After having some issues with a fellow officer Ballard is put in the basement, literally, to head a new cold case division. Her team consists of volunteers as it is not funded by the department or the city. The group includes Police Reserve Thomas Laffont (James Carroll Lynch), Police Reserve Ted Rawls (Michael Mosley), Police Reserve Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor), volunteer Colleen Hatteras (Rebecca Field), and intern Martina Castro (Victoria Moroles) who form a tight knit team as the episodes roll on.

Laffont is an affable character on whom Renée can count to give everything he has. Rawls is a rich man with his own private investigative agency but enjoys “playing cop” as a Police Reserve and is good at it. Castro is interning at the department for college credit, and Hatteras is volunteering because she has great instincts and wants to get justice for the victims. Parker was an LAPD officer but quit (her reasons come out in the season) and is now back assisting as a reserve. This character is sensitive yet tenacious. Each person brings their own talent to the division.

The initial purpose of the division is to find the killer of councilman Jake Pearlman’s (Noah Bean) sister. He has been haunted by this unsolved murder for years and finally wants it concluded and the murderer brought to justice. Ballard puts that cold case at the top of the list however she uncovers more cases that lead her down different paths, to the dismay of the councilman. Although they are still working on his sister’s case they are also diving into other unsolved cases.

As they dig into other cases they also discover many similarities. It is ingenious how they pick apart the nuances to uncover specifics that lead them to solving the crimes. Ballard is relentless and her team follows along.

What makes this such a must-see series is the cast and especially Maggie Q. Ballard lives on the beach in Malibu with her grandmother Tutu (Amy Hill). Their Hawaiian heritage seeps into their storylines. Q makes Ballard a formidable detective as well as a sympathetic woman, but her commitment to the job interferes with her personal life.

Another aspect of this show is the cases the team uncovers which lead them to possible police corruption. That is something Ballard feels deeply about and as they work to expose the group of corrupt cops, some personal history of both Ballard and Parker come to light, making them resolute in tracking down the individuals in that dishonorable group.

And Bosch fans will be happy that Harry Bosch makes some appearances periodically throughout the 10-episodes of this first season. After he left the LAPD he went to work as a private investigator and in this series uses his experience and connections to assist Ballard.

Cold cases are a second-thought for the LAPD however Ballard and her team consider them top priorities. Their long hours and steadfast diligence brings closure to many families.

The series is intense and addictive. And, as in many great series, the cliffhanger at the end of episode ten will have viewers on the edge of their seats waiting for the next season.

“Ballard” is a “must watch” series. It is one of the best new series to come out in a long time. It is available on Prime Video (as are the Bosch shows).