Ballard's Success On Prime Video Is A Reminder To Watch Bosch

Prime Video‘s new crime thriller is not only a brilliant show itself but also serves as the perfect reminder to its hit predecessor. The show in question recently landed on Prime Video and earned immense acclaim from both viewers and critics. It even boasts an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%.

Interestingly, it serves as a spin-off of another highly acclaimed series that lasted seven seasons and earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%. The crime thriller genre is easily one of the most overly saturated categories on television. Fortunately, both the spin-off and its parent series are nothing like typical crime thrillers that bring nothing new to the table.

While they, too, riff on some familiar tropes and storytelling devices of the genre, they are elevated by their performances and ability to perfectly translate their source material’s narratives for television. Viewers who have seen even one of the two Prime Video detective shows must certainly check out the other on the streamer.

Prime Video’s Ballard Is A Chart-Topper That Even Surpassed Reacher

For a long time, Reacher reigned supreme on Prime Video’s U.S. Top 10 chart. However, one month after its release, Ballard has officially overtaken the Alan Ritchson show (via Collider). Ballard serves as a spin-off to Titus Welliver’s Bosch series and focuses on the crime-solving endeavors of Detective Renée Ballard.

Not all spin-offs end up performing as well as their parent shows, but Ballard has been doing incredibly well both critically and commercially. Critics seemed to have unanimously agreed that the show adopts a simple and easy-to-follow narrative structure instead of being overly complex like many crime thrillers.

Many have also praised the performances of the show’s cast, especially that of the lead, Maggie Q. Some have even pointed out that Ballard does not try to emulate its parent show’s formula, and, instead, offers something that is far lighter in tone but no less entertaining than Bosch.

You Should Watch Bosch Before Diving Into Prime Video’s Spinoff

Bosch (Titus Welliver) leaning out a car and staring at something in Bosch.

For the most part, Prime Video’s Ballard adopts a standalone narrative that can be enjoyed without watching Bosch. However, before one dives into the spin-off, they should first check out Bosch to enhance their experience of the new show. Ballard not only features several Bosch-friendly cameos but also riffs on many themes and story beats established in the parent series.

Ballard is partly based on Michael Connelly’s 37th novel, Desert Star.

After watching Bosch, it is also interesting to see how, like the Titus Welliver character, Ballard, too, is also driven heavily by her personal motives. Since Bosch serves as the main foundation of the franchise, and Ballard is only a mere extension, it seems like a good idea to stream the parent series on Prime Video before progressing to the spin-off.