Double ‘Cross’ed

Grade: D+

It’s empowering to see black men in commanding roles on screens large and small. There should be, though, a sense of merit without the DEI nonsense in the writer’s room. In watching Cross, there seems to be a disconnect between what a black man PhD psychologist detective Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge) on TV feels off-putting, inauthentic, and problematic.

When Dr. Cross encounters a white supremacist, he mentions how his genitals are bigger than the white man’s, adding it’s “genetics.” This passage could have been handled on a more intellectual level rather than a merely physical, sexual retort.

After that, the show seems to be mired down in procedural events and expected exchanges that Alex Cross creator James Patterson must have approved of prior to the show. It’s pretty low brow and predictable. The show never has the cinematic quality of a Breaking Bad or the earthy realism of The Wire. As far as mystery, intrigue, and even moments of authentic levity. This is no Castle.

The main idea behind this show allows only for the viewer to experience the surface level of how detectives interact with criminals. Cross is confident and assertive but it’s almost as if his challengers seem to be pathetic stick figures that can be knocked down with a gust of air. There seems to be a disconnect between the art direction, lighting, and sound as well. These all contribute to an actor’s ability to continue with the overall work.

The books are essentially mediocre as well. Tyler Perry and Morgan Freeman have served as the prominent detective in the past. Hodge seems to at least provide more energy and insight into this role, though he sometimes stumbles early on.

All the episodes have been made available by Amazon Prime Video. The next few installments seem to have the same ironic quality of an intellectual not using his intellect to go up against the bad guys.

The familial ties present lighter fare and colors in Cross’ ability to relate to people outside of work.

Again, the writers seem to be pushing for an agenda that says that Cross should be a result of the woke crowd. It appears as if the amount of thought (or no thought) put into this series has left it gasping for air when it should be inhaling deep turns and twists and exhaling irony and wit. The only person breathing correctly even through the poor script of the initial is Hodge.

Detective John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa) is a runner up. It’s refreshing to see to black men working together to solve crimes. This seems like a scaled back version of another law enforcement figure duo on the big screen with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in the Bad Boys franchise. He holds his own and stands on his square as sincere and somewhat compelling. His supportive role brings together an alley-oop to Hodge’s slam dunk performance.

If the next few episodes bring together a better understanding of the nature of a detective who has lasered in on mitigating and even ceasing the acts of a serial killer, there could be some redemption to the drab wardrobe, the dim-witted jokes, and the disorienting nature of the whole affair.

Cross is an example of what black artists, especially writers and directors (even actors) have struggled with in the end. The question about whether a black person should write white heroes and vice versa, this creates a disturbing trend. Anyone with the chops to craft a tale of characters who might be different from your racial background presents a difficult road to tread. Mr. Patterson has made the leap based on his claim to have experienced Foundational Black Americans (FBA) in his younger days.

The potential for the rest of the season rests on everyone going against DEI should allow this series to thrive. If they can just reconfigure the idea that Cross does not have to be crude to get his point across, that will hopefully uplift it from the muck and make the show clean, sleek and fresh as a new a sports car.

Objective Observations:

The scenes with Cross’ grandmother Regina "Nana Mama" (Juanita Jennings) show that the show can be softened from the hard edge of the overall content.

When Cross and his female counterparts get together, there is a strange chemistry which always seems at once unsettling and still somehow captivating.