Television crime series Ballard has been renewed for a second season on Amazon Prime Video, with star Maggie Q returning as Detective Renée Ballard.
Production on the new season began in February 2026, featuring high profile additions to the cast including Rosanna Arquette and Benjamin Bratt.
The police thriller series originally premiered on Prime Video on July 9, 2025. It serves as the second spin-off of the drama series Bosch, following the earlier spin-off series Bosch: Legacy.
Ballard was created for television by Michael Alaimo and Kendall Sherwood. The show is based on the Renée Ballard series of mystery novels written by Michael Connelly, who also serves as co-creator and executive producer on the television adaptation.
LAPD cold case unit plot
Set in Los Angeles, the drama follows Detective Renée Ballard as she leads a newly established cold case unit within the Los Angeles Police Department. The special unit operates with limited resources and relies heavily on unpaid volunteers to carry out its work.
While reopening unsolved homicides archived decades ago, Ballard pursues a ruthless serial killer. During her investigations, the detective uncovers a dangerous network of corruption and cover-ups that extends into the police department itself, along with a sinister conspiracy that threatens her core beliefs.
Balancing criminal investigations, complex mysteries, and her own personal demons, Ballard must confront both dangerous criminals and fellow police officers to deliver justice for victims and their families.
Full cast and characters
Maggie Q heads the cast as Detective Ballard. Actress Courtney Taylor co-stars as Samira Parker, a former LAPD officer recruited by Ballard to join the cold case team.
Actor Michael Mosley portrays Ted Rawls, a reserve officer assigned to oversee Ballard's work on archived homicides. Rebecca Field plays Colleen Hatteras, an enthusiastic volunteer who assists the unit.
Victoria Moroles appears as Martina Castro, a law intern collaborating with the cold case team. Amy Hill plays Tutu, the grandmother of Detective Ballard.
John Carroll Lynch co-stars as Thomas Laffont, a retired police detective and former partner who returns to law enforcement to assist Ballard in managing the unit.
Critical reception and rating scores
Like its predecessor series Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, the first season of Ballard received a positive response from general audiences across major online review sites. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show holds a 75 percent favorable approval rating.
The series earned a score of 7.5 out of 10 on IMDb, alongside an average rating of 6.3 out of 10 on FilmAffinity.
The main contrasting assessment came from Metacritic, where the thriller received a lower average score of 5.4 out of 10, representing a narrow pass rating on the platform.
Season format and streaming catalog
The initial season of Ballard consists of 10 episodes, with each installment running approximately 45 minutes in length.
Ballard forms part of Amazon Prime Video's growing catalog of police and crime thrillers. The streaming service also hosts related police series including On Call, Bosch, and Bosch: Legacy.
Other crime and thriller series available on Prime Video include Cross, Reacher, Red Queen, Scarpetta, Jack Ryan, Sherlock, The Night Manager, The Terminal List, and its prequel series The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.
