‘Ballard’ gets major season 2 update after Maggie Q-starrer’s scintillating pilot run
After its solid first season run, 'Ballard' was renewed for a second season by Prime Video. The spinoff of the hit series, 'Bosch,' made its debut as a binge drop in July earlier this year. Starring Maggie Q, the ten-episode series opened to a strong performance, clocking 2.5 billion minutes from its date of release to the end of the month. The show ended at No. 4 in Nielsen's Top 10 streaming originals with 619 million minutes as of the week of July 21.
Per Deadline, the renewal news comes after the series was awarded a tax credit of $14.84 million by the California Film Commission. This, coupled with top-flight ratings, made its case for renewal. The series was inspired by the best-selling author Michael Connelly, and follows Q's detective Renée Ballard as she spearheads the LAPD's cold case unit and brings to light some of the unresolved and long-forgotten crimes.
The first season's logline read, "Detective Renée Ballard plunges into a web of murder and corruption as she hunts a ruthless serial killer and uncovers a sinister police conspiracy that threatens everything she stands for. With her own demons nipping at her heels, Ballard must outwit both criminals and colleagues to bring long-overdue justice to the victims and their families."
The series cast also includes Titus Welliver's Harry Bosch. Rebecca Field, Victoria Moroles, Courtney Taylor, Michael Mosley, John Carroll Lynch, and Amy Hill round up the rest of the cast.
Earlier, Q spoke of her hesitations in leading the show. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, "I honestly was not looking to lead a show again. It was not on my list — I was not looking for this. So it makes it even more special that it did find me, especially because it wasn’t something I was looking to do," she says. "I totally understand what they’re trying to do with her and why her journey would matter to people; why they might want to follow this woman was very clear. And that doesn’t happen very often."
Over the years, the actress had carved a name for herself with action-oriented roles, 'Nikita', 'Designated Survivor', and 'Stalker'. 'Ballard' marks another series that sees her play a role in familiar waters. She also spoke of the challenges of filming the show. "It is a different kind of physical demand,” however, Q explains. “The physical demand of a cop is different from if you are doing a Marvel movie. There are no wires, no acrobatics. It is a grounded action, but a very exhausting action. The reality of the fast-paced lifestyle in this profession is that it can be very exhilarating. I think the action is placed well [in the show], it’s grounded and not gratuitous."
With production yet to begin, it will be a while before we do see 'Ballard' Season 2. The first season is available to stream on Prime Video.
