Maggie Q doesn’t know what it looks like to play it safe. The Hawaiian-born actress’s route to the big and small screens began in Hong Kong under the tutelage of Jackie Chan, who took Q under his wing and threw her into stunt work. She was always meant to be an action star. Q got her first major break alongside Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible III.” However, it was her turn as Nikkita in The CW series of the same name that would turn the tide for Q. By donning the rogue assassin’s stilettos, she became the first Asian American series lead on an American TV show in nearly 60 years. While the spy thriller was strong, Q’s latest role in Prime Video’s “Ballard” — a spinoff of “Bosch” — is a testament to her enduring star power.
In “Ballard,” which debuted last summer and will return for its sophomore season in July, Q portrays Detective Renée Ballard, a non-nonsense, introverted investigator and a pariah in the LAPD. Ousted from the Robbery and Homicide division for exposing a beloved cop as a sexual predator, Ballard finds herself isolated in an old basement. A good ole boys club through and through, the LAPD can’t quite throw Ballard away, but they do want her out of sight and stagnant. As punishment, she is put in the command of the newly formed Cold Case Division, a pet project for ambitious Councilman Jake Pearlman (Noah Bean).
The cases depicted in “Ballard” are intriguing and examine how long-forgotten, decades-old homicides are thrust into dusty closets or placed on high shelves, never to be looked at again. Q depicts a woman who deeply cares for the victims she is fighting for, and knows all too well what it means to have a loved one vanish unexpectedly. With little resources and certainly no help from the higher-ups, she pieces together a ragtag (and mostly unpaid) crew to begin sorting through the red tape.
Though her entire team including her former partner, retiree Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch), cocky reserve officer Ted Rawls (Michael Mosley), the overly enthusiastic and woo woo Colleen Hatteras (Rebecca Field) and legal intern Martina Castro (Victoria Moroles) all find their footing with Cold Cases, it’s Ballard’s bond with former LAPD officer Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor) that differentiates the show from countless other cop procedurals.
Black women and women of color are typically othered in any homogenous profession like policing. In “Ballard,” the microaggressions, pain and isolation the women endure are part of the story’s fabric. Season 1 tackles stalled and unresolved investigations, including a missing John Doe and a 2001 strangulation linked to Councilman Pearlman. Yet, it’s Q’s quiet resolve and brutal determination that make Ballard a distinct character in this world. The detective has no illusions about the rot, misogyny and rancid behavior simmering within the police force. What’s more, she’s not even on a quest to change things. Instead, she uses others’ misjudgments of her to find a way forward.
A superbly paced, truly intriguing show that takes a frank look at corrupt policing, “Ballard” unpacks why this isn’t only dangerous for the public but also for those trapped within the warped institution. Q’s Ballard is far from immoral, but she has no qualms about keeping clues regarding her cases and personal life close to her chest. With so few resources, the surf-loving detective isn’t afraid to bend the rules or exert herself physically to get the answers she needs to push her cases into the black. In “Ballard,” Maggie Q reminds audiences that police dramas can still be refreshing.
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