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Prime Video’s Best Crime Thriller Abandons the Formula of James Patterson’s Books
Prime Video’s Cross departs from James Patterson’s novels by building its first season around an original mystery rather than adapting a specific book. The article argues that this gives creator Ben Watkins scope to make the crime thriller feel contemporary, while retaining the central character, his family history and his Washington, DC setting.
Aldis Hodge plays detective Alex Cross, a character first introduced in Patterson’s 1993 novel Along Came a Spider and previously played on film by Morgan Freeman. In the eight-episode series, Cross investigates the death of activist Emir Godspeed, initially treated by police as suicide or overdose, before uncovering a serial killer; the show also follows his search for his wife Maria’s killer and addresses race, inequality and policing.
In short
- Cross uses an original mystery instead of adapting a Patterson novel.
- Aldis Hodge plays detective Alex Cross.
- The series explores policing, race and inequality.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The strongest case for departing from Patterson's novels is that original stories allow the adaptation to feel contemporary and creatively ambitious, giving the show space to explore modern themes like racial inequality and policing whilst maintaining the beloved character of Alex Cross. Direct adaptation can feel formulaic or dated on screen, whereas crafting new mysteries within Cross's world offers the best of both: honouring what audiences love about the character whilst creating narratives suited to television's particular demands and contemporary sensibilities.
The case against
The strongest case for adhering to Patterson's novels is that millions of readers have invested in his specific storylines because they work—the mysteries and character arcs were carefully crafted for a reason. Deviating into original plots undermines the appeal of the source material; viewers seeking Patterson's Alex Cross stories deserve to see those narratives realised on screen rather than replaced with new ones, and if creators wanted original material, they should develop new characters rather than appropriating an established literary character.
Explained simply
Alex Cross is a fictional Washington, DC detective created by American author James Patterson. He first appeared in the 1993 novel Along Came a Spider, and Morgan Freeman later played him in films based on Patterson’s books.
The character’s family history and work as a detective are central to the novels and screen versions. Cross also gives a way into crime stories set against questions of race, inequality and policing in the US capital.
A new screen version can keep those familiar elements while telling a different story. That matters for readers and viewers because the character’s core background can remain recognisable even when the mystery is not taken from a particular book.