‘Cross’ Season 2 teases dark Epstein-like conspiracy as new characters unwrap chilling new mystery
Season 2 of 'Cross' premiered with the first three episodes dropping simultaneously on February 11. While retaining the gritty tonality that made the crime drama's debut season wildly popular, 'Cross' Season 2 seeks to broaden the narrative canvas with the introduction of Alex Cross's arch-nemesis, as described in the literary source material. On the other hand, the premiere drop of episodes quickly establishes several other narrative threads, one of which bears a striking resemblance to contemporary reality.
The sophomore season's plot begins with a Hispanic woman named Luz and her accomplice, Donnie, trying to make a discreet liquor delivery to a party, perhaps being hosted somewhere in the Caribbean. The party is at the house of the affluent businessman Richard Helvig. Upon reaching their destination, the two of them approach the huge mansion and stumble upon an ongoing activity involving young women and mostly older men. When Luz finds Helvig in his room upstairs, he is about to abuse a bound woman. She then jumps in to save the woman and dupes the millionaire out of his riches.
Elsewhere, Donnie rescues the other trapped women by waving an automatic gun he just found, ultimately returning with them in his and Luz's boat. It is no wonder this storyline seems like a typical case of art imitating life, given the ongoing controversy surrounding the Epstein files. However, it must be kept in mind that this scenario was written into the screenplay back in 2022-2023.
Ben Atkins, who is the creator, showrunner, and actor of the Prime Video show, referred to the resemblance in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter while teasing what to expect from the rest of Season 2, "There’s this question about, what’s the difference between the law and justice? And, what do you do when it doesn’t seem like the law is serving justice? The second season is about vigilantism, and when it slips into vengeance, 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.”
Moving on, the first batch of episodes further teases the existence of the infamous arch-rival of Cross, i.e., The Mastermind. The character Craig was seen buying a burner phone for herself, intending to contact the otherwise sympathetic serial killer without drawing undue attention to herself. The Mastermind was introduced right away in the first novel of the series titled 'Along Came A Spider', published back in 1993. Although he started out as Cross's friend in the books, he soon became his mortal enemy after killing his first victim in the 1995 novel 'Kiss The Girls'. Although the second season didn't explicitly reveal the identity of The Mastermind, it can be speculated that the remaining episodes would definitely hint at his true identity. 'Cross' season two airs new episodes every Wednesday on Prime Video.
