After decades of trying to make author James Patterson’s well-known character Alex Cross sizzle on the big screen with both Morgan Freeman (“Kiss the Girls,” “Along Came a Spider”) and Tyler Perry (“Alex Cross”), Prime Video found the right format and best lead in “Leverage” and “Underground” star Aldis Hodge for “Cross.”
Instead of only leaning into Alex Cross as a brilliant DC Metro detective with an uncanny ability to foil a serial killer’s best laid plans, they added several layers — the tortured widower struggling to move on with high school friend Elle (Samantha Walkes); an uncertain father of two whose grandmother, affectionately known as Nana Mama (Juanita Jennings), helps raise; a great partner in Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa) with whom he grew up; and a flawed man fundamentally committed to doing good.
Mixing those elements into the twisty ride of tracking down the “Fanboy” serial killer — so named for his fandom and mimicking of famous serial killers — in Season 1 bolted the next installment of “Cross” to the top of highly anticipated returning TV shows for 2026. By deviating even further from Patterson’s template of over 30 books and zeroing in on a different kind of serial killer for Luz, in a stellar portrayal by Jeanine Mason (“Roswell, New Mexico”), series creator Ben Watkins and his team have put their unique stamp on the series.
The show quickly establishes Luz, or Rebecca per her government name, as more vigilante than coldhearted serial killer. Yes, she kills people, severing several of their fingers as a signature move, but like Alex she wants the bad guys to pay. Business mogul Lance Durand (Matthew Lillard), who is more Elon Musk than Steve Jobs in his deeds, is the bad guy in question here. His diabolical actions give Luz’s deadly pursuit to bring him to justice even more legitimacy, making it harder for the audience to root for Alex Cross to track her down.
By taking on her mother’s cause in her own way, Luz, spurred on by her Aunt Clare (Michelle C. Bonilla) and assisted by the military-trained Donnie (Wes Chatham), becomes a mythical figure who is unafraid to punish those behind human trafficking, child labor and other crimes that prey upon the weak. And there is nothing she won’t sacrifice, personally or romantically, to see this mission through.
In highlighting Luz’s crusade to expose exploitation of child labor, and the rich predators who benefit from it, it’s almost eerie how the storyline echoes real life scandals like the ongoing Epstein saga. As ICE agents remain in Minneapolis and spread across other parts of the country, the show’s focus on Mexican immigrants is also timely. Like Bad Bunny’s epic Super Bowl halftime performance, Luz’s backstory digs beyond the surface to strike a much deeper chord of understanding into Latino culture, reveling in deep traditions and lore.
But Luz’s storyline isn’t this season’s only highlight. With Alex’s relentless pursuit of Fanboy behind him, he and Elle’s romantic relationship has been put on ice, even as their closely intertwined personal lives make it hard for them to uncouple. Sampson is also in an emotional tailspin as a close relative he believed to be dead resurfaces and needs his help in a criminal matter that forces him to struggle with forgiveness of not just her, but others close to him. And then there’s ambitious FBI agent Kayla Craig (Alona Tal), a female iteration of the main villain Kyle Craig in the books.
Despite sleeping with Sampson last season, Kayla’s attraction to Alex hasn’t disappeared. As the two of them join forces to crack the latest case, Alex’s troubled love life makes him an easy target. But Kayla also has her own problems. Messy dealings in her past, as her FBI boss (played by Watkins who briefly resumes his acting career) warns, have placed her in jeopardy of losing the promotion she’s worked so hard to achieve. To clear her name, she takes a huge gamble and reteams with Fanboy’s murderous dirty cop Bobby Trey (a convincing Johnny Ray Gill).
Prime Video is wisely staggering Season 2’s eight episode run, releasing the first three Wednesday, followed by weekly episodes until the explosive March 18 finale. Mason’s standout portrayal of Luz raises the ante by introducing a sympathetic serial killer who is more vigilante than monster. The underrated Isaiah Mustafa also deepens Sampson’s fan appeal while Kayla’s divided loyalties and motives look to impact Alex Cross’s future, raising enough questions to guarantee Season 3.
In short, Cross’s sophomore season is a triumph that strengthens audience investment in the series as well as in Hodge’s continual portrayal of the complex detective.
“Cross” Season 2 releases new episodes Wednesdays on Prime Video.
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