Ballard is a gripping cop drama that fuses the gritty realities of cold case investigations with the tangled, often tormented lives of those who chase elusive justice. At its heart is Renee Ballard, an unyielding detective whose hard-fought capture of the slippery criminal Windel Jones should have been her crowning moment — but instead, it backfires. A departmental probe into her use of force banishes her to the underfunded, basement-bound cold case unit, a professional purgatory for a detective who refuses to quit.
Undeterred, Ballard throws herself into reviving a haunting John Doe file — a man found dead beside a baby who vanished without a trace. The stakes rise with the sudden arrival of LA City Councilman Jake Pearlman, whose political clout and financial backing come with strings attached: he insists Ballard drop everything to solve the decades-old murder of his sister, Sarah.
As she digs deeper, Ballard unearths unsettling revelations — hints of a police cover-up buried within the John Doe case, a buried trauma she shares with her new partner, the fiercely guarded Zamira Parker, and the chilling suspicion that a calculating serial killer could be stalking the city’s shadows. Layer by layer, Ballard builds unrelenting suspense, twisting through unexpected revelations, shifting suspects, and moral gray zones. At its core, the series is an unflinching look at corruption, personal demons, and the dogged pursuit of truth, no matter what secrets the system wants to keep buried.
This article contains spoilers.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 1, “Library of Lost Souls” Recap:
The episode opens with Renee Ballard chasing a criminal named Windel Jones. Eventually, the pursuit leads to a laundromat where Windel pulls a gun, forcing Ballard to shoot at him before arresting him. Since it’s been 10 years, Windel’s arrest is a breakthrough, but Ballard is questioned for using her weapon and must complete a psych evaluation.
Additionally, the cold case division is severely underfunded, run from the basement, and staffed mostly by volunteers: Ted (owner of a security company), Collen (volunteer), Martina (intern), and Thomas (retired officer). After the Windel case, Ballard insists on reopening the John Doe case, despite limited evidence. Notably, the victim was found in the woods, and CCTV shows him carrying a baby before his death, though no child was ever found. Soon, Jake Pearlman, an LA City Councilman, demands that Ballard investigate the murder of his sister, Sarah Pearlman.
What information does Darcy share that worries Ballard?
Since Jake funds the cold case unit, he pressures Ballard to prioritize Sarah’s case, suspecting that Sarah’s ex-boyfriend, Brian, is behind the murder. Subsequently, Ballard watches Jake’s last video of Sarah, which shows her driving away after getting her license. That evening, Ballard visits a club to meet Zamira Parker, the original IO on the John Doe case. Surprisingly, Zamira reveals that LAPD call logs were scrubbed, suggesting a cover-up. Although reluctant, Zamira agrees to revisit the evidence with Ballard.
During their session, Ballard presents a palm print from Sarah’s crime scene, hoping to extract DNA. Fortunately, lab technician Darcy fast-tracks it out of respect for Ballard. Later, Ballard visits her grandmother, Tutu, and confides in her about a traumatic incident triggered by Darcy’s comment. Meanwhile, Zamira checks out the motel where John Doe was last seen, but after her visit, a woman calls LAPD asking for Zamira, only to hang up when Olivas says Zamira no longer works there.
Nevertheless, Ballard urges Zamira to help, and Zamira agrees. Then, Ballard visits Brian’s tattoo studio to collect DNA but is caught taking Brian’s glove and is forced to leave. Unexpectedly, Olivas visits the cold case unit, which unsettles Ballard. Later, while surfing, Ballard meets lifeguard Aaron and later opens up to Zamira. Both women bond over their past experiences with systemic failure in the department. Because Ballard spoke out against Olivas for being an asshole, the department sided with him and forced Ballard to head the cold case department.
That’s why Ballard reopens the John Doe case: to retaliate against Olivas by solving it. Ultimately, Zamira agrees to rejoin the force. Tragically, the cleaning lady, Yulina, from the motel is murdered, and Zamira suspects she made the LAPD call. Eventually, Darcy confirms the palm print DNA matches another case: Laura Wilson’s. Finally, Ballard learns the IO in Laura Wilson’s case was Harry Bosch, raising fears of a serial killer.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 2, “Haystacks” Recap:
The episode opens with Ballard arriving at Yulina’s murder scene. Although the case belongs to Officer Neylon, Ballard requests permission to examine the area, believing it’s linked to one of her cold cases. While Neylon claims it’s a robbery gone wrong, Ballard suspects otherwise. Inside, Ballard notices Yulina had already cleaned the washroom, implying the murder was premeditated.
