Are We in a New Golden Age of Cold Case TV?

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'Out with the new and in with the old' appears to be the mantra for the current spate of crime dramas compensating for the shelved revival of 'Cold Case.' Indeed, having pulled the plug last year on a planned transfer from Philadelphia to the Southwest, CBS may now be having second thoughts, with second Bosch spinoff 'Ballard' just the latest show to join the resurgence in digging up the past.
Netflix's first essential watch of 2025, Sweden's 'The Breakthrough' was a harrowing yet respectful dramatization of a real-life double murder case which, thanks to advances in genealogy, was solved 16 years later. Since then, there's been 'Dept. Q' where Matthew Goode's misanthropic detective investigates the mysterious long-forgotten disappearance of an ambitious lawyer, sophomore seasons for Scottish noir 'Karen Pirie' and Aussie whodunit 'Black Snow,' and a sixth helping of BritBox favorite 'Unforgotten.'
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And there's more to come, including the Benedict Cumberbatch-produced 'The Annecy Murders' and Jonathan Pryce-starring 'Under Salt Marsh.'
Drawing from novelist Michael Connelly's Los Angeles Police Department multiverse (see 'Blood Work,' 'The Lincoln Lawyer'), 'Ballard' is inevitably the pulpiest of the lot. But as with 'Bosch' and 'Bosch: Legacy,' it balances its cop show cliches (the rogue detective rallying against their superiors, the magical forensics) with a visual panache and narrative intelligence often missing from its network TV equivalents: the recurring shots of the Pacific Coast Highway since devastated by the Southern California wildfires also add some sun-kissed poignancy.
As anyone who watched the denouement of 'Legacy' will already know, it boasts a formidable lead worthy of stepping into Bosch's well-worn shoes, too. First introduced continually butting heads with the latter while investigating the deaths of three Filipino prostitutes, Maggie Q's Renee Ballard wastes little time in asserting her authority now she's center stage: within the first two minutes, she's single-handedly taken down a murderer with a gun-toting efficiency that would make Lara Croft proud.
Naturally, the powers that be don't necessarily appreciate her no-nonsense skills. 'You're opening cases faster than you're closing them,' claims Jake (Noah Bean), a councilman frustrated that the deep dive into his sister's death hasn't automatically raced to the top of her to-do-list. Nor does she particularly appreciate her role as division leader, either. 'What better way to keep a troublesome woman quiet than to silo her in the ass-end of LAPD,' she notes about a hierarchy that had previously subjected her, and then turned a blind eye, to sexual harassment.
The show occasionally touches upon such systematic issues. Reluctant returning cop Samira (Courtney Taylor) reveals she gave up her job over the force's hypocritical attitude to race, while Ballard's mandatory therapy session theorize her line of work may be compounding her trauma. It's far more interested, though, in delving into the cold cases Ballard and her overworked, underfunded department prise wide open.
Her motley crew includes Colleen (Rebecca Field), a volunteer whose eagerness to utilize her psychic tendencies provides some welcome comic relief; Ted (Michael Mosley), a cantankerous reserve officer whose attitude to gluten-free and immigrants suggests he's a signed-up member of the anti-woke; and Thomas (John Carroll Lynch), who seems to be fulfilling the 'retired detective who can't stay away' role until a familiar face arrives to 'have a word.'
Yes, fast approaching more comebacks than Rocky Balboa, Bosch (Titus Welliver) appears in four of the season's ten episodes to impart his years of experience on a case which may have far wider implications than first feared. Long-time fans will undoubtedly be delighted at this latest reprieve, of course, along with his grizzled way with words ('Finding a killer is like finding a needle in a haystack, except with a cold case, the haystack has blown all over the field') and slightly combative tete-a-tetes with his successor.
However, it's a sign the show still doesn't entirely have enough faith to let its heroine entirely speak for herself, despite the fact both Connelly ('captured the character of Ballard from day one') and his real-life inspiration, LAPD detective Mizzi Roberts, have given Q their seal of approval.
Still, Ballard largely remains in the driving seat throughout as she begins to suspect a series of seemingly isolated homicides from both the past and present — a John Doe last seen with a baby yet to be found, an aspiring actress strangled 17 years ago, a motel cleaner shot by a mentally ill loner — may well be linked to one giant overarching conspiracy. Meanwhile, an on/off romance with lifeguard Aaron (Michael Cassidy) and some domestic banter with free-spirited grandma Tutu (the ever scene-stealing Amy Hill) also help deepen her backstory, even if the former only really skims the surface.
Admittedly, that could be said of the entire show. 'Ballard' certainly isn't as multi-layered as 'Dept. Q,' nor as emotive as 'The Breakthrough.' Although its semi-feminist spin may reel in a less testosterone-fueled audience, it still occupies the same 'Dad TV' middle ground which has become its home platform's forte. But with a compelling lead and knotty mystery, it should continue the renaissance for crimes long considered dead and buried.
All 10 episodes of 'Ballard' will be available to stream on Prime Video on Wednesday, July 9.
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