James Patterson’s character Alex Cross from his series of novels has been interpreted on screen before by Morgan Freeman (Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider) and Tyler Perry (Alex Cross). But arguably no actor embodies him as well as Aldis Hodge, who portrays the titular detective and forensic psychologist in Amazon Prime Video’s Cross.
The crime thriller has returned for its second season, Cross emerging from catching a dangerous and twisted serial killer and discovering who murdered his wife and why. Finally having dealt with his grief in a healthy way through therapy, Alex is back and better than ever. And so is the show. It’s an intense season from the opening scene right through to the end as he hunts a femme fatale-like vigilante serial killer that raises Dexter-like questions about morality and justice. Season 1 was a strong start, and Season 2 solidifies Cross as the best Patterson novel adaptation to hit the small or big screen.
Alex is in a Much Better Place
In Season 1, Alex discovered the serial killer he was hunting was Ed Ramsay (Ryan Eggold), a wealthy businessman and pillar of society with a dark secret. He and his family were also being harassed by a mysterious person who clearly knew something about his wife’s murder. With all this weighing on his mind, along with his bosses not believing his theories and his love interest Elle (Samantha Walkes) caught in the crosshairs of his obsession, he was not in the right frame of mind.
Once Ramsey was caught, however, and Alex learned the shocking truth about who killed his wife and who was after his family, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. His actions came at the expense of his relationship with Elle, but this also finally convinced him to seek therapy and grief counselling.
In Season 2, Alex is back in full form, a visible weight lifted off his shoulders. He’s hunting another killer, this time with a method behind her madness. Yes, her. She’s a cunning, methodical, sometimes seductive chameleon-like woman on a mission to right wrongs. Others around Alex, meanwhile, have their own challenges to deal with, including Kayla (Alona Tal) and John (Isaiah Mustafa). This wonderfully expands the story beyond just Alex’s world, giving the supporting cast more depth and better character arcs.
Finally, We Get More of Alex’s Psychological Profiling
My only criticism of Cross Season 1 is that outside of the bookend opening and ending scenes, Alex’s incredible profiling skills weren’t on display enough, the psychology aspect missing from the show. In Season 2, that’s corrected in spades as we get to see Alex’s brilliant mind at work. It’s exciting to watch events play out, then Alex theorizing how he thinks they could have played out, or what the motivations of the killer could be, and he’s dead right every single time. Give Alex a murder board and a pensive, cross-armed look and you know he’s firing on all cylinders, a lightbulb about to illuminate in his head at any moment. This is the quality that makes Alex so compelling, and it’s nice to see more of it this season.
We dive even further into the psychology angle since the killer Alex is hunting isn’t a sadistic murderer satisfying a compulsion. She’s a vigilante taking down corrupt corporate types, and I’m all for the Dexter-themed twist. Jeanine Mason does a fantastic job of portraying the woman as both relatable and unhinged, charming and ruthless. Fun fact: Mason first rose to fame as winner of reality dance competition show So You Think You Can Dance way back in 2009. While she’s clearly a skilled dancer, the decision to pursue acting was the right one because she’s a natural: every one of her scenes will send chills down your spine.
The rest of the new and returning cast is just as brilliant, including Matthew Lillard (Scream) as businessman Lance Durand and Wes Chatham (The Expanse) as Donnie. The show amplifies the buddy cop dynamic, giving Kayla more screen time as she and Alex team up again, proving to be the dream team of catching killers. Alex and John, meanwhile, have an unbreakable bond that is tested in a way it never has been before.
Also returning is Johnny Ray Gill (Rectify) as Bobby Trey Abellard. He’s even more unhinged than I remember him being in Season 1, almost to the point of being cartoonish. There’s no denying he has some of the best one-liners of the season, but he adds an ill-fitting, perhaps unintentional comedic spin to every scene he’s in. His playful terror cuts through the seriousness of the rest of the plot, so perhaps this is precisely what he’s meant to do.
Deserving kudos as well is the show’s creator, showrunner, writer, and producer Ben Watkins, who flawlessly plays a tough-as-nails character named Roy. His more-than-short-cameo role reminds us that he started his career as an actor before switching to working behind the scenes to create shows like this one. He’s convincing in the role, clearly casting himself in it because he was confident he could pull it off. And he did.
While all these characters get their own stories, they primarily exist in Alex’s orbit, as it should be. Hodge himself shines this season, thanks to the character having emerged from the funk he was in through Season 1. Whether he’s holding himself back from attacking someone who rightfully deserves it (think corrupt cops and lippy corporate types) or line dancing in a country bar (yes, that happens this season and it’s everything you hope it would be), he’s the centre of the show’s universe.
This version of Alex is badass in every way. His glare could cut holes through your skin, yet his smile can melt hearts, and his interactions with his kids leave you swooning. There’s a charm, a swagger about him that is different from any other similar character on TV. He also has a strong moral compass, and this season, particularly its ending, exemplifies this more than ever.
As for the plot, yes, you’ll notice plenty of holes, events that could not possibly have happened, escapes that seem unlikely. There are moments that work out way too conveniently, as is typical for shows like this one. (The most realistic scenarios sadly don’t always translate for the 45-minute episodic format). But there’s depth to the story, too, with this season’s plot leaving you pondering, much like you do with Dexter, what justice and morality truly look like. You may even find yourself sympathizing with a killer, despite her sick and twisted rituals (Dexter Morgan had rituals, too, after all). The story is more meaningful than just a cat and mouse cop show, covering important economic and political issues. The social commentary won’t be lost on viewers, especially in today’s climate.
Cross is Arguably the Best James Patterson Adaptation to Date
What I appreciate most about Cross overall is the mix of high action with a procedural feel, a slow burn story, and the fascinating psychological angle. While it seems at times that Alex is a little too believably perceptive (we know he’s good, but no one is reasonably that good), I’m happy to believe that he is. It’s what makes this character who originated in pages from a book come to life in a way that hasn’t been done before. Perry wasn’t the right fit and Freeman interpreted Alex much differently than Hodge does.
Looking through the rolodex of TV and movie adaptations from Patterson’s writings, including titles like The Postcard Killings and Women’s Murder Club, the vast majority have been panned by critics. This isn’t a reflection of Patterson’s writing: his books have sold millions of copies, and he’s been a successful author for decades. But with the exception of Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, no project of his has received glowing reviews, many pretty terrible ones (don’t even bother checking out the Rotten Tomatoes critics score for Alex Cross).
Cross, however, is different. Watkins finally cracked the code by focusing on a faithful depiction of Alex himself versus adapting the book’s specific stories. Alex was the key – the stories could be built around him later. This switch in priorities shines through, culminating in a show with made-for-TV storylines starring a created-in-a-book lead character that totally works.
With such an intriguing character, exciting stories, and cases that allow Alex to flex all his muscles, physical and mental, I expect that Cross will be around for many more seasons to come. He’s catching bad guys (and gals) and showing why he’s one of the most sought-after detectives. The procedural feel means there’s no shortage of storylines to explore. I’d be surprised if there isn’t a renewal. Two other actors may have played Alex before, but Hodge is Alex Cross. And we hope to see more of him.