Despite spending significant finances creating tales of international espionage and low-cultural-impact origin stories, Amazon’s successful implementation lies in creating polished series adaptations of best-selling novels. Amazon’s previous endeavors like Bosch, Reacher, and Jack Ryan serve as testament to this formulaic success. Applying the same approach, Amazon has renewed Cross for its second season even before the audience response to the first season.
Starring Aldis Hodge, the series revolves around the life of a Washington, D.C. police detective with a psychology Ph.D., Alex Cross. After solving the infamous Gary Soneji case, he becomes a local celebrity, seemingly having it all; a beautiful wife, two children, and a supportive grandparent. However, Cross' life takes a tragic turn when his wife is brutally murdered in the opening scene of the premiere. After a year of resisting therapy and exhibiting temper outbursts, Cross finds himself getting pulled into a politically charged investigation, involving the death of a local Defund the Police/Black Lives Matter activist.
Initially, the plot hinted at an exploration of the challenges of being a Black law enforcement officer in a primarily Black community that views the police as an occupying force. However, the show quickly resorts to traditional thriller tropes, focusing on a serial killer fanatically obsessed with other serial killers and a case from Cross's past. The wrenching part is that the show uses these hard-hitting societal issues as a mere backdrop, thereby wasting its full potential.
The show often ends up reinforcing the clichés it seeks to criticise, something that affects its narrative. While the lead actor, Aldis Hodge, delivers a riveting performance portraying the character of Alex Cross, the rest of the cast often ends up fading in the background due to their one-dimensional characterization. There are suspense sequences that feel too familiar, and the overuse of these clichés makes the Cross viewing experience frequently oppressive.
Conclusively, despite its shortcomings, Cross does succeed in providing Hodge a rewarding leading role, further solidifying its position in Amazon's list of successful series adaptations of best-selling novels. However, the show's lack of innovation and its misspent potential make it fall short of being more than a conventional thriller, despite the flashes of brilliance and potential it showcases.
