Ballard Episode 10 recap: Gary Pearlman exposed, Ted Rawls killed and Ballard arrested for Olivas' murder

Ballard Episode 10 recap: End of the Line (Image Via YouTube/@PrimeVideo)
Ballard Episode 10 recap: End of the Line (Image Via YouTube/@PrimeVideo)

Prime Video's Ballard Episode 10, titled "End of the Line," delivers a gripping conclusion to the season, tying up the major serial killer arc while also teasing a new mystery. Created by the duo Michael Alaimo and Kendall Sherwood, this Bosch spin-off features Maggie Q as Renee Ballard, a LAPD detective who heads the department's cold case unit. Even though the department is under-resourced and full of misfits, they crack open one of the most intense cold cases by the end of the season.

In the season finale of Ballard, the tension wasn't just about solving cold cases-it was about how the past never stays buried. The continued offenders, like Gary Pearlman and Robert Olivas, weren't just plot devices; they represented systemic rot. That made it personal for Ballard. The episode illustrates how justice continually slips through the cracks.

Previously, in the penultimate episode of Ballard, we saw how Naomi Benett, a surviving victim, identifies Gary Pearlman- Councilman Jake Pearlman's father as the serial killer. Moments later, Ted Rawls is shot point-blank by Gary after confronting him at the Pearlman home. The finale episode opens with Renee rushing to the Pearlman house, where she finds the paramedics and the authorities carrying Rawl's body to the ambulance. Ballard delivers the shocking truth to Jake as she utters:

"It was Gary all along. He killed Sarah. He killed all of them."

Ballard Episode 10 recap: Gary Pearlman confirmed as a serial killer

After weeks of mounting evidence, Renee Ballard confirms Gary Pearlman as the man behind the cold case murders. The final pieces fall into place quickly. A palm print on Sarah's windowsill, DNA evidence, and a behavioral profile all point to Gary, leaving his son Jake quite devastated.

Jake further reveals he found Sarah's body and that Gary entered the home seconds later, pretending to have just arrived. The implication: Gary staged it all to manipulate his son. Worse, Sarah wasn't Gary's biological daughter- a secret that fueled his rage.


Ted Rawls dies

As the LADP team scrambles to locate Gary, he ambushed and shoots Detective Ted Rawls. Even though he is rushed to the hospital, he dies from his injuries. The department holds a funeral. Ballard delivers a eulogy, visibly shaken. Ted's death marks a personal and professional blow for her and the cold case team.


Gary slips through the cracks

Despite LAPD's efforts, Gary manages to escape. His abandoned car is found near Union Station. Surveillance footage places him there, but by the time authorities could catch up with him, he had crossed into Arizona and possibly Mexico. His credit card data shows he bought multiple tickets and rented a car, all part of a diversion.

Ballard urges the department to go public, appealing to Gary's obsession with control. She speaks on the news alongside Jake, pleading for Gary to surrender. He watches the broadcast but keeps moving.


Ballard ambushed, Gary captured

When Ballard returns to her training centre, she senses something is wrong. Soon, the power cuts, and she hides, texting for help. Moments later, Gary appears and tries to kill her. They engage in s brutal showdown and Ballard subdues him. Gary is arrested on the spot.

During questioning, Gary confesses to his crimes but shows no remorse. His motivations are steeped in misogyny and control. He refers to the victims as selfish and disobedient, and career-driven women, threats to the image of family he clung to. Gary utters:

"A certain kind of woman. Uppity, selfish, not ladylike."

Ballard notes that his need for dominance stems from his traumatic childhood.


The Olivas case implodes, and Ballard is arrested for murder

Ballard turns her attention to another open wound: the corruption case involving Detective Robert Olivas. Despite deep involvement in misconduct, Olivas secures a deal with the DA's office and avoids prosecution. Ballard is livid. She confronts him at his home. The exchange is hostile, and she accuses him of ruining careers. Later, Olivas is found dead.

In the episode's final moments, police arrive to arrest Renee Ballard for Robert Olivas' murder. She is handcuffed and taken away as her colleague Parker learns about Olivas' death. Ballard claims she's innocent-but no one listens. The camera lingers on her in the backseat of the squad car, stunned and silent.

With Gary Pearlman in custody, the cold case team has closed its biggest file. However, Ballard now faces charges of her own. Is she being framed? Did someone from her department use her as a scapegoat? Or did the off-camera confrontation with Olivas really turn deadly?

All episodes of Ballard Season 1 are available to watch on Amazon Prime Video

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Edited by Yesha Srivastava