Ballard is a spin-off of the hit Amazon Prime show Bosch, and both series are adaptations of Michael Connelly’s best-selling novels. Just like in the books, Ballard and Bosch repeatedly cross paths in the series as well, and Bosch fans will be glad to learn that their favorite detective plays a crucial role in Ballard. The series is centered around Renee Ballard, an LAPD detective who was assigned to the cold-cases department after she dared to speak out against her colleague following an attempted assault. Ballard operated from the basement of the station and had barely a handful of volunteers and reserves to help her solve the cases. But that didn’t demotivate Ballard; instead, she felt all the more driven to prove her haters wrong. The team took on several cases throughout the series; some were solved quicker than the others.
Spoiler Alert
Who was Anthony Driscoll?
Robert Olivas was a bratty LAPD cop who victim-blamed at the drop of a hat. He knew that his blue-collared brothers wouldn’t ever turn their backs on him, and he was right. When Renee Ballard raised a complaint against Olivas, she was humiliated. No one cared about her version of the story, and none of her colleagues sided with her. Olivas continued to work for homicide while Ballard was assigned cold cases to solve. The department wanted her to disappear, but she refused to leave. She knew she was a good detective, and even with the limited resources at her disposal, she intended on taking down the bad guys.
Ballard had taken on a John Doe case, a young man who was shot, but whose body remained unidentified. The last surveillance footage they had of him was from in front of a motel and showed that he was with his baby boy before he was killed. Samira Parker was the investigative officer on the case, but she distanced herself from the LAPD once she figured out that there was someone within the system trying to cover everything up. Ballard met Parker; she was initially not interested in discussing the case, but Ballard knew that she was possibly the only one who actually cared about the case. Turned out her instinct was right; Parker mentioned that she had information that there had been a commotion outside the motel the night before the unidentified man was seen on camera. Apparently a black and white cop car had shown up, but surprisingly there were no emergency calls registered on the sergeant’s log, and it became evident to her that someone had buried the 911 call. Ballard was not just persistent, she allowed Samira enough room to reconsider her decision about rejoining the police force. Samira eventually realized she was still deeply attached to the case, and Ballard’s confidence in her and her determination to solve the case nudged Samira to take the plunge.
After joining Ballard’s team as a reserve member, she dedicated herself to solving the John Doe case. After several major setbacks, they finally got a lead by tracking the gun that was used to kill the man. As it turned out, the same gun was used by Javier Fuentes in a Southeast Division case in 2023. Javier was a gang member charged with possession of a firearm and discharging a firearm. Javier didn’t intend on spilling the beans at first, but when Ballard and Parker clearly stated that they could frame him for the John Doe murder, he knew he had to provide them some valid information to stay out of trouble. The name of the murder victim was Luis Ibarra, and he was a cartel coyote. Javier happened to stumble upon the gun after it was used to murder Luis.
Javier struck a deal with Ballard; she agreed to discuss his case with the DA, but only if his intel was worth it. Javier explained that the gun he got was a recycled one. There were dirty cops operating in LA who were notorious for taking guns off the streets and selling them to the cartels, and they did the same with drugs and other goods. He added that he got it from a white cop in his 40s who went by the street name Montana. He was still at large, and he continued to play for both sides. As Ballard and her team started to dig up cases against cops, Anthony Driscoll’s name surfaced. Samira figured out that it was Anthony who went by the name Montana. The name Anthony could be shortened down to Tony, and the most famous Tony with a violent streak and a drug problem was Tony Montana from “Scarface.” Javier confirmed that their guess was right. After Javier cooperated, he was shifted to a different cell, and that caught the attention of a nurse who was on Driscoll’s payroll. The minute the John Doe case was reopened, Driscoll feared that someone might crack the case this time. Luis Ibarra was working as an informant for the LAPD, and presumably he’d already figured out that Driscoll was a dirty cop. Driscoll was left with no other choice but to kill Ibarra. Once Driscoll figured out Ballard was working on the John Doe case, he became desperate, and he attempted to attack Ballard at her home. She managed to overpower him and fatally injure him. She tried to revive him, but he pulled out the trachea pipe she used to keep the air flowing. Clearly, he couldn’t afford an arrest, and he chose death over confession. Ballard’s team eventually tracked down Ibarra’s son, who had been living at a foster home, and at the end of the series he was reunited with his mother.
Why was Robert Olivas arrested?
Anthony Driscoll’s call log revealed that he was in regular contact with Robert Olivas, suggesting that there was a network of dirty cops who worked for the mafia. Martina Castro, an intern working for Ballard’s team, had recently gotten into a relationship with a cop named Manny Santos. While at his house, she noticed that Manny was in contact with Olivas, and she figured that he was a part of the network. Ballard and her team managed to nab Manny, and he eventually agreed to confess in the hopes of a reduced sentence. Manny, on camera, admitted that after Anthony Driscoll’s death, Robert Olivas was in charge of the group of dirty cops. Ballard and Parker felt a sense of victory watching Olivas get arrested in public. Parker too had been a victim of Olivas during their brief stint as partners. It took her time to process the fact that she had been violated, and she had confided in Ballard about the situation.
What was the significance of the lipstick found at the crime scene?
