FOR ONCE I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU BOB!<\/p>\n
My wife and I love Connelly and Bosch, and positivelty adore the audiobooks with Titus voice acting as Bosch. The ones that have Ballard have Christine Lakin doing the part of Ren\u00e9e and she IS the character, brought to life in full audio color. Ms Q is totally wrong for the part, not to mention the writing and production. \u00a0You nailed it!<\/p>\n
Louis Judson<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
Ballard merely a longform Law and Order. Predictable and dull. Wish more Titus Welliver. Commercials on Prime insulting. At least we get free shipping.<\/p>\n
Oedipus<\/p>\n
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I\u2019m laughing. I watched 1 1\/2 episodes and said, \u201cthis sucks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Was hoping for a \u201cBosch.\u201d Not even f*cjing close!<\/p>\n
John Hummer<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
I was hoping this was going to be good. So disappointed. Couldn\u2019t watch more than 2 episodes.<\/p>\n
Loren Parkins<\/p>\n
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I agree…give me Bosch<\/p>\n
Jeff\u00a0Laufer<\/p>\n
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We enjoyed Ballard, flaws and all. For us, it was the writing. Bosch Legacy from the get go was so obviously underfunded. If you hadn’t watched either series and then watched any episode of Bosch and then an episode of Legacy,\u00a0 you could see the\u00a0difference in almost every aspect of the show. Just my opinion.<\/p>\n
Bruce Greenberg<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
Right on all accounts.<\/p>\n
bepn<\/p>\n
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Yeah but we got a cameo by J Edgar!<\/p>\n
Tag Gross<\/p>\n
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Bless you for going\u00a0deep in this show. You\u2019re a mensch.\u00a0I watched 20 minutes and switched to something better. Ballard is\u00a0Drivel.<\/p>\n
Garrett Waltzer<\/p>\n
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Nailed it!\u00a0 I watched it all (mostly in the hope that some of the Bosch characters\u00a0 would appear) but can’t really even remember\u00a0whodunit.\u00a0 Didn’t care.\u00a0 Network cop show\u00a0with\u00a0wooden characters not even up to the level of The Rookie.\u00a0 Sad, but maybe redeemable with a mostly new cast.\u00a0 Sadly, most likely one and done.<\/p>\n
Peter Burnside<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
Ballard was a slog.<\/p>\n
Josie Moore<\/p>\n
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Wow.<\/p>\n
Totally agree with you 100%.<\/p>\n
Tom Cartwright<\/p>\n
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Spot on<\/p>\n
Doug Coleman<\/p>\n
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But there WAS a J Edgar appearance! I think we loved Bosch so much that we like Ballard enough to keep watching it. But I really miss Bosch too.<\/p>\n
Kevin Twit<\/p>\n
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This show! I was so disappointed and like you, had to finish to see how it ended out of principal.<\/p>\n
1. Knock off memes – the basement. Maggie Q is NOT Dept. Q.<\/p>\n
2. The f*cjing car, seriously, another cop driving a vintage car???<\/p>\n
3. The trailer at the beach. Okay, Bosch consulted on a film and made the big bucks to buy that mid century gem up in the canyon, but what is her backstory that her family has hung onto this million\u00a0dollar park spot?<\/p>\n
4. Wardrobe – former Hollywood Stylist here. First, those cut up t-shirts she’s wearing in her shed while she makes the surfboard…as carefree and independent as she attempts to be, these t-shirts were not aged at all. They look brand new. As for her trousers, well a little bit tight. The blouses are too high quality and custom fit for someone who lives in a trailer and drives a vintage car.<\/p>\n
5. Rebecca Fields, the volunteer side kick. Sigh. I am tired of the chubby okay “fat girl” with the pretty face being the quirky, goofy side-kick. Such a trope.<\/p>\n
And sneaking Bosch in for such a few moments, we never really get to remember what the issues were with them I barely recall the episode in Bosch where they meet and or clash. But his hair! That hair parted on the side…so odd.<\/p>\n
Everyone I talk to about this is stunned. Yet we watched and are continuing to talk about it.<\/p>\n
Thanks for always showing up and pulling\u00a0back the curtain, Bob<\/p>\n
Cheers,<\/p>\n
Linda Zrroz<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
I watched Ballard for the same reason as you, because I wanted to see the level in which Titus was involved. \u00a0The show was just ok. \u00a0There is too much available to spend time with “just ok.”<\/p>\n
Clyde Bass<\/p>\n
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I don’t pretend to have a critic’s skill or experience such as yours but perhaps sometimes it’s a blessing. In the case\u00a0of the show “Ballard” I understand (I think) some of your issues\u00a0with the series but I also think you are way off base with Maggie Q’s role. I have read every Michael Connelly book including all the Renee Ballard books. It is not clear from your review that you have. Renee Ballard, like Harry Bosch, is a very\u00a0complex character with a lot of issues – and she is definitely NOT a warm and fuzzy person. Yes, I am a Maggie\u00a0Q fan and I’m not sure how you think Ballard should be portrayed\u00a0but I think she is spot on for the\u00a0character. The fact that she has essentially the same ethnicity as the character is just a part of the deal and makes\u00a0it that much more believable.<\/p>\n
