Did Ballard turn out to be a deserving successor to Harry Bosch? Here's what we think 

Three months after Titus Welliver-led Bosch rolled out its series finale, Maggie Q made her debut as the eponymous detective in Ballard, based on Michael Connelly's book series.

Bosch, based on Connelly's Harry Bosch novels, ran for a total of ten seasons before it was cancelled by Amazon Prime Video due to high production costs. However, the series finale graciously welcomed Q as Detective Renee Ballard, Bosch's successor, who also helped him find closure on his Flower Girls case in the Season 10 finale.

The spin-off show surely had some very big shoes to fill and a much-loved Connelly book to follow. Throughout the ten-episode run, Renee not only takes charge of Sarah Pearlman's murder case while establishing LAPD's cold case unit of the Robbery-Homicide Division but also actively tries to take down her former boss, who tried to assault her.

Ballard perfectly finds her rhythm in the Harry Bosch universe, partly because she was introduced in the series finale and partly because she is often aided by Welliver's Bosch, who makes several minor appearances in the spin-off.

However, was the spin-off show able to fill its predecessor's big shoes? Can Renee Ballard fill the void left by Harry Bosch in the audience's hearts? Here is what we think.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the author's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.

Ballard perfectly fits in the Harry Bosch universe

While Titus Welliver had a brilliant screen presence as Harry Bosch and commanded every scene he was in throughout the ten seasons, Maggie Q's Renee was also not here to play. Right from the first scene, the character demands our attention (and gets it) while chasing the bad guys in style. The first few moments of Ballard set Q's character as a deserving successor to Harry Bosch, with similar traits of an overworked and no-nonsense detective, vouching for truth at all costs.

The spin-off fits right into the rhythm of Connelly’s books and weaves together a soapy crime-action tale with a high-adrenaline and enjoyable twist in the finale. Renee takes on a dual responsibility in Season 1. While she is tackling the seemingly unrelated cold cases on one hand, she is also struggling to take down the sexist Detective Robert Olivas, her former boss.

Much like Harry Bosch, who often found himself at the crossroads between his professional and personal lives, his successor also follows the same path in her spin-off series. By the time Renee solves the primary mystery in Ballard Season 1, that of Sarah Pearlman's murder, she gets the disturbing news that Olivas will likely not pay any price for his actions after he received a trade for intel on the cartel.

Ballard brings a much-needed female perspective to the detective genre on Prime Video

In recent years, Amazon Prime Video has surely created its own Detective-verse with shows like Reacher, Jack Ryan, and Bosch. These high-intensity series, based on straight white males, while highly enjoyable and popular, follow the same crime-action formula. With slight variations in storylines and characters, the majority of these shows use tried and tested formulas and clichés, which are hits in the market.

This is precisely where Ballard stands out. Banking on the Harry Bosch's success, the spin-off first reels you in with the said formulas (found in abundance in the parent series) and then flips the narrative on its head. The Maggie Q-led series breaks a major formula used by the majority of detective shows on Prime Video and follows two women of color.

Just like their male counterparts in the platform's very own Detective-verse, they chase bad guys amidst the LA traffic, peep inside the forbidden rabbit holes, and kick ass to catch the killer. Ballard banks on every formula established in the parent series but adds its gender twist to the mix.

The subplot alone, Renee and Samira tracking down their sexually assaulting former boss, distinguished the show from other crime genre titles available on the platform. After Renee was accused of Olivas' murder in the finale, the stage is set for an exciting Season 2, and we are surely highly pumped.

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