Warning! This article contains spoilers for Cross season 1 and James Patterson’s Alex Cross books.Through one scene,Crossseason 1 has surprisingly set up a major book villain, which has made the original twist reveal a lot worse. Created by Ben Watkins, Amazon Prime Video’sCrossis based onJames Patterson’sAlex Crossbook series. Although the show accurately adopts many narrative threads and character beats from the original books, it does not strictly follow any stories from the source material. Instead, in its first installment, it follows a completely original narrative and attempts to expand the books' lore instead of recreating it.
Owing to this, even though it features many familiar characters from James Patterson’s novels, it also adds many new ones to the mix or significantly changes how the books approach some character arcs. For instance, while John Sampson avenges Alex Cross' wife’s death in the books, he only helps Cross overpower his wife’s murderers in the show. Similarly, the show also brings one significant change to another major character from the book, potentially setting the stage forCrossseason 2’s big villain.
Kayla Craig Is Replacing The Alex Cross Books' Major Villain Kyle Craig
The Show Seems To Gender Swap The Books' Major Villain
In theAlex Crossbooks, a character named Kyle Craig is one of the major villains. LikeKayla fromCrossseason 1, he is introduced as an FBI agent, who is initially Alex Cross' close friend and helps him acquire several leads in many of his crime-solving endeavors. Similar to Kayla, Kyle also expects Alex to help him with his own cases in return. However, after the two share a mutually beneficial relationship for quite some time,the books reveal that Kyle is a criminal named “The Mastermind,“who orchestrated many high-profile murders and bank robberies.
Who Killed Alex’s Wife Maria & Why In Cross
Alex Cross' wife, Maria, is brutally murdered in the opening moments of Amazon Prime Video’s Cross, raising many questions about who killed her & why.
One of the books,Double Cross, also shows how he escapes a high-security prison. Even the film adaptations of James Patterson’s works,Kiss the GirlsandAlong Came a Spider, feature Kyle Craig as a villain (played by Jay O. Sanders). Given how Kayla shares her surname with Kyle and also seems to have the same opening arc as him in theAmazon Prime Video detective series, it would make sense if the show replaced her with the books' Kyle.
How Kayla Craig’s Meeting With Bobby Trey Sets Up Her Big Villain Twist
Her Meeting With Bobby Suggests She Has Ulterior Motives
Crossseason 1’s finale features a mid-credits scenein which Kayla Craig arranges a secret meeting with Bobby Trey. Knowing that he was working with Ed Ramsey, she offers him a deal: he would get full immunity and a 24-month sentence if he agreed to provide evidence for at least six of Ed Ramsey’s murders and pleaded guilty to the killer’s crimes. When Kayla Craig promises him that Cross will eventually find evidence for the two murders he committed to protect Ed Ramsey, Bobby realizes he does not have a choice. Therefore, he accepts the deal.
Crossseason 1’s creator, Ben Watkins, revealed (viaEntertainment Weekly) that he wanted to start two conversations with the mid-credits scene: “leave the door open for Bobby Trey’s return” and make viewers “question the different levels of Kayla Craig.”
Keeping her best interests in mind, Kayla also asks him to provide her with all the compromising information Ed Ramsey had on powerful people. She assures him he will be paid a hefty sum once he walks out of prison if he accepts her offer, which convinces him to shake her hand. With this scene,Crossseason 1 seems to establish that even though Kayla Craig helped Alex Cross in season 1,she has ulterior motives and could use her newfound information against influential people to create a massive criminal plot inCrossseason 2.
Kayla Craig’s Romance With John Will Make Her Villain Reveal Even Worse Than The Books
Kayla Could Create Tension Between John And Alex
In the original books, Kyle Craig briefly befriends John Sampson while working with Alex Cross. However, Sampson starts seeing him as his enemy after learning the truth about his crimes. The show seems to take a different approach towards John Sampson’s relationship with Kayla Craig.Crossseason 1 hints at some romantic developments between Kayla and John, which could spell trouble for Sampson if she is a villain in season 2.
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James Patterson’sAlex Crossbook series
Unlike the books, Sampson would probably be inclined towards supporting Kayla even after Alex Cross starts finding evidence of her crimes. This, in turn, could create tension between the two best friends, leading them to question their trust in each other. It would be interesting to see how else Kayla’s betrayal would impact the titular character inCrossseason 2.
Cross
Cross follows the life of Alex Cross, a skilled yet troubled homicide detective balancing his role as a devoted father and relentless crime investigator. Haunted by his wife’s murder, he navigates personal turmoil while persistently pursuing justice in the face of dangerous adversaries.
