Set in Los Angeles, the story follows Ballard as she leads an underfunded LAPD cold-case unit made up of volunteers and a few seasoned officers. As she delves into a serial killer case that includes an unidentified “John Doe,” she uncovers a decades-long departmental conspiracy. The first season dropped all ten episodes at once and has already garnered critical acclaim, earning a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With a stellar cast, gritty cold-case plots and close ties to its predecessors, Ballard is both a true spinoff and a standalone crime drama.

Why did they stop making ‘Bosch’?

Bosch, Prime Video’s longest-running original series, ended in 2021 after seven successful seasons – not due to waning interest, but largely because of budget concerns. Hollywood insider Adam Leipzig explained in a YouTube video, “When a show is really successful and it’s gone on multiple seasons, every season costs more. The writers cost more, the actors cost more, production costs more – and at a certain point, it just costs so much per episode that the network doesn’t want to pay the money anymore.” There may have also been concerns about a lack of remaining source material to sustain the series. It’s likely the showrunners felt they had fully explored Detective Harry Bosch’s journey within the LAPD and decided it was time to pivot to a new storyline.

How Prime Video’s new spinoff ties into the greater story

Prime Video’s new spinoff, Ballard, ties directly into the Bosch cinematic universe by continuing the story of LAPD detective Renée Ballard, who was introduced in the Bosch: Legacy finale. Created by the same producers, Ballard expands the universe through new cases, deeper LAPD conspiracies and cross-series character arcs. It honors the original while carving out a fresh narrative path, making it an essential part of the evolving Bosch world. In an interview with Collider, actress Maggie Q revealed that she diligently shadowed LAPD detective Mitzi Roberts, the real-life inspiration for the character in Michael Connelly’s books.

Speaking on how they wanted the new show to differ from the original Bosch series, Maggie said, “Michael Connelly and the producers alike – we all agreed, when we sat down before I even took this, that if we weren’t doing something different, then what are we doing? she explained. “And because we all agreed on that, I thought, ‘Yeah, this will be fun to find,’ like you said, ‘our place within a place.”

Is Bosch going to be in ‘Ballard’?

Yes, Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) absolutely appears in Ballard. He’s not just a cameo – Bosch plays a significant supporting role across several episodes, working alongside Renée Ballard and the cold-case team on a case he once pursued. In a recent interview with the Today show, actress Maggie Q. shared how supportive her co-star has been, mirroring the mentorship Bosch provides in the series.

“He passed me the baton in front of the LAPD police chief and said, ‘Here we go,’” she recalled. “I looked at [the chief] and said, ‘We need your support,’ because they were very helpful with Bosch and gave them a lot of access. So, we’re hoping for that same thing.”

Also rounding out the cast are Madison Lintz as Maddie Bosch (now an LAPD officer herself) and Danielle Moné Truitt as Detective Paulina Calderon, who viewers might recognize from Legacy. In Ballard, she returns as part of the RHD team, working alongside Maggie Q’s character. Elsewhere, Diana Maria Riva plays Chief Valdez – LAPD’s new chief, who has a complicated relationship with Ballard.

Will there be a season two of ‘Ballard’ on Prime?

As of now, Prime Video has not officially renewed or canceled Ballard for season two. The series premiered on July 9, 2025, with all ten episodes released simultaneously  However, co-creator Michael Connelly has expressed optimism and confidence in the series’ potential, drawing parallels to Bosch’s unexpected longevity. He mentioned they’re “very confident” it will appeal to audiences and hopes a second season will be greenlit, as Screen Rant reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does RHD stand for in Bosch?

In Bosch, RHD stands for Robbery-Homicide Division. It’s the specialized unit within the LAPD that handles serious crimes like armed robberies and homicides, where Detective Harry Bosch and other main characters often work.

What to watch if you liked Bosch?

Bosch: Legacy continues Harry Bosch’s journey as a private investigator, while Ballard focuses on detective Renée Ballard solving cold cases. Also consider The Wire for its deep look at crime and law enforcement, True Detective’s intense storytelling, Mindhunter’s FBI profiling, Line of Duty’s anti-corruption plots and Longmire’s modern Western detective work. All offer rich characters and complex mysteries.
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Based on the BOOM! Studios graphic novel series by Arash Amel, Kim stars in Butterfly as a former US agent now living in South Korea. He realizes his life is under threat right as he reconnects with his long-lost daughter, who has now been trained the art of combat. The series also stars Reina Hardesty, Piper Perabo and Louis Landau.

What is ‘Butterfly’ about?

According to the official description:

Butterfly is a character-driven spy thriller that explores complex family dynamics within the treacherous world of global espionage. It’s centered on David Jung (Kim), an enigmatic, highly unpredictable former US intelligence operative living in South Korea, whose life is blown to pieces when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt him, and he finds himself pursued by Rebecca (Hardesty), a deadly, sociopathic young agent assigned to kill him, and Caddis, the sinister spy organization she works for.

Who else stars in the series?

The series also stars a supporting cast including Money Heist: Joint Economic Area‘s Kim Ji-hoon and Squid Game‘s Park Hae-soo, as well as Kim Tae-hee, Charles Parnell, Sean Dulyake and Nayoon Kim, with Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa guest starring.

The Mentalist and Gotham writer/producer Ken Woodruff serves as showrunner and co-creator with novelist Steph Cha. Both Woodruff and cha executive produce with Kim and John Cheng for 3AD, BOOM! Studios’ Stephen Christy and Ross Richie, Amel for The Amel Company and BOOM! Studios’ Adam Yoelin serving as co-executive producer. Kitao Sakurai directs the first two episodes.

When does ‘Butterfly’ premiere on Prime Video?

Butterfly comes to Prime Video on Aug. 13. Check out the trailer below.

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Wright plays a woman who seems like she has it all together until her son brings home a new girlfriend. Wright’s character discovers that this new woman isn’t everything she appears to be.

According to the official description:

Based on Michelle Frances’ novel of the same name, The Girlfriend follows Laura (Wright), a woman who seemingly has it all: a glittering career, a loving husband, and her precious son, Daniel. Her perfect life begins to unravel when Daniel brings home Cherry (Cooke), a girlfriend who changes everything. After a tense introduction, Laura becomes convinced Cherry is hiding something. Is she a manipulative social climber, or is Laura just paranoid? The truth is a matter of perspective.

Who else stars in ‘The Girlfriend’?

The series also stars Laurie Davidson, Waleed Zuaiter, Tanya Moodie, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Karen Henthorn, Anna Chancellor, Leo Suter and Francesca Corney.

Imaginarium Productions and Amazon MGM Studios produce with Jonathan Cavendish and Caroline Norris as producers. Executive producers include Wright, Will Tennant, Phil Robertson, John Zois, Dave Clarke, Gabbie Asher and Michelle Frances. Naomi Sheldon and Gabbie Asher have adapted the series for television and wrote the series alongside Polly Cavendish, Helen Kingston, Marek Horn, Ava Wong Davies, Isis Davis, Smita Bhide and Matt Evans.

When does ‘The Girlfriend’ premiere on Prime Video?

The Girlfriend comes to Prime Video on Sept. 10. Check out the trailer below.

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