Without Neylon’s knowledge, Ballard checks the CCTV and spots a suspicious man. She snaps a photo and leaves. Next, Ballard asks Thomas to look into Yulina’s background. At a nearby salon, a stylist shares that many women there are undocumented and hesitant to talk, but she recognizes the man from the footage—likely a homeless individual. Meanwhile, Ballard sends Ted to check local shelters for the suspect. At the same time, evidence from Laura’s case arrives.
Who killed Yulina?
Laura was a 26-year-old Black aspiring actress, prompting Ballard to visit Laura’s mother. However, Jake stops Ballard, insisting Brian was in Iraq during Laura’s murder, giving him an alibi. So, Ballard instructs Thomas to confirm it. Later, Laura’s mom admits she doesn’t know Sarah, and someone starts following Ballard as she digs for information to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, Martina looks into acting as a possible link between Laura and Sarah. Since Brian’s alibi checks out, Ballard clears him. Then, Ballard sends Thomas and Collen to retrieve the bullet from Yulina’s body. At the office, Bosch shows up asking Ballard about Laura and Sarah’s cases. They step out for lunch, where Bosch reveals he has a hunch about an acting coach named Hermon and Laura’s classmate Lennox.
Soon after, Zamira and Ted track down the homeless man—Sean—at a drug den, where Ballard helps arrest him. Since Sean is injured, he’s hospitalized. That night, Ballard sleeps with Aaron, and the next morning, Aaron (still naked) goes to the kitchen thinking he’ll find Ballard, but instead runs into Tutu. Afterward, Ballard is officially handed Yulina’s case. Later, Ballard visits Freddie for bullet analysis.
At the hospital, Sean claims he buried the gun under some rose bushes and was paid to kill Yulina. Meanwhile, Zamira and Ted recover the gun. Tests confirm this gun killed Yulina, but the John Doe bullet was never analyzed. This frustrates Zamira, as she remembers requesting the bullet be tested, suggesting internal sabotage. In closing, a man calls someone to say Sean won’t lead back to them. Shockingly, he’s an LAPD officer.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 3, “BYOB” Recap:
The episode opens with Ballard surfing, Zamira watching her father sleep, Ted cracking a deal, Thomas spending time with another man, and Martina struggling to study. Meanwhile, Captain Berchem calls Ballard in early, asking for all hands on deck to work a cold case that has gone viral. Simultaneously, Thomas informs Ballard that Harmon is dead, but they must locate the man who was with him during the original incident.
Ballard is assigned to investigate Nick’s mysterious fall from a fraternity balcony. However, Nick’s sister Raquel believes it wasn’t an accident. Subsequently, Raquel reveals that forceful drinking and hazing may have occurred at the fraternity. From the autopsy, Ballard and Thomas learn that while Nick’s right side is injured from the fall, his left retina is also damaged, indicating foul play. Throughout, Ballard ignores calls from fellow officer Ken.
Who killed Nick?
Later, Zamira asks Ballard for a badge to retrieve the bullet from the John Doe case, but they discover it’s been disposed of. Consequently, Ballard requests a copy of the disposal order. Then, Ballard and Thomas attend a fraternity reunion to question Kyle, Joey, and Dan. Interestingly, all three share identical stories, raising suspicion. Eventually, Ballard gets Ted to pressure Joey into confessing. Luckily, Joey admits there was a “body count book” (containing secrets of the Frat) next to Nick’s body, which they hid. Following this, Ballard and Ted retrieve the book from the frat house and discover degrading images and journal entries, including one about a girl named Lucy Duncan. Therefore, they bring in Lucy for questioning.
