Ballard Episode One: Library of Lost Souls
Michael Connelly’s Crime Drama Explores Justice and Marginalization
Summary: In Michael Connelly’s gripping new crime drama Ballard, a marginalized Los Angeles Police Detective, Renee Ballard (played by Maggie Q), is reassigned to the cold case division in retaliation for challenging corruption within her department. Understaffed and under budget, her demotion from high-profile detective to overseer of forgotten cases isn’t a lifeline—it’s a ballast. Her only hope for redemption is to solve a twenty-five-year-old unsolved murder tied to councilman Jake Pearlman, the tortured brother of victim Sarah Pearlman. The cold case mystery and Jake’s relentless thirst for justice consume him—and now, Ballard. Solve the case or you’re out. No bargains, no excuses, results only. This is Renee Ballard’s world in Michael Connely’s new crime drama series that explores justice, power, and the struggles of the marginalized.
The Cost of Nonconformity
The Deets: Despite the pressure from Jake, Detective Renee Ballard takes on a five-year-old case concerning a murdered John Doe and a baby that was never found. Discovered with the victim was a Santa Muerte figurine. A symbol of Holy Death and often carried by marginalized groups for guidance, safe passage and adversarial justice. The irony is clear, a symbol of protection and justice, proved powerless in a society that caters to the rich and powerful. The writers reinforce the message further when Renee discovers the figurine on Colleen Hatteras' desk. Her innocence is palpable and in Renee's eyes Naïve. Colleen confesses that she can sometimes tap into paranormal energy, intuitions as she calls them, and the symbol on her desk is a channel into her spiritual instinct. Renee reprimands Colleen: if a prosecutor were to find out about her quirks her testimony would be eviscerated. The implication of the scene was clear, conform to societal expectations or be cast out. The viewer is left wondering if Colleen were a man would the idiosyncrasy be overlooked. Would his beliefs be as openly attacked as Colleen's, or would they be embraced as a harmless quirk?
From her careful restraint to her candor about how the system works, the viewer understands Ballard is no stranger to living on the margins of society. As she governs the day-to-day, pulling strings from the outside, her façade of control collapses into quiet, isolated, reflection. Astride her surfboard, waves rolling underneath her she stares from the vastness of the ocean towards Los Angeles. This powerful imagery of Renee alone, comforted by the isolation of the sea reinforces her place as an outsider looking in.
Review: A Crime Drama with Weight and Purpose
Ballard is more than just your average crime drama. The stakes are high, and the viewer feels the urgency immediately. Solve the case or your out! Most of us have felt the weight of a seemingly impossible deadline. Every day that passes feels closer to a reckoning than a light at the end of a tunnel. For Renee, with so much on the line her predicament is even more understandable. This empathy is reinforced by the haunting imagery and excellent dialogue that levers the tension with every scene. Couple this with the themes pulsing through the plot lines and you have more than just a show about cops trying to solve a mystery, but a multilayered exposé on the struggles of the marginalized. My final review score for this first episode, a solid 4.3 out of five.