Key Highlights
- Vigilantism and justice are central themes in “Cross” season two.
- The series explores the line between law and justice through a new plot involving sex trafficking.
- Alex Cross and John Sampson face a new villain, Luz, who is hiding on a boat traveling to a remote island.
- Ben Watkins discusses the difference between law and justice in season two.
The New Season: A Return to Form
Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge) and his childhood best friend John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa) are back in “Cross,” a thrilling detective series based on James Patterson’s bestselling novels. The second season, set to premiere on Prime Video, is shaping up to be a gripping exploration of justice and vigilantism.
The opening scenes of the new season introduce viewers to Luz (Jeannine Mason), a beautiful young Hispanic woman who hides on a boat traveling to a remote island for a liquor delivery. This plot line, reminiscent of the Epstein files, sets the stage for a high-stakes narrative involving sex trafficking and vigilantism.
Ben Watkins, creator, showrunner, writer, and actor, explains that the new season delves into the question of what constitutes justice when the law falls short. “The second season is about vigilantism and when it slips into vengeance,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “How far is too far? You might be rooting for somebody because you agree with why they are doing something, but eventually they might cross a line and you find yourself rooting for a monster.”
A Personal Connection
Isaiah Mustafa, who plays John Sampson, shares that the storyline about his character’s mother, LaDonna DuVernay (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), hits close to home. “I grew up without a father in the house for a majority of the time,” he says. “So that was an easy place to go to. But there is something about the connection between a son and his mother that is a little bit deeper, and the connection seems to have more resonance.”
Mustafa emphasizes the importance of portraying this relationship authentically: “I had to dig deep and put myself in that situation. Where would I be if this was happening and I had to put some trust into somebody who abandoned me at one point in time?”
A Community First Approach
Season two also features Matthew Lillard as billionaire Lance Durand, while Aldis Hodge elaborates on the series’ approach to policing. “The thing that I love about the show is that we get to expose the other facets of who we are in the best iteration,” he says. “We highlight the connection between law enforcement and the community they serve.”
Hodge continues, “Oftentimes, we do hear about the separation of law enforcement and community. But where you find yourself in that homogenous space is when law enforcement is of the community, when they become community. Real-life Black police officers like Cross and Sampson may have a better relationship with their communities than what’s generally perceived.”
Realism Meets Fiction
James Patterson, author of the original novels, expresses his delight with the Prime series’ interpretation of Alex Cross. “The novels started a long time ago,” he says. “What I like about this series is that it’s more realistic about what happens with a cop in Washington these days.” Patterson acknowledges that the show’s creators are tapping into current issues and real-life scenarios: “Ben and I agreed from the beginning to create original stories while honoring the book series.”
The first three episodes of season two are now streaming on Prime Video, promising fans an exciting blend of realism and fiction.