CROSS EXAMINED

James Patterson's genius detective faces an uncertain future and a grisly new mystery in Season 2 of the surefire hit

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Alex Cross is back on the beat. And once again, D.C. Metro's star detective and forensic psychologist at the heart of Prime Video's hit crime series is taking us down an unexplored—and unexpected—path that may prove to be a literal dead end for some folks, and should end up being a thrill ride for the rest of us.

Season 1 saw Aldis Hodge badge up as novelist James Patterson's crime procedural genius, previously played on the big screen by Morgan Freeman (Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider) and Tyler Perry (Alex Cross). Within its first 20 days, Cross collared 40 million viewers to become Prime’s third-biggest launch of 2024, earning critical praise for tempering the creepy-as-f--- hunt of a serial killer (Ryan Eggold) with Hodge’s nuanced turn as a broken man trying to show up for his two kids, aging mother and community following the murder of his wife. Added bonus: Cross' plots are wholly created for the show, so Patterson’s legion of loyal readers don’t have spoilers.

“We decided before Season 1 not to do direct adaptations,” explains showrunner Ben Watkins, who shot both Season 1 and 2 back-to-back. “We wanted to have original stories that evolve [with] some variety.” (One difference: Season 2’s eight episodes won't drop all at once; three premiere February 11, then weekly until the March 18 finale.)