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'Ballard' Cliffhanger Ending Means Season 2 Has To Happen

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Ryan Britt | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 12:14 PM ET

If you've made it to episode 10 in your Ballard binge, then you know that this Bosch spinoff already needs more episodes. In the last episode of Ballard Season 1, "End of the Line" just after seemingly every single plot point was wrapped up, two twists happen back-to-back, one involving Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) himself, and another which finds Ballard (Maggie Q) in the worst possible situation.

Here's what happened in the Season 1 finale of Ballard, how it connects to Bosch, and why this cliffhanger demands that Season 2 happen ASAP. Spoilers ahead.

Ballard Season 1, Episode 10 Ending, Explained

About 30 minutes into the final episode of Ballard, the team has apprehended the murderer who's been behind everything: Gary Pearlman (Kevin Dunn). This guy was the father of Councilman Jack Pearlman (Noah Bean), who, previously, had been giving Ballard a hard time about pretty much everything.

After Ted Rawls (Michael Mosley) is shot by Gary, the team holds a funeral for their fallen colleague while Gary is on the run. Eventually, Ballard is ambushed by Gary at her basement headquarters, where she manages to take him down and get him arrested.

At the same time, the crooked cops that Ballard aprehended in previous episodes, including Olivas (Richard Chavira) is supposed to go to trial, but at the last second, Bosch comes in and tells Ballard that Olivas made some kind of plea deal, and will not go to jail after all.

Ballard is fuming and confronts Olivas at his home, trying to determine what kind of deep corruption he's involved with. Later, while commiserating with Samira (Courtney Taylor), they wonder what Olivas "had to trade" that got him off the hook.

But we never get the answer to that question, because suddenly, cops — colleagues of Ballard's — show up at her house and arrest her for the murder of Olivas. He's been killed off-screen, and Ballard was just at his house, pulling her gun on him. We know Ballard didn't kill him. Or do we?

Ballard Season 2 Seems All But Confirmed. But What About Bosch?

Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in the 'Ballard' finale.Greg Gayne/Prime Video

As of this writing, there's no confirmation from Amazon if Ballard Season 2 will happen. But, with this cliffhanger, and the majority of Ballard's cold-case team intact for new mysteries, it seems almost certain that the show has to return for a second season. Before the show launched, Men's Journal spoke to the cast of Ballard, and John Carroll Lynch said he wants the show to run for at least "10 seasons."

Meanwhile, Ballard herself, Maggie Q, said: "We have a great lineup for Season 2, story-wise."Clearly, she was referring to how this cliffhanger shakes out in a hypothetical second season.

On top of all of this, an earlier moment in the the finale seemed to suggest that Ballard might get an assist from Harry Bosch in future episodes. Before all the twists land, Bosch tells Ballard he hopes that she would be the detective on the case if he was ever murdered. But now, with Ballard arrested, and possibly framed, who can help her? Seems like the obvious answer is Bosch.