welliver as Connelly’s iconic police detective. Welliver pops up in this series when one of his cold cases becomes part of Ballard’s investigation into a serial killer. Since Bosch is now retired, he’s able to gather evidence that’s out of Ballard’s reach.
Courtney Taylor as Zamira Parker and Maggie Q as Renée Ballard (Tyler Golden/Prime Video)
Why do cold case squads always end up in basements? (See the review of Netflix’s Department Q.) With a limited budget, Ballard works hard to assemble a team. Former LAPD Detective Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor) had investigated the murder of a young woman that Ballard believes was another victim of the serial killer. They discover they share a common experience: both were sexually assaulted by Robbery-Homicide Detective Robert Olivas (Ricardo Chavira). After Ballard reported the assault, she was forced to leave RH, while Parker chose not to file a complaint and left the force. Ballard convinces Parker to rejoin the force and be assigned to her team.
John Carroll Lynch as Thomas Laffont and Maggie Q as Renée Ballard (Tyler Golden/Prime Video)
Thomas Laffont (played by the veteran actor John Carroll Lynch), was once Ballard’s partner and returns to help her solve cold cases. Ted Rawls (the very amusing Michael Mosley), doesn’t need the money since he owns his own successful security firm, but signs on as a reserve officer. Colleen Hatteras (Rebecca Field) is an enthusiastic volunteer who proves her value by being able to dig up anything on the internet and, when that fails, trusting her gut. Martina Castro (Victoria Moroles) is the squad’s intern who burns the midnight oil studying to be a lawyer.
John Carroll Lynch as Thomas Laffont, Rebecca Field as Colleen Hatteras, Maggie Q as Renée Ballard, and Courtney Taylor as Samira Parker (Tyler Golden/Prime Video)
Ballard has a lot on her plate. Besides catching a serial killer, she’s also tasked with finding a young man, a John Doe, who disappeared with a baby. This investigation will put Renée and her small squad in danger as they face a group of rogue cops working with a ruthless Mexican drug cartel. Captain Berchem, played by Hector Hugo, puts his own job on the line running interference for Renée, but fearing a leak, she keeps him in the dark until she can gather enough evidence to bring to the district attorney.
In the books, Renée was a loner without an apartment, relatives, or a lover. Since she worked the night shift, she spent her days surfing and then slept in her car, parked on the beach. Her one companion was a dog. In the series, Renée lives with her grandmother, Tutu ( a delightful Amy Hill), and has a boyfriend Aaron (Michael Cassidy), a Los Angeles fire fighter. She also has recurring dreams about her father, who taught her how to surf. She was only a child when he died and his body was never found. One friend attributes Renée’s tenacity to solve cold cases to the one she’s never been able to solve that’s very close to home.
Top: Maggie Q as Renée Ballard in BALLARD. Tyler Golden/Prime Video