Meanwhile, Ballard’s grandma Tutu urges her to “Build Your Own Board,” but Ballard resists. Soon, the officer who found the dispo order is revealed to be Charlie Grant’s. As a result, Ballard and Thomas confront Charlie and realise it is a forged signature. At the same time, Zamira questions joining the force and consults her father, a retired cop. Eventually, a drunk Ken apologizes to Ballard for not supporting her when Olivas assaulted her. From Lucy, they find out about Nick’s girlfriend, Meredith. Meredith confesses to taking out the missing page in the body count book. Finally, Meredith admits to pushing Nick after a fight over the book. In the end, Ballard begins confronting her grief, and the tailing cop approaches Martina in a bar.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 4, “Landmines” Recap:
The episode opens with a disagreement between Ballard, Thomas, and Zamira, as Zamira struggles to trust Thomas fully. Eventually, they agree to keep the involvement of cops in John Doe’s case between themselves. Next, Ballard and Thomas meet Adam Lennox, whom Bosch had suspected in Laura’s case. According to Adam, Hermon didn’t kill Laura, but Adam covered for him, as Hermon was with another man intimately when the murder happened. Additionally, they learn that a blue Ford truck was near Laura’s place. Meanwhile, Collen hears from the hairdresser that Yulina’s hometown is famous for coffee. Simultaneously, Martina gets her classmates to replicate the bullet from the John Doe case using photos. At the same time, Collen gets a lead on a similar murder in Vegas.
What leads do Ballard, Thomas, and Zamira have on the John Doe case?
Consequently, Ted contacts Vegas officers to request the file. Soon after, Freddie finds a match for the John Doe bullet—it belongs to a gang member who’s still in custody. Later, Thomas informs Ballard that Ken has died in a car accident, with the funeral in two days. Understandably, Ballard is unsure about attending. Afterwards, Ballard and Zamira visit Javier in prison. There, Javier reveals he didn’t kill John Doe, whose real name was Luis Ibbara. Meanwhile, Ted connects Collen with someone who can help her find Yulina’s family in Ukraine. Eventually, the team identifies a previous stalker named Coleman with a blue Ford in Topanga. Since Ballard plans to go alone, Ted insists on joining her. As they watch Coleman’s house, he drives into a remote trail.
Suddenly, Coleman emerges with a weapon but calms down, explaining he only wants to see his kids and he isn’t a stalker. Elsewhere, Martina goes on a date with the tailing cop. Simultaneously, Nelson questions Ted about Ballard’s priorities, but Ted defends her. At a bar, Zamira and Thomas convince Ballard to attend the funeral. Thankfully, Ballard hears from Ken’s wife that Ken overheard Olivas boasting about sleeping with an ex-partner. This confirmed Ballard’s earlier claims to Ken.
Finally, Zamira begins trusting Thomas. Unfortunately, Collen learns Yulina’s parents have died. In prison, Javier offers a name in exchange for protection. Shockingly, he reveals that a white cop in his 40s works both with the police and cartels. Many cops help the cartel in smuggling weapons and trafficking, among other things. Afterwards, Thomas narrows the suspects to six, including Anthony Driscoll. Eventually, Javier identifies the man in one of the photos—the same man who meets the tailing cop, asking about his new girlfriend.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 5, “What’s done in the dark” Recap:
The episode opens with Ballard on a date with Aaron. However, at the restaurant, Ballard sees a customer getting touchy with the waitress and assumes he’s sexually abusing her. Eventually, Ballard realises they are a couple. Meanwhile, Anthony, though retired, still works with the cartel to earn extra money while using corrupt cops. Now, Anthony roams around with a bag full of weapons, collecting cartel cash. Elsewhere, Santos, the tailing cop, is on a date with Martina when Anthony calls, demanding Intel. The next day, Nelson pressures Ballard to submit weekly reports on Sarah’s case. Currently, the Ford list has only three leads left. Although Ted feels pessimistic, Colleen trusts her instincts.
What do the team find in Oxnard?
Simultaneously, Thomas struggles to expose Anthony as he needs to find loopholes. Later, Ballard and Zamira visit Jenny Garrison, one of the blue Ford owners. Unfortunately, Jenny says her ex-husband Mike stole the Ford and fled with another woman. Therefore, Ballard requests DNA from Jenny and her daughter Trish to confirm any ties to the killer. However, Jenny refuses to involve Trish. Eventually, they learn that Denise, the woman Mike ran away with, has been missing for 28 years.
Understandably, this raises major suspicions. Soon, Thomas informs Ballard that a gap in Anthony’s schedule aligns with a massive drug takedown. Thus, they track down the lead officer from the time, who reveals that Anthony’s informant, Ibbara, also vanished across the border. The main job was to capture the drug lord, who also escaped across the border. Importantly, no one had questioned Anthony’s story.
At the station, Zamira convinces Trish to take a DNA test, and Trish, in turn, convinces Jenny. That night, Ballard comforts a disturbed Zamira and shares her own encounter with Olivas, who tried to assault her at a party. After bringing in drinks one after the other, while Ballard tried calling an Uber, Olivas tried to stop Ballard. However, Olivas’s real nature came to the forefront at that time.
