Warning: This article includes minor spoilers for Cross season 2!
Prime Video’s Cross has been renewed, and season 3 has an exciting advantage over the first two seasons. James Patterson’s Cross books are international bestsellers, getting translated into dozens of languages. The series consists of 35 main books as of early 2026, and new installments are typically released annually.
With such massive popularity, it should come as no surprise that Prime Video picked up the rights to translate the books for the small screen. Two seasons have come out, introducing audiences to Aldis Hodge’s Cross and Isaiah Mustafa’s Two John.
Thanks to Cross’s fantastic cast and top-notch showrunner, the first season was extremely well-received. The second season of Cross split audiences and critics, with both leaning positive, but critics praising the show significantly more. The ratings and streaming numbers were strong enough that Prime Video confirmed season 3 the same day that Cross season 2’s finale came out. Luckily, the next season has the best chance to succeed thanks to one advantage.
Cross Season 3 Is The First To Incorporate Audience Reactions & Feedback
Generally speaking, TV show seasons are filmed one at a time, usually with at least a little bit of time between them. This gives the creative team the opportunity to absorb viewers’ feedback and make changes accordingly. However, Prime Video’s Cross received a rare two-season order, and the team chose to film them back-to-back instead of spacing them out.
They finished Cross seasons 1 and 2 before a single episode came out. As such, the cast and crew had no way to know how fans would react or the criticisms that would come. In the Cross team’s interview with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan, the cast discussed the difficulty of not knowing how the audience would react.
Isaiah Mustafa, who plays John Sampson, explained, “I like to watch what I’m doing so I can pinpoint mistakes so I can correct those mistakes the next time. I wasn’t able to do that this time, so I had to really just trust what people were saying.” He expressed that he would use this approach moving forward, now that Cross seasons 1 and 2 are out.
Similarly, Samantha Walkes, who plays Elle, told us that she was very nervous. “I’m like, ‘We don’t even know what this is yet.’ But what I did know, I went into 2 knowing that what was so solid about 1 still remains solid in 2, and that is the people I’m working with. I can bank on that, I can gamble on that, I can risk it all on that.”
However, the writers, directors, and cast won’t have to go through that again with Cross season 3. Cross season 2’s finale came out on March 18, 2026, and season 3 won’t start filming until April 2026. They almost certainly have scripts prepared at this point, but they still have a few weeks to make necessary edits or changes based on the audience’s reactions and feedback.
What Cross Needs To Do More (& Less) Of In Season 3
The biggest complaint about Cross seasons 1 and 2 is the lack of narrative consistency, which came up often on the TV show’s subreddit. The writers cannot forget about cliffhangers and need to ensure there are fewer plot holes. They need fewer half-baked side plots, as they distract from the main storyline and make Cross harder to follow.
Cross season 3 also needs to feature Alex Cross psychologically analyzing the criminals he’s investigating. Alex Cross is meant to be a forensic psychologist, but the TV show rarely uses that expertise. We need more of the gritty tone of Cross season 1. They can’t keep making the show feel like a soap opera, as that takes away its procedural appeal.
What’s more, Cross season 3 needs to include more scenes between Alex Cross and John Sampson. Those two’s friendship is one of the most endearing parts of Cross. They are supposed to be ride-or-dies, but season 2 gave them infuriatingly little time together onscreen.
- Release Date
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November 14, 2024
- Network
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Prime Video
- Directors
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Craig Siebels, Nzingha Stewart
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Isaiah Mustafa
John Sampson
