Season 1 – Ballard

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Larry S 100% Fresh from critics? I feel like I was punked. I must have been watching a different Ballard. I suffered through 7 1/2 episodes but couldn’t watch another minute. Awful writing and some of the worst acting I’ve ever seen. The show runners should watch some detective shows on BritBox to learn how the genre is done. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/30/25 Full Review Michelle H My husband and I REALLY enjoyed this limited series. We loved all the twists & turns, appreciated the acting & Maggie Q was again fun to watch in the lead. We had seen her in Designated Survivor on Netflix recently for the first time, so we were glad to find out she was a part of this series… As for the supporting cast, we hope they will be back - they were all great & most we hadn’t seen before. We’re hoping for a season 2! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/30/25 Full Review BRizz 2 This show completely caught me off guard. Ballard, a new cop drama released in 2025 on Prime Video, centers around Detective Renée Ballard, played by the always-stunning Maggie Q. After speaking up about something that happened to her at the hands of her partner, she’s removed from Homicide and shoved into the cold case basement — literally. Her new assignment: solve decades-old cases or risk being discarded altogether. That alone is a killer premise. Let me say this: Maggie Q has always been one of my favorite actresses, because she thrives in tough, emotionally complex roles. And as Renée, she is absolutely phenomenal. She doesn’t overact it — she lives in it. She carries the show with grace and grit, and the director follows her throughout the season without making it feel like she’s being forced in your face. She commands the screen, and she shares it beautifully. One of the biggest surprises for me was John Carroll Lynch as Thomas Laffont — another detective who’s basically retired but works the cold cases with Ballard because of their long history. Lynch is an actor I sometimes go back and forth on, but here he’s perfection. His character arc is wild — I didn’t see a few things coming, and when they hit, they hit hard. That’s what I love about this show: it earns its emotional turns. It never yells at you — it just tells the story. Let’s talk about the rest of the cold case unit: • Amy Hill plays Tutu, Ballard’s grandmother. She’s warm, strong, funny, and totally grounded. You can tell she’s Ballard’s anchor. • Rebecca Field is Colleen Hatteras, a genealogist who works with the team. At first I thought she might be comic relief, but no — she’s layered, intelligent, and emotionally connected. She brings a sort of medium/psychic vibe without going full ghost whisperer, which I loved. • Michael Mosley plays Ted Rawls, and wow, does he start off like an absolute jerk. He’s arrogant and condescending, but by the end of the season… you’ll be in tears. His transformation is beautifully done. • Victoria Moroles as Martina Castro — wow. This girl delivers such heart. What happens to her is devastating, but she acts the hell out of it. Her arc with betrayal and heartbreak is something that stays with you. • And then there’s Courtney Taylor as Detective Samira Parker, who joins the unit after walking away from the force. When you find out why she left, it guts you. It’s one of the most powerful moments in the series, and she nails it. The writing is exceptional. It’s emotional, sharp, and refreshingly focused on actual police work. Yes, there are relationships hinted at, but it never drags the show into a soap opera. We stay with the cases — the action, the danger, the past clawing its way into the present. This show doesn’t shy away from pain either. Renée gets the hell beat out of her — multiple times — and survives by the skin of her teeth. It’s intense. But it never feels like trauma porn. It feels earned. Real. Raw. And the pacing? Flawless. The character balance is right. Everyone gets a moment to shine, but Maggie Q remains the heart. And that’s what keeps this show grounded. Ballard is the rare crime show that gets everything right: the cast, the structure, the action, and the emotional payoff. No gimmicks, no forced romance arcs, just real stakes, powerful characters, and damn good storytelling. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/29/25 Full Review Mark H Ballard is done well, but it so very slow. I had a difficult time sticking with it. Painfully slow. Also, L.A. is a horrible place to base a series. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/30/25 Full Review Steve W How did this get a 100% rating? It's a mediocre crime drama. At best. It is nothing but a rehash of every cop trope you've ever seen. And the acting and dialogue is sophomoric. There's enough mystery to make it interesting when you don't want to use your brain too much. But there are so many better series in the genre. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/29/25 Full Review Sean A. Fun summer show! Great cast! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/28/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Ballard — Season 1

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