Even in that drunken state, Ballard fought Olivas and ran to Ken. This story is familiar to the one Zamira faced. Tragically, Zamira admits she let Olivas drive her home and has since blamed herself. Now, she recognises that Olivas assaulted her, too. The next day, Thomas claims Anthony was in court when Ibbara died. Nevertheless, Ballard double-checks and confirms Anthony lied—he killed Ibbara. Meanwhile, Ted and Colleen track Mike’s Ford to a storage unit in Oxnard. At last, they open it and find boxes of murder souvenirs—including one labeled with Laura’s name tag.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 6, “Beneath the Surface” Recap:
The episode opens with Berchem wanting to hand over the case to Homicide and Robbery, but thanks to Jake, he gives Ballard 72 hours to find a lead. The next day, Thomas rents an apartment near Anthony’s house and installs a live camera feed. Unfortunately, Darcy reports that the boxes reveal no forensic leads. Meanwhile, Zamira tracks Ibbara’s wife, Abril. In prison, a nurse working for Anthony informs him that Javier’s schedule has been changed. Later, Jake and his father, Gary, visit the office to check if any souvenirs belonged to Sarah, but Gary can’t identify anything. Simultaneously, Zamira keeps monitoring Olivas’s Instagram.
What happens to Anthony?
Soon, Darcy delivers more bad news: Mike Garrison’s body was recovered in 1997, and another woman was murdered near the same timeline, and this woman was killed by strangulation. In prison, Javier is attacked and hospitalized. Back at the office, Zamira discovers another victim among the 14—Josie. Since Anthony returns home, Ballard and Thomas begin surveillance. Eventually, Aaron joins and reveals he’s taking a paramedic course. When Anthony leaves, the duo tails him to a parking lot and sees him give a bag to a cop, but they can’t identify the officer. Meanwhile, Zamira finds Abril’s address. When Ballard and Thomas meet Abril, she’s devastated to hear of Ibbara’s death.
Through Abril, they learn of a man named Jesus, arrested previously by Anthony. Later, Zamira confronts Olivas, who warns her to stay quiet or end up like Ballard. While boxing up evidence, Ballard finds a souvenir from the 14 killings linking it to a closed case. So, Ballard informs Berchem, who lets her keep the case for now. At home, Ballard is attacked and nearly strangled by Anthony. In the fight, Ballard damages Anthony’s windpipe, so she calls 911 immediately. However, Ballard realises it’ll be too late by the time the ambulance arrives. So, Ballard calls Aaron, who guides Ballard to insert a tube into the windpipe to save Anthony. However, Anthony takes the tube off and kills himself.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 7, “Fork in the Road” Recap:
The episode opens with the cops at Ballard’s house. Before leaving in the ambulance, Ballard secretly drops something into Thomas’s coat pocket. Later, at the hospital, Ballard hands over her clothes for evidence. Meanwhile, Homicide decides to take over Sarah and John Doe’s case. Subsequently, Berchem visits Ballard and informs her that she’ll be under police protection until further notice and will temporarily stay in a hotel. At the hotel, Ballard finds Bosch already waiting. Notably, Ballard had taken Anthony’s phone, and Bosch had extracted the data and returned it to the evidence box.
Who killed Ray?
The next day, Ballard, Thomas, and Zamira brief the rest of the team about Anthony and their suspicions of dirty cops involved with the cartel. Soon after, Ballard receives a call from Lillian Lee, who wants help finding her son Ray’s body. According to the family, Ray was in a gang, and the police assumed his death was gang-related. Accordingly, Ballard and Thomas visit Lillian and meet Ray’s brother Jun, who reveals that Marcus, the lead suspect, wasn’t pursued because he didn’t fit the suspect profile. Later, Marcus explains that Ray tried to recruit him into the gang, and a fight was recorded and later scrubbed from the internet by his lawyer. Elsewhere, Bosch traces a burner phone to a cop but can’t identify who.
