Cross
By Sioph W. Leal
Based on characters written by best-selling author James Patterson, Cross brings to life titular Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge), a detective and forensic psychologist who can get in the psyches and minds of killers and their victims to identify and capture them. It has been a year since Alex’s wife was murdered and still no leads, and he has not yet dealt with her murder, but his plans change when a sadistic yet creative killer leaves bodies around the city. Not only is there a serial killer, but a mysterious figure from Cross's past appears wanting to destroy his life and make his family suffer.
As far as crime thrillers go, there are typically a dime a dozen, but Cross manages to bring something new despite their being familiar tones and situations. There’s something new, and a big part of that is from the creativity of serial killer Ed Ramsey (Ryan Eggold), who changes his victims to look like famous killers as an act of love, fascination, and something seemingly religious about the dedication. Pair that with Cross’ ability to get in the minds of killers and his grief causing him to almost explode; it makes for a good pairing even though the two don’t share many scenes. However, when they do come together, it draws you in as both characters wrestle for the position of power and try to get in each other's heads and is played with a great deal of building tension between the two during Ramsey’s birthday party.
Cross is undoubtedly the hero of this story, and we see his trauma, his skills, and his professional and personal life mixed with the mysteries within the series really allow for us to see his skill, his hubris, and his character grow. In this genre, sometimes the hero is all-knowing and can come off slightly supernatural, but the series makes a point to highlight Cross's high intellect and capabilities, with only two occasions forgoing this for the sake of a dramatic plot. It works, and those two occasions can be easily forgiven for the dramatic effect and that it is clearly used to move the narrative forward. Aldis Hodge carries all the complexities well and exudes a much-needed charm that makes up for some of the supporting cast's lack of charisma. Similarly, Eggold does the same with his suave and very dedicated serial killer. Despite the characters being at odds with each other, there’s a deep need for understanding between them that is almost obsessive, and it creates some of the best scenes of the series. It’s as if it's an elevated cat and mouse chase between the two as both fight for the upper hand and are all too eager to give into their hubris just to be in the position of power.
Being character-driven is a good choice that pulls the series through its weaker moments. There are three big events going on in the series, the main being the Fanboy serial killer, followed by Cross struggling to deal with his wife’s murder and the repercussions of it in his personal and professional life. Finally, there is the stalker plotline. The latter gets lost and often seems as if it is forgotten about, until it’s randomly brought up, and despite Cross's reputation and keen skills of observation, it often slips his and the narrative's minds. It is, thankfully, resolved in the final episode, but given the strength of the Fanboy plot and the intrigue that remains over Cross’ murdered wife, the stalker plotline feels underdeveloped and rushed at the end. For some reason there is an end credit scene that detracts from a satisfying end due to the lack of charisma and mumbling of Alona Tal, who does not serve much of anything to the plot except to appear randomly and offer nothing. It was a shame when other characters such as John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa) and Bobby Trey (Johnny Ray Gill) could have made use of that screen time and were fun to watch while offering new layers and, sometimes, insanity to the series.
While Cross follows similar formulas of police thriller dramas, it finds a way to feel new with exceptional performances from Aldis Hodge and Ryan Eggold. Some dialogue choices come off as corny, but it does not deter from a suspense-driven show that draws you in with the horror of a creative serial killer and an obsessive detective. The first two episodes can be harder to get through than most, but from then on, it is high gear full of risk and shifting power dynamics. It would have worked better without the stalker plot, but the rest makes up for it.
Cross premiers on Amazon Prime on November 14th 2024.