Bosch Fans: Here’s Why You NEED to Watch Ballard on Prime Video!

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Following 98 episodes of “Bosch” and “Bosch: Legacy”, Titus Welliver is retiring from his role as the adored LAPD detective Harry Bosch after 11 years of both public and private service. However, before fully stepping down, Harry Bosch takes on one last mission. Part of this assignment involves passing the mantle to the new franchise lead Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) in the upcoming Prime Video spinoff series “Ballard”, which is scheduled to debut in July 2025.

As a dedicated movie connoisseur, I can’t help but express my excitement about the upcoming series premiere of “Ballard.” While Clancy Brown’s presence in the debut episode is undeniably enticing, it’s the robust ensemble cast that truly seals the deal. Led by John Carroll Lynch, Amy Hill, Michael Mosley, Hector Hugo, Rebecca Field, Victoria Moroles, and others, this dynamic group promises a captivating watch.

With a total of 10 episodes slated for “Ballard” Season 1, it’s high time for ardent “Bosch” fans to give their Prime Video subscriptions a double-check, and eagerly await the new spinoff with renewed enthusiasm.

‘Ballard’s Premise and Release Schedule

Much like Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, the TV series Ballard is derived from the crime novel series by Michael Connelly. While Ballard’s initial solo novel, The Late Show, came out in 2017, the show primarily adapts the 2022 novel Desert Star. In Desert Star, Detective Renee Ballard departs a challenging workplace and is assigned to revamp a cold case unit within the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

Upon assuming her new role, Ballard discerns that her team is critically understaffed, necessitating almost all volunteers to keep the unit functional. Drawing on aspects of “Desert Star,” Ballard will merge plotlines from other Connelly novels featuring collaborative investigations between Ballard and Bosch, such as “The Dark Hours” (2021). Given that Titus Welliver, who plays Bosch, has been confirmed for one episode thus far, the series is expected to primarily focus on Ballard’s efforts to revive a nearly defunct investigative unit. As mentioned on Michael Connelly’s website:

Ballard persistently breathes life into Michael Connelly’s top-selling novels, focusing on Detective Renee Ballard (Q) as she heads the LAPD’s underfunded cold case unit, diligently addressing the city’s most complex, long-neglected crimes with compassion and unyielding resolve.

Unraveling crimes that stretch over several decades, such as a notorious serial killer’s trail of murders and an unsolved case of John Doe, Detective Ballard gradually exposes a chilling conspiracy hidden within the Los Angeles Police Department. Accompanied by her team of volunteers and the experienced retired detective Harry Bosch (played by Titus Welliver), Ballard bravely confronts her own emotional turmoil, encounters tough professional obstacles, and faces grave dangers to bring the truth to light.

On July 9, 2025, Prime Video plans to debut all ten installments of the series titled “Ballard“. However, it remains undecided whether the show will also be broadcast on Amazon Freevee, similar to how “Bosch: Legacy” was aired for three seasons.

How ‘Ballard’ Differentiates From ‘Bosch’

While Ballard’s cold case unit continues to center on Los Angeles, the new Bosch series aims to breathe fresh life into the storyline by delving into areas of the city not previously explored. For example, much of the narrative unfolds in West Los Angeles, featuring locations such as the Pacific Coast Highway, Culver City, Marina del Rey, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach. This is a shift from the grittier neighborhoods like Echo Park in East L.A., which Bosch typically investigated. As stated by Connelly in EW, it was crucial to establish the spinoff as unique, with the added comment that this change would offer an exciting new perspective.

During the production of Bosch, we always aimed to stay north of La Brea. In Ballard, we strive to keep south of La Brea.

Q voiced a similar sentiment, adding:

In a unique contrast, you find a blend of a rather grimy, unsavory urban landscape alongside breathtaking natural beauty in Los Angeles – a city with distinctive and striking facets compared to others.

From a film aficionado’s perspective, a striking contrast between Bosch and Ballard lies in their leadership styles. While I’ve always seen Bosch as a solitary figure, skeptical and adhering to his personal moral compass, disregarding conventional law when necessary, Ballard exudes a more collaborative approach. She appears to be an innate leader, her charisma seemingly designed for breathing life into the cold case unit she oversees.

Ballard and Bosch differ in their character origins. While Bosch is a fictional character created entirely by Connelly, Ballard is based on a real-life LAPD detective named Mitzi Roberts. This esteemed robbery-homicide detective was instrumental in the arrest of several notorious serial killers. Interestingly, Mitzi played a role in the development of the character, as she and Q formed a close relationship during this process, with Q mentioning that they had grown quite close.

Additionally, Q pointed out that numerous scenes for Ballard were filmed prior to the significant fire incident in Los Angeles in 2024. This sparked a sense of pride, as they had successfully captured the charm of this locale on screen and continued to produce the show in Los Angeles, despite the trend of the industry moving away from the city.

Prime Video Subscription Costs in 2025

Those Prime Video Prices Are Going Up

If you’re among the Bosch enthusiasts who let their Prime Video subscription expire after the end of Bosch: Legacy, it might be wise to reconsider renewing. This is particularly pertinent since there’s no guarantee that Ballard will appear on Amazon Freevee, as Bosch and Bosch: Legacy have been for quite some time.

In 2025, the video streaming service provided by Prime Video will continue to be free for Amazon Prime members. Currently, an Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 monthly or $139 annually. For individuals who prefer only the Prime Video service without additional benefits, the subscription fee is set at $8.99. This price point represents a rise compared to 2022, when an Amazon Prime subscription cost $119 yearly and a standalone Prime Video account was priced at $12.99 per month.

Interestingly, contrary to expectations, the rise in subscription fees for Prime Video hasn’t led to a decrease in advertisements. Instead, there are more ads embedded within content on Prime Video in 2025 compared to 2022. This trend is making Prime Video look more like Amazon Freevee, where ad revenue helps cover membership costs, despite the fact that Prime Video has actually increased its subscription fees, not decreased them.

For those eagerly anticipating the handover of Bosch to Ballard in July, here’s something to consider. When the initial Bosch series first aired in 2014, Amazon Prime Video subscribers paid $99 annually. Over the past decade, this price has risen by $40, and the influx of ads doesn’t make it any easier for Bosch fans to bid farewell to Harry and welcome Renée on July 9, 2025.

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2025-07-06 23:06