Meanwhile, a tip leads to the discovery of Ray’s body and a gun registered to Christa Fortson, who claims it was for her ex. Then, Ballard visits Jorge in prison, who was wrongly convicted of his fiancée’s murder, and convinces Damani to take his case. Meanwhile, Thomas finds several missing kids cases while searching for Ibbara’s son, Gael. Eventually, Marcus’s fight with Ray’s video leads them to Mr. Kim, which then leads them to Eddy (Christa’s brother), who reveals that Mr. Kim took his smart students on trips to Colby Canyon. Eventually, GPS records from the green Ford reveal the car was at the canyon on the day Ray died. Alarmingly, Jun heads there with a weapon, suspecting Mr. Kim. Ballard convinces Jun to surrender. Now, they have arrested Mr. Kim for murdering Ray. Finally, Bosch reveals that one burner number from Anthony’s phone belongs to none other than Olivas.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 8, “Last Call” Recap:
The episode opens with a flashback to the night Anthony attacked Ballard. That night, Olivas was at Ballard’s house and discovered Anthony was dead. Later, Olivas met with the dirty cops—Santos, Tolli, Pincher, and Bundshu—and promised to act as the bridge between them and the cartel. Meanwhile, Olivas assumed Ballard’s team only knew about Ibbara’s death. To stay ahead, Olivas told Santos to keep dating Martina to gather Intel. At the office, Ballard briefs her team about the corrupt cops.
Soon, Thomas gets confirmation from a friend that Tolli had driven a suspicious car that was spotted near Anthony’s house. Meanwhile, Ballard tries giving fresh insight into the Pearlman case, but lead officer Lindell does not respond. Then, Collen discovers a frequently dialled burner number ending in 1922. Unfortunately, the user is still unknown. Later, while Martina is at Santos’s house, she reads a message from Olivas asking Santos for updates on a burner phone. Alarmed, Martina made an excuse to leave and rushed to Ballard’s to reveal the truth.
Afterward, Collen trace the 1922 burner to Santos. So, the team plans for Martina to lure him to a bar, where they will arrest him. However, Santos fears retaliation and insists on meeting at the cold case unit office. There, Santos exposes Olivas as the new ringleader and details the operation. Consequently, Ballard shows the recording to Berchem, who agrees to bring in the FEDs and DA. The next day, Zamira confesses to her mother about her return to the force. Meanwhile, Thomas learns that Renata had surrendered Gael, who was now in the system.
Soon, Ballard coldly brushed off Aaron. In the office, Ballard pleads and gets the Pearlman case back. Ballard finds a lipstick that has Sarah’s fingerprints on it. However, Zamira says it’s a brand for black people, so it can’t be Sarah’s. The cops didn’t run a DNA test from the inside of the lipstick tube. The next day, Olivas drops his kids off at school, and he gets a call on the burner from Santos’s phone. When Olivas answers, Ballard says she wants to see the look on his face. The cops arrive and arrest Olivas.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 9, “Collateral” Recap:
The episode opens with Darcy’s findings on the lipstick, which belongs to Naomi Bennet. The woman was in the system in 2003 for a felony. At first, the team thinks Naomi may be the killer who had an accomplice. Soon they realise Naomi herself was assaulted, strangled in her bed, way before Sarah’s murder. So, Ballard and Zamira drive to Madera, where Naomi lives. When Naomi is afraid to re-live the trauma, the duo gives her a night to think about the details that can help them solve the case.
The next day, Naomi just says she can’t remember anything. However, Ballard and Zamira bring Naomi to LA to help her recall things. In LA, Naomi says that after that attack, her life turned upside down. Life was good before the attack, as Naomi had just gotten a chair in the salon and rented a place of her own. After the attack, Naomi left, started to drink, do drugs, and one day broke into a friend’s house. This was Naomi’s rock bottom.
Who is the serial killer?
The cops need a written statement from the team about the cartel case, so Martina asks Ted to re-check her statement. The team finds a man, Cassey, who was in proximity to two victims. So, Ted and Ballard visit Cassey’s mom’s house to find numerous dogs, a deranged mother of Cassey, and a frightening Cassey. Still, Ballard manages to get Cassey’s DNA. Sadly, the DNA for Cassey comes out negative. So, Ballard asks Zamira to take Naomi to the apartment, hoping she can recall something. At the apartment, Naomi says the man had brown eyes.
During an interview with Jake, the reporter questions Jake why the party thought of replacing Ballard if she was doing such good work. This surprises everyone. After the interview, Jake says the party thought Ballard had a personal motivation to put Olivas behind bars. At home, Aaron apologizes to Ballard as he cannot continue a casual relationship with her, as he has developed genuine feelings for Ballard. So they part ways as Ballard is not ready to commit.
