Cast: Maggie Q, John Carroll Lynch, Michael Mosley, Amy Hill, Victoria Moroles, Rebecca Field, Courtney Taylor, Ricardo Chavira, Titus Welliver, Brandon Sexton III, Jim Rash, Mimi Roger’s, Frankie Faison

Length: 10 Episodes

Streamer: Amazon Prime Video

Audio Description provided By: (Need Credit)

Written by: (Need Credit)

Narrated By: (Need Credit)

What Is it?:Renee Ballard (Maggie Q) is yet another creation by Michael Connolly, who has brought us both Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer, and Ballard is a spinoff of Bosch: legacy, after having her appear near the end of that final season. Harry Bosch (Welliver) also appears here as Ballard looks into a criminal enterprise that may involve dirty cops, as well as a missing persons case. she’s also dealing with a sexual assault from another officer, for which she was not believed.

What Works: Maggie Q has been building to this role, playing female action leads on TV pretty consistently. She has her own attitude and vibe, even if the series isn’t sure she should have it. her own ensemble is slowly fleshed out, though I doubt they’ll all feel as iconic as crate and Barrel. Though, John Carroll Lynch is certainly a standout, and since he’s given so many villain roles, it was nice to see him be this gentle giant Ballard can turn to.

The cases are interesting, and the various developments along the way pay off. There’s one scene inside of Ballard’s house that is particularly memorable as Ballard is taken out of a memory by something in reality. The season finale clearly sets up a crazy Season 2, as they throw a proverbial plot grenade right at the end to leave us on. Ballard will want answers, and so will you. If you liked Bosch, especially the whole run of both Bosch and Bosch Legacy, Ballard is beating the same exact drum.

What Doesn’t Work: i feel like we have these odd scenes thrown in where we dip our toes into the femininity of Renee Ballard, as if to throw the scent off the trolls who rally against strong female leads. Plenty of women kick ass and don’t have to do what Ballard is sidetracked with to stay afloat. Could you imagine if Dick Wolf required Olivia Benson to date all the time from the beginning of Special Victims Unit? it isn’t that she shouldn’t ever date, but Season 1 was full enough without trying to swiftly peel back the layers of her personal life. Build her up as a detective first, then explore what’s next.

The Audio description: though I have no credits, i have no problems. I thought this was right on par with what I just had with Bosch Legacy. The standout certainly was the aforementioned scene in Ballard’s house. The description handles this well as a crime drama, with deviations into both mystery and action. Great choice of narrator, and strong writing.

why You Might Like it: you watched Bosch, or you love detective shows with female leads. Or, any detective show. This one is less quirky though, so don’t expect Elzabeth or High Potential.

Why you Might not Like It: If Bosch wore you down, this does feel like more of the same, as even Harry appears in a few episodes to help launch Ballard. it also is pretty standard stuff, and not radical or Emmy worthy television.

Final Thoughts: the Bosch spinoff is another commendation for Michael Connolly, whose works continue to translate well into series across streamers. Maggie Q feels fully prepared for this, and John Carroll Lynch is a standout in the supporting cast.

Fresh: Final Grade: 7.3/10