I am a longtime fan of Michael Connelly’s Bosch and Ballard novels. Unfortunately, Maggie Q’s portrayal of Ballard in the new spinoff is a far cry from Connelly’s Ballard. A few episodes into Ballard, and it’s painfully clear that Maggie Q was miscast. In Connelly’s novels, Renee Ballard is tough, smart, and hard to rattle. The scripted dialogue does not convey Ballard’s tough persona, intellect, or cool professionalism. Ballard’s Renee Ballard frequently sighs, curses, and bemoans the involvement of “Harry **** Bosch.” Whereas in the novels, Ballard rarely lets her colleagues or witnesses see her sweat. During the first two episodes, she bungles her first attempt to collect evidence and nearly breaks down crying in an elevator. Ballard, as portrayed in the novels, is the kind of detective who could kill a serial killer with an improvised weapon without breaking down. This adaptation of Connelly’s character lacks Ballard’s toughness, poise, and whip-smart intellect. The showrunners and writers also eliminated several key characters in favor of characters who do not exist in Connelly’s novels. Maddie Bosch is recast as Zamira Parker (Courtney Taylor). Ballard corners Parker, a Robbery Homicide Division (RHD) washout, after Parker omitted evidence from a Murder book and didn't return Bosch's phone calls. In the Ballard novels, Renee recruits Maddie Bosch because Maddie is a promising police officer who has her father's fierce sense of duty: "Everyone Counts or Nobody Counts." Ballard recruits Parker, a character who does not appear in the novels despite her negligence and “**** I did my job” mentality. The addition of Parker is completely nonsensical; she could be charged with obstruction of justice and dereliction of duty based on the way she handled her last cases. Parker is a far cry from Maddie Bosch; she possesses neither the professionalism, grit, nor fierce sense of duty that made Maddie such a compelling character. Paul Masser, the retired Deputy D.A. from Major Crimes, is recast as a law student, Martina Castro (Victoria Moroles). There is also a complete lack of chemistry between Maggie Q and Ballard’s love interest, Aaron (Michael Cassidy). Final Verdict: I highly recommend Connelly’s novels, but I cannot recommend the Amazon adaptation.
One of the best crime dramas of the last decade. Harry Bosch has been aged. In the series, he's a Gulf War veteran and former Green Beret rather than a Vietnam veteran and Tunnel Rat. But the showrunners and writers have done a fine job of staying true to Connelly's characterization of Hieronymous "Harry" Bosch as a tough detective with a fierce sense of duty. All of the supporting cast are stellar., too. Maddie Bosch (played by Madison Lentz) and Eleanor Wish (played by Sarah Clarke) deliver memorableand compelling performances as Harry's daughter and his wife, respectively. In the dedication to one of his latest Bosch and Ballard novels, Michael Connelley dedicated the novel to Titus Welliver "The man who brought Harry Bosch to life." And from the first chase in the first episode, Welliver owns the role and makes it his.