The next day, Ballard and Zamira bring Naomi to the salon where she is working. There, Naomi recalls a building that was getting constructed at that time. This is a clue, so Ballard contacts the owner of the real estate office, which was there in 2000. The owner sends a list of subcontractors. One name stumps Ballard and Thomas. They show images of 6 men to Naomi, and she immediately recognizes one of them to be the assailant. This is none other than Gary Pearlman. During this time, Ted is with Gary in Gary’s house, telling Gary about finding Naomi. Just then, Ballard calls Ted to inform him that Gary is the serial killer. Even though Gary tries to play it cool, he realizes he is caught. Immediately, Gary pulls out his weapon, and so does Ted. From Ballard’s point of view, she can hear only a gunshot.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Episode 10, “End of the Line” Recap:
The episode opens with Ballard at Gary’s house, where they take Ted to the hospital as he has lost a lot of blood. A while later, Jake arrives, and Ballard gives the bad news that Gary is the serial killer. Now, Ballard asks the cops to look for Ted’s BMW as Gary has taken off with that vehicle. At the station, Berchem allows Ballard to talk to Jake.
The theory of why Gary killed Sarah is that Gary is not Sarah’s biological father. Meanwhile, Jake recalls the day Sarah was murdered. According to Jake, Gary probably heard Jake pull up, so Gary left the building through Sarah’s window. After five minutes, Gary arrives, acting as if he’s only just come home. Now, Collen confirms the affair theory as the palm print on Sarah’s window matches Gary’s. Later, Ballard thinks she should go on the news to let Gary know that he is leaving a sole survivor alive and escaping, as Ballard believes a part of Gary will not like that one bit.
Ballard (TV Series 2025) Ending Explained:
The news is broadcast, and Gary watches it from near a subway station. The cops can’t track him down. Outside the station, Olivas’s wife confronts Ballard, blaming her for destroying Olivas’s life. Instead of arguing, Ballard calmly gives the woman Berchem’s number, telling her to ask Berchem for the real story. Meanwhile, Naomi stays hidden in a safe house. But bad news comes in: the cops find an abandoned car Gary used near the Mexican border, leading them to assume he fled the country.
At the hospital, the team is devastated to learn Ted has died. After the funeral, Jake visits Ballard to hand over Gary’s notes. He tells her he’s dropped out of the campaign but promises she’ll always have allies on the council. Before leaving, Jake asks if she can bring Gary in alive. He also reveals that on the day Ted died, Ted called him, furious that Jake was even considering replacing Ballard.
Later, as Ballard sits alone in the basement office, the power suddenly cuts out. Sensing danger, she quickly texts someone that Gary is inside the building. Her instincts are right: Gary has come to kill her. Ballard fights back fiercely, and the cops arrive in time to arrest Gary. Afterward, Ballard shows the interview footage to Bosch, who wonders what drove Gary to kill Laura.
It turns out Laura had been thrilled to leave her barista job after landing a commercial gig, but Gary resented that she was moving on without her. The roots of Gary’s rage trace back to his childhood: his mother abandoned him, and his father’s anger shaped him into what he became. As for Sarah, she died because she suspected Gary was cheating on her mother after she found souvenirs hidden in his truck.
With Gary behind bars, Naomi is free, Jorge is released from prison, and Bosch finds Ballard at the beach with grim news. Six officers from the conspiracy case are going to jail, but Olivas is walking free. When Ballard demands answers, the lawyer explains that Olivas cut a deal. Furious, Ballard goes to Olivas’s house and punches him. Still arrogant, Olivas mocks her — until Ballard reminds him his reputation is ruined: rumors about him are spreading, his wife has left him, and she’s taken their kids. He’s lost far more than she has. With that, Ballard leaves and meets up with Zamira. But that night, cops show up at Ballard’s house to arrest her for Olivas’s murder.
One thing is certain: there will be a second season. The series ends on a cliff-hanger, with Zamira stunned as Ballard is taken away in handcuffs. In a brief but telling moment, a female cop watches Ballard through the squad car’s mirror, and her look hints at something suspicious. With the cartel ties and corruption inside the department, it’s clear Ballard may have been framed. Given her history with Olivas and the conspiracy around him, she’s the perfect scapegoat.
The cartel likely killed Olivas. But since Ballard visited his house that evening, the cops see her as an easy suspect. The show’s two main threads — the serial killings and the John Doe case — are far from resolved. Gary Pearlman is unmasked as the serial killer, but the John Doe case is still tied to the cartel. Next season, if it comes, will center on who really killed Olivas and Ballard’s fight to clear her name in a system that’s stacked against her.
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