The first three episodes of Cross Season Two are now streaming on Prime Video. New episode stream weekly every Wednesday. Watch Cross Season Two now on Prime Video.
Synopsis
Starring Aldis Hodge, Cross is a Washington DC based crime drama that follows Alex Cross, a brilliant homicide detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the minds of serial killers in order to identify and catch them. In Season Two, Cross faces a ruthless vigilante targeting America’s corrupt billionaire magnates.
Review
Prime Video continues to be the home of what I call the “Silver Screen Rejects.” From Jack Ryan to Jack Reacher, the most popular novelistic action heroes—who, in recent years, failed to thrill at the box office—are finding massive success on streaming. James Patterson’s Alex Cross is well and truly along for that ride as Aldis Hodge returns for a second outing of Cross.
The three-episode premiere has all the thrills and intrigue you’d expect from a Patterson adaptation. It wastes no time setting up the season’s big threat while complicating Cross’s personal life and delivering earth-shattering revelations for his closest colleagues.
While there’s a lot of fun to be had, this season is anything but subtle. Episode one kicks off in an untouchable billionaire’s house of debauchery on a private island. It’s a sequence that takes direct aim at the Epstein scandal, complete with a character whose accent and appearance serve as a biting critique of the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, aka the Royal formerly known as Prince Andrew.
Series creator Ben Watkins isn’t pulling his punches; that much is clear. Not only does the show want to make a statement about these real-world events, but it also sprinkles in an element of wish-fulfilment justice in the form of this season’s antagonist: Luz. Played by Jeanine Mason (WondLa, Roswell, New Mexico), Luz can be best described as a “Righteous Avenger” assisted by her lackey, Donnie (Wes Chatham, The Expanse).
If Luz’s target is an Epstein-like figure, she is undoubtedly modelled after Luigi Mangione—as I said, subtlety is out the door. Nevertheless, what makes the character of Luz work, so far, is that she’s not a maniac fuelled by bloodlust, nor a coldhearted, man-eating femme fatale simply out to score big. While she has some of those traits, at her core, Luz isn’t a monster and has the potential to be a villain you almost want to see win—especially when so many real-world elites evade justice, which seems clear that this is what Watkins is getting at this time around. Additionally, Mason’s performance goes a long way ti win viewers over; she plays the role with conviction and avoids moustache-twirling clichés. As the season progresses, I look forward to seeing where she goes, and her inevitable face-off against Cross and Craig is bound to be exhilarating.
However, Luz isn’t the only dilemma, and this is where things get a little messy. Matthew Lillard joins the show as Lance, an agricultural billionaire who seems a little too squeaky clean, but whose life is threatened; Special Agent Kayla Craig (Alona Tal) faces a career-ending secret coming to light; and Detective John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa) wrestles with a shocking revelation. By the end of the premiere, it’s easy to feel like you’re watching a plate-spinning exercise, unsure which plot holds the most importance; specifically, Agent Craig’s story, which at times competes with—and even edges out—the main Luz arc.
With five episodes remaining, there is still time for these rabbit trails to converge and stick the landing, but the writers must be careful that the B and C plots don’t accidentally become the main attraction.
On the surface, the premiere is a compelling ride that gets you firmly stuck in. Nevertheless, the obvious allusions to real-world events and people may feel occasionally clunky. However, in the show’s defence, it is not hiding its politics. As a mass-market series, the depth of what it can or can’t say is likely limited, though there is undoubtedly an attempt with Cross Season Two to confront today’s up-to-the-minute headlines by using fiction as a mirror to reflect the nastiness of contemporary society.
Verdict
Season 2 of Cross has kicked off with a bang. It wants to say something about society while toeing the line as a playful popcorn thriller. While it feels overstuffed in places, Aldis Hodge continues to offer a commanding performance, cementing him as the definitive Alex Cross. While the mileage of its real-world allusions may vary between viewers, this season is shaping up to be, at most, a fun, high-stakes ride that is easy to get lost in.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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