Episode 4 of Season 1 of "Ballard" unfolds with an clandestine gathering of Ballard, Laffont, and Zamira, who huddle in secret to strategize their next steps. They cautiously agree to keep their suspicions about the LAPD under wraps until concrete evidence surfaces. Their hushed conversation is interrupted when Martina dispatches a message to Ballard, updating him on the bullet's analysis.
Later, Ballard and Laffont convene with Adam, a witness from Laura's case whom Bosch had flagged as suspicious. Adam unravels a tidbit, revealing that Harmon was romantically involved with a closeted celebrity at the time. Though he admits to lying to safeguard the star's identity, he insists on his innocence in Laura's murder. With Harmon deceased, Ballard probes for the identity of his lover, but Adam stands firm, refusing to divulge the name. Laffont proposes an alternative approach to verify Harmon's alibi, suggesting they avoid outing anyone prematurely. If this alternate path leads to a dead end, they can revisit Adam later. Additionally, Adam verifies that the vehicle parked outside Laura's house was a Ford.
Elsewhere, Colleen visits the salon owner in search of deeper insights into Yulia's life, driven by a heartfelt desire to reach out to her family and inform them of the tragic events.
Returning to the office, Ballard directs his team to focus their efforts on locating the Ford seen near Laura's residence on the day she was killed. Meanwhile, Martina provides an update on the bullet, sharing how she and her friend painstakingly reconstructed it from the wound. Ballard places his hopes in Freddie, who leverages the data to uncover a link between the bullet and a case involving Javier, currently incarcerated for firearm-related offenses in County Prison.
As for Zamira, she subsequently extends an apology to Ballard for her heated outburst during their morning meeting. Colleen stumbles upon a promising clue on Reddit regarding a vehicle and decides to delve deeper into it. Her investigation ultimately leads her to another victim, but to uncover further details, she requires Ted's assistance, given his official badge.
Midday, Laffont receives the devastating news of Chastain's fatal car accident. Ballard attempts to feign indifference, yet the loss of her former partner deeply affects her. In the evening, she seeks solace with Aaron, unloading her frustrations about Tutu forcing her to craft a new surfing board.
The subsequent day, Zamira and Ballard pay Javier a visit in prison, only to find him reluctant to divulge much information. Nevertheless, he does identify John Doe as Luka Ibarra, a smuggler for the Zacatecas Nuevas. Javier's alibi proves solid, prompting them to redirect their focus on uncovering more about the vans and Ibarra.
Ballard uses her work as a shield to evade the tumultuous emotions stirred by Chastain's demise. Meanwhile, Ted generously offers to connect Colleen with a contact from Ukraine to aid in tracing Yulia's family. Colleen later convenes with Andrei and briefs him on the unfolding situation.
Their probe into the vans uncovers a fresh lead named Coleman, though unfortunately, this too turns out to be a blind alley. Later, Ted visits Jake's place to catch the game. Nelson brings up the case, prompting Ted to express his uncertainty about Ballard's direction. However, he remains steadfast in his belief that she is giving it her all.
In the dim glow of the evening, Ballard, Laffont, and Zamira converged at a cozy bar, their glasses clinking in a somber yet determined rhythm. Zamira had just received the definitive news: Ibarra was indeed their John Doe. With resolve hardening their resolve, they embarked on tracing the next of kin to deliver the heart-wrenching news. To Zamira's and Laffont's astonishment, Ballard announced she wouldn't attend Chastain's funeral. Yet, mercifully, her stance softened, and she ultimately decided to pay her respects, accompanied by Laffont and Zamira for mutual support.
At the funeral, Chastain's wife, her voice laden with regret, apologized and revealed that her late husband had harbored deep remorse. She further disclosed that Chastain had overheard Olivas mentioning another female officer who had bravely returned to duty. Ballard, listening intently, couldn't help but wonder if Zamira was the officer Olivas had referred to.
Elsewhere, Ted imparted to Colleen the grave news that Andrei had uncovered the tragic fate of Yulia's family, victims of the war. The following day, Javier reached out to the team, eager to strike a deal. Through his lawyer, the terms were laid out, and Javier began spilling his guts like an open book. He unveiled a clandestine network of corrupt officers serving the cartels, engaged in drug trafficking and far worse.
Regarding the gun, Javier claimed it originated from one such rogue cop, though he didn't know the officer's true identity. However, he did provide a lead to unravel the mystery. Digging through the case Javier mentioned, they unearthed the name of a former cop: Driscoll. Javier positively identified him as the one who had handed him the gun. With renewed vigor, Zamira, Ballard, and Laffont delved into Driscoll's murky past. Zamira felt a sense of validation, her suspicions finally confirmed. Ballard confided in her about the assault perpetrated by Olivas, yet Zamira remained tight-lipped about her strained relationship with him.
The episode concludes on a tense note, with Driscoll meeting with Manny to discuss Martina, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats, eager for more revelations.