After several dead ends and hurdles, Ballard finally found a ray of hope in solving the serial killer case when she chanced upon a crucial piece of evidence, a lipstick. The lipstick was lying on the floor when Sarah Pearlman was found dead. A brief glance at the lipstick, and Samira remarked that the brand catered to Black women. But why was this particular lipstick in Sarah’s room? A forensic test of the lipstick revealed that the DNA found on it matched one of the victims of an assault case. The case was closed at the time because the serial killer angle was not yet introduced. Naomi Bennett was the serial killer’s lone survivor, and Ballard was hopeful that she would help them solve what seemed to be an impossible case.
Naomi had moved out of LA, and when Ballard and Parker showed up at her doorstep, she explained that she didn’t remember much from the night of the assault. It had been twenty-five years since she had lived through the horror, and she was at a stage in life where even if she wanted to recall what had happened that night, her brain would work against her. Later, Parker suggested Naomi get down to LA with them. She believed that once she was back at the apartment, she would remember something worthwhile. Naomi was reluctant, but she did it for the victims and their families, who had waited years for an answer. After stepping into her old apartment, Naomi gradually started remembering details, but she couldn’t recall the face of her assailant. All she remembered were his brown eyes. Naomi had also mentioned that before the attack she’d recently been promoted at her workplace, and it was the first time that she could afford her own place. Ballard had come up with a theory that roughly explained the victim profile. Each of the victims was at the peak of their career, and that was something that the killer couldn’t live with. Naomi’s recent promotion fitted perfectly with her theory, and Ballard was convinced that they were getting closer to finding the killer. After revisiting Naomi’s old workplace, Ballard discovered that the employees working at the mall parked their vehicles around the corner. Naomi mentioned that a building on the corner was under renovation at the time. Given the motive behind the murders, Ballard had deduced that the predator kept an eye on his victims from afar. The under-renovation building, a real estate office, was perfect for that purpose. Ballard had contacted the owner, and he had agreed to send her a list of subcontractors. The minute Ballard took a look at the list, she was flabbergasted. She discovered that Sarah Pearlman’s father, Gary, was on the list.
Who was the serial killer?
Naomi confirmed that Gary was the serial killer. The irony was that the case was reopened after Jake Pearlman, a councilman and Sarah’s brother, pressured the LAPD to identify his sister’s killer. He had no idea that he’d been living with the killer all this while. Ted Rawls, a reserve on Ballard’s team, was at Jake’s when he received Ballard’s call confirming that Gary was the killer. Rawls was dumbfounded, because he was in the kitchen with Gary when he received the news. He tried to play it cool, but Gary realized the secret was out, and he didn’t waste a minute pulling the trigger on Rawls. After losing a dedicated member of her team, the search for Gary intensified. The homicide department tried to track him down, and it was assumed that he’d already crossed the border.
Ballard had a feeling that Gary would return to seek revenge on his survivor, but she didn’t anticipate that he would come for her. Gary despised women in power, and Ballard was no different. He had to take down the woman who destroyed him, so he sneaked into her office at night. Gary attempted to shoot Ballard, but she was a professional, and she smashed his hand with a kettlebell that was lying on Rawls’ desk. After his arrest, Gary confessed to the killings. He admitted that he had a strong disdain for working women, especially the ones at the top of the professional ladder. He wanted to teach them a lesson for prioritizing their careers over their families. He didn’t intend on killing his adoptive daughter, Sarah. But when she started suspecting him of cheating on her mother after she came across his collection of trinkets, Gary figured he had to silence her. Jake Pearlman called off his political campaign after the truth came to light. And while the truth was discomforting, he was thankful to Ballard for not giving up on the case.
Why was Robert Olivas released from prison?
Ballard was relieved after Gary’s arrest, but she refused to rest until Olivas was sentenced for his cartel links. She was looking forward to the trial but was heartbroken when she discovered that Olivas was not charged. He’d promised to assist the DA’s office to track down the cartel operations, and considering the bigger picture, he was allowed to walk out of prison. Ballard was horrified—according to her, even if the information he assured them he’d provide was crucial, letting a dirty cop walk free should’ve never been a part of the deal. At the very end of the final episode, Ballard walked up to Robert Olivas’ doorstep. She was fuming with rage, and she pushed and punched Olivas as he stepped out to greet her. Ballard was frustrated; even after everything he’d done, the system seemed to always spare him. Olivas stated matter-of-factly that the world is never fair and it was not his fault. Olivas was confident that his life would go back to normal, but Ballard reminded him that she could already hear the whispers. People were speaking out against him; he had lost his reputation, and his wife and children had left him. All that once mattered to him had already been taken away. So, she wondered if he would ever consider his situation a success. Olivas didn’t know what to say; after all, she was right.
Why was Ballard arrested?
After the heated conversation with Olivas, Ballard decided to spend the evening with Parker. Even though after hours of research and chasing multiple leads, things didn’t go the way they wished, Ballard didn’t think it was all a waste. At least he’d lost his badge, and his reputation had been turned to dust. Parker admitted that she hated the fact that Olivas was allowed to walk out of prison scot-free, but at least she had someone to share her pain with. Without Ballard, Parker would have never had the courage to come to terms with the fact that she was violated, and she would’ve always blamed herself for giving him the wrong signals. Ballard and Parker’s conversation came to an abrupt pause when a police car approached them. In the final scene of Ballard, Renee Ballard was arrested for the murder of Robert Olivas. Parker quickly checked her phone and found out that Olivas had been shot, and since Ballard was possibly the last person to be seen at his front door, it was assumed she’d killed him. The series ends on an abrupt note, leaving enough room for season 2!