I agree that this series, so far, is no Harry Bosch but then what is? It may or may not go as many seasons but I think you need to just either give it a little more time or simply let it go.<\/p>\n
Thanks for your newsletter – it always\u00a0 invites a response!<\/p>\n
D Roger Pederson<\/p>\n
Mpls, MN<\/p>\n
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Agreed: Ballard is awful. I couldn\u2019t finish the first episode. But I think you\u2019re too hard on Maggie Q. The problem is the terrible\u00a0writing. I don\u2019t think any actor can fix it.<\/p>\n
Robert Saenz<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
The very first time that Ballard appeared in a Connelly Ballard was at Green Lake in Seattle, I read a bunch of it and I swore even if Bosch appeared it couldn’t be held together. I have never have or or will read or watch that again.<\/p>\n
Pat Mallahan<\/p>\n
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I have to say, a big letdown from Bosch. As you say, formulaic and very ‘Mannix’-ish. I don’t dislike Maggie Q as much as you do, but it’s a far cry from Welliver in a leading role<\/p>\n
bfletcher28<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
You nailed it. Something is way wrong with Maggie Q on this show. She is so self-conscious. \u00a0Hair always perfect. Never a convincing moment in that role. Not for one second. They need to dump her. Then again, there is little else to care about in that basement. Hard pass for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Day of The Jackal\u201d and \u201cThe Recruit\u201d are so much better in every way: \u00a0casting, script, acting, action. They would both be huge if they had that kind of push \u201cBallard\u201d is all hype. Nothing more.<\/p>\n
Susan Levy Rash<\/p>\n
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Thanks for warning me. I also started watching because of the connection to Bosch, but I just can\u2019t even get through the first episode\u2026 \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n
– Roy Liu<\/p>\n
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Couldn\u2019t even get through the first episode. 20 minutes in I was out.<\/p>\n
Kelly Gross<\/p>\n
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My wife and I gave up after the first episode, but part of it was also the partner. Having two big-nothings as the heart of a show signals failure on all fronts.<\/p>\n
Christopher Hall<\/p>\n
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As a big BOSCH fan and shows of that nature, I was pleased to watch this new show.
\nAs I began watching it,I didn’t even realize that Bosch and company would even be involved.
\nI thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the new series.<\/p>\n
Rita Gentry<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
stop Asian hate<\/p>\n
Borsch<\/p>\n
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Sadly, gotta agree. Her character in the books is better drawn – with an actual inner life – and not totally devoid of humor<\/p>\n
Steve Dougherty<\/p>\n
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Well, you totally got this one right?.. we were sucked in waiting for something to happen.. we have no idea how this actress Maggie Q got the gig.. it was like watching a wet noodle.. and now there\u2019s gonna be a season two\u2026 yikes<\/p>\n
Peace,Jason Miles<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
Hi Bob, I couldn’t agree more with your scathing review of Ballard.\u00a0 It deserved it. I remember reading after Bosch Legacy was over that they\u00a0 planned to do 2 shows. One was Ballard and the\u00a0other one was the great J.Edgar. Two spin offs. We all know and love J.Edgar….aka Jamie Hector aka Marlo Stanfield and so many others. And then they pulled the J. Edgar show. Big mistake. Who knows why but whoever makes those decisions made the wrong one.\u00a0 I desperately missed the Bosch supporting cast as well.\u00a0 Ballard stinks.\u00a0 For J. Edgar, I would have been counting the days for it to start.<\/p>\n
Janice Rosen<\/p>\n
Toronto<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
I must disagree.<\/p>\n
Maggie Q is good actress with martial arts skill. Your guy Titus is habitually self-conscious and although he\u2019s improved over the years, he has trouble walking, never mind acting.<\/p>\n
But the star of Bosch, Ballard and the Lincoln Lawyer is Michael Connelly and the key supporting actor in all three shows is Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Ballard is already a hit and its very strong female cast is a big part of the reason.<\/p>\n
Keith Brown<\/p>\n
_____________________________________<\/p>\n
Sadisticly cruel and un-called for. Go ahead and criticize pointedly but leave the personal knife-twisting out, after \u00a0you\u2019ve made your point. (Repeatedly). What did she ever do to you? So unnecessarily cruel.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m starting to worry about you, Bob.<\/p>\n
Rosalie Howarth<\/p>\n
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