James Patterson’s Alex Cross novel series has thrilled and entertained fans for over thirty years and spawned three motion pictures, starring Morgan Freeman in the first two and Tyler Perry in the 2012 reboot of the franchise. In 2024, Aldis Hodge took on the titular role in the Prime Video serial adaptation, Cross.
Alongside Hodge, Alona Tal played Cross’s closest FBI contact, Kayla Craig. They have a history of collaborating on high-profile cases, with Cross drawing most of the attention for their successes. Her desire to solve the case sometimes takes her into grey areas of the law. In the closing moments of Season 1, we see her strike a deal with Johnny Ray Gill’s Bobby Trey, a mercenary jack-of-all-trades.
Prime Video teases what Cross has in store for Season 2: “Season Two pushes the series into a bolder, more dangerous chapter as billionaire business titan Lance Durand calls the FBI for protection after receiving a death threat — one that links him to the murder of a billionaire playboy. Detective Alex Cross and FBI Agent Kayla Craig lead a new joint mission to protect Durand and to find the killer, who leaves behind gruesome clues. Meanwhile, John Sampson, Cross’s partner and longtime best friend, makes an unexpected connection.”
We had the opportunity to speak with Tal and Gill ahead of the second season premiere about how they got into the heads of these very complex characters and how Cross Season 2 will test them.
[The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.]
Despite a persistent fan theory around Kayla Craig being linked to another FBI agent character, Kyle Craig, in the novels, she is not him. How did you bring her character’s unique traits to the show, Alona?
Alona Tal: I do know about the fan theory. But I don’t know anything about Kyle Craig. I really don’t. I didn’t read the books. All these characters are based upon some form of characters that exist in the books, right?
Obviously, Kayla bears that similarity, but everything else is very vastly different. And it is exciting for me to be able to bring my own spin on it. There’s a reason I didn’t read the books; I don’t want there to be anything in those books that will lead me to subconsciously make choices that might bear any similarities to something from the book. I rely solely on what Ben writes for me.
Johnny, how did you approach Bobby Trey, the show’s resident agent of chaos?
Johnny Ray Gill: I approached him in trying to do honour to the community in which he’s from, and the way that he’s built, and the goals that he has. When I talked to Ben about crafting the character before Season 1, he told me that his family’s land had been stolen by the government. Black communities, unfortunately, have had that happen far too many times. It gave a different engine to his wants, needs, and desires, and gave a specificity for the hunt, if that makes sense.
And also, that addiction to achieving that goal made me think about capitalism and about how charming capitalism is, but also how vicious and vile it can be, and the kinds of psychoses that it can create that we don’t necessarily call psychotic. Y’know, chopping down rainforests, polluting rivers when we need water. That’s how I created Bobby Trey. I’m excited to see where he goes in Season 2. I think the audience is going to have a good time.
In Season 2, we see your characters work together a lot. Is there a line your characters will not cross?
AT: Yes, I think he made it very clear [gesturing to JRG]. Your character has a very clear line. And that was part of Kayla’s line as well cause she goes against what happens – we’re not going to give too many spoilers. The mystery that they’re both trying to solve, what happened there, it triggers both of them. Differently from different places, but they’re both not okay with what happened. So they do have a moral compass. It’s just not always in line with other people’s moral compass.
The eight-episode Cross Season 2 premieres on Prime Video on February 11 with three episodes.
