TV Show review
Review basis: 2 seasons, 16 episodes · through March 18, 2026
November 14, 2024 · TV-MA · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Cross is a crime drama about Alex Cross, a brilliant Black homicide detective and forensic psychologist in Washington D.C. He hunts killers with his partner while raising his children with his grandmother after his wife’s murder. The show starts with the murder of a Black Lives Matter activist and shows a White police chief assigning the Black detective for public relations reasons on the controversial case. Season two follows a vigilante woman targeting corrupt billionaires tied to child trafficking.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Cross.
Woke representation / casting
Predominantly Black actors in prominent detective, partner, and family lead roles that match the source books. Casting director has public record advocating diverse casting. Some audience-visible emphasis on Black family and community.
Woke political dialogue
Early episodes include Black Lives Matter activist murder, Defund the Police tensions, and a White police chief using a Black detective for public relations optics. Cross uses racial assumptions in one interrogation. Positions stay standard with racism bad and effective policing good.
Identity-driven story themes
Focus on Black family man, fatherhood, and brotherhood between Black detectives from the community. Personal grief and family stories run alongside cases rather than identity politics as the main driver.
Western institutional / cultural critique
White police chief assigns Black detective as public face on controversial BLM case while pushing for fast resolution. Shows community distrust of police. Season two critiques corrupt billionaires and trafficking, common in thrillers.
Production
Woke character or canon changes
Core traits, race, and family for Alex Cross match James Patterson books where he refused whitewashing. New stories add modern timely elements like activist murder and optics but no identity-driven swaps or reinterpretations of canon figures.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No prominent anti-woke or right-leaning complaints treating the title as pushing woke, DEI, or identity politics. Some fans mention plot changes from books or the BLM opener. Evidence is weak and not widespread.
Creator track record context
Ben Watkins has civil rights community activism. Aldis Hodge has spoken for authentic Black portrayal. James Patterson kept the original Black lead. Kim Taylor-Coleman known for diverse casting. Other producers focus on commercial work.
