By Dan Skip Allen

Amazon has released Season 2 of “Cross” today on their streaming service Prime Video. It’s based on the James Patterson book series featuring a DC Police Detective turned FBI profiler. Season 1 was a big hit on the service. This is the third incarnation of Alex Cross in films or on television, but it’s the best version I’ve seen thus far. It’s as close to the true nature of this character I’ve seen in my lifetime. As a fan of the books, I’m glad to see somebody like Ben Watkins get this character and the world he exists in right. Season 2 expands on that and gets deeper than Season did. Other fans of the books will surely enjoy Season 2 as much as I did.

Season 2 gets more in-depth on “Cross” (Aldis Hodge), Kayla Craig (Alona Tal), and John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa). Each of the three main characters in Season 2 have their own agendas and storylines that they’re involved in. As always, each season of the show is based on an original that was inspired by the book series. This season is based on another original story. Pieced together with story elements from Season 1. This serialized season is broken up to focus on all of the main characters. Each of their stories are very effective in helping to develop their characters and move them forward.

The main story featuring Alex Cross is about a corrupt businessman named Lance Durand (Matthew Lillard), the CEO of Crestview Industries. He has a seed that can grow anywhere so he can help people in any country grow food to help starvation and low income families in poor areas of the world. The problem is that he’s using child labor to do his work in his factories around the country. To get such a lofty lifestyle, he had to leave some collateral damage in his wake. Which in turn, caused some people to want to seek revenge for that collateral damage. It’s an investigation he’s working on with Kayla Craig from the FBI once again. This is a far-reaching investigation that goes to Chicago, the Texas/Mexico border, and Sunrise, Florida.  It’s the kind of story that I’ve loved regarding this character.

Two supporting stories revolve around Tal’s character and Simpson’s characters. One deals with something from her path that has creeped up through the cracks and could threaten her career. The other is about a family member who has come back into his life after thought gone for years. The problem is this thought gone family member was arrested for murder and her relative has to investigate said murder to try to prove her innocent, but that doesn’t change their relationship at all. Which is very complicated at best. The two subplots support the main story very well. They all intertwine together to give the show a well layered experience. Throw in a third with Hodges’  character and the series ups the antenna from Season 1.

With any show, there are starring characters supporting characters and guest stars. That’s the case here with “Cross” Season 2 as well. As mentioned, Lillard is an ego driven CEO of a big food development and distribution company. He’s the perfect actor to play a character like this. His personality plays into a role such as this. Two other supporting characters that play a big part in this season are Luce (Janine Mason) and Donnie (Wes Chatham. They are a revenge seeking pair who resort to violent measures to get what they want. Even killing men they think are responsible for heinous acts against women and children. A returning character from Season One is Bobby Tray (Johnny Ray Gill), who helps the Tal character in her off the books investigation to clear her name. The supporting cast is all fantastic in Season 2.

What I’ve always liked about the Alex Cross books is that they take stories from pop culture or lore of some kind and fit a murder mystery around them. This season is similar in that regard to Season 1 of the show. The Ed Ramsey character killed his victims in the form of past serial killers. This time around, the main killer kills her victims based on an old Latino folk tale. These kinds of stories are entertaining to me. It’s not easy to write good or interesting stories for viewers to follow along with, but the writers of the show do a great job at making the show intriguing and fascinating. The stories of a show like this are just as important as the characters who act them out.

Hodge is a rising actor who has done his fair share of television roles as well as film roles. He’s starting to give me Idris Elba vibes with the roles he has taken and, in this case, made his own. I haven’t been happy with the portrayal of this character previously in the film adaptations, but this is more of what I’ve envisioned this character and his world around him to be like. Hodge is an actor I’ve loved ever since I’ve seen him in Straight Outta Compton, Brian Banks, and City on a Hill. This is the role that has defined him as an actor in his career. He was born to play Alex Cross. The levels of the character are right up his alley, and actors would love to play a role like this. Hopefully, he gets to play him more in future seasons.

“Cross” Season 2 is another barn burner. There are multiple storylines going on at the same time. All the main characters get their moments to shine. That’s what a good detective/FBI series like this should do. Spread the wealth as they say. Watkins and company give viewers a lot to chew on in this second season of this show. Hodge has made this character one that I look forward to with each subsequent season. The stories are well thought out and interesting. This series reminds me of other great dramas of the ilk. Hopefully, a third season will come in the future. It’s too rich of a character and world to let go of. 

3 ½ stars