Does Rawls die in Ballard? Character’s fate explored

Ballard started as a spin-off of Bosch: Legacy, but was able to carve its own niche among the audience with its captivating story and engaging characters. The show tells the story of LAPD officer Detective Renée Ballard, who has to lead an under-resourced cold case unit.

One of the most interesting characters in the show is Ted Rawls, played by Michael Mosley. Rawls is a reserve officer who is not instantly likable, as he constantly whines and acts as an obstacle in Renée’s work.

However, as the season progresses, there is immense character development and he becomes an integral part of the team. Unfortunately, he is eventually shot by Gary Pearlman, which makes the audience wonder whether Rawls dies in Ballard. The answer is yes. Rawls dies in the final episode of the Prime Video series.

Rawls’ fate in Ballard

Ted Rawls dies in the 10th and final episode of Ballard Season 1. In the beginning, he is introduced as a volunteer officer who has been tasked with overseeing Renée’s work. He annoys her initially, but over time he starts looking for suspects, chasing leads, and supporting the team.

Rawls works with Parker, another detective, to search through homeless camps and even finds the gun used in a murder. He may not say much, but he ultimately earns everyone's respect through his hard work and calm attitude.

However, things take a dark turn in Episode 9, Collateral. As the team investigates the murder of Sarah Pearlman, Rawls goes to talk to Sarah’s father, Gary Pearlman, who is actually the killer. Rawls is still at Gary’s house when Renée finds out the truth and calls him to warn him.

While he tries to stay calm and pretend he does not know anything, Gary realizes what is happening. He pulls out a gun and shoots Rawls, leaving his fate hanging in the balance.

The officer is then rushed to the hospital in a critical state, in the final episode, End of the Line. As the paramedics try to revive him, the team hopes that he will make it.

However, the next day, the team gets the heartbreaking news that Rawls did not survive. His death hits everyone hard. It makes the case personal and gives the team all the more reason to catch the killer. Renée and her team feel his loss deeply, and it pushes them to work even harder to bring Gary to justice.

Even though Rawls was not the lead character in the show, his sacrifice had a lasting impact on the narrative. He risked his life to help others and gave a glimpse of how brave and loyal he actually was beneath the annoying traits.

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Michael Mosley has given a stellar performance as Rawls in the show and has portrayed various shades of the character with perfection. The actor’s other television credits include The Calling, Criminal Minds, Ozark, Seven Seconds, The Girl from Plainville, The Sinner, and Scrubs.

All episodes of Ballard are streaming on Prime Video.

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