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Ben Watkins, the mastermind behind Cross, fully anticipated that viewers would be captivated by Luz, portrayed by Jeanine Mason, in the show’s second season. This emotional connection was so profound that eliminating her character was never a viable option.
**A heads-up for those who haven’t yet watched the Season 2 finale of Cross on Prime Video**
Throughout this gripping season, we follow Alex Cross, played by Aldis Hodge, as he embarks on a relentless quest to apprehend Luz. She is a formidable adversary with a mission to eliminate a list of individuals who played a role in her mother’s demise and were involved in child trafficking. Although her methods are undeniably harsh, her motives are crystal clear: seek retribution against those who inflict harm.
As the season neared its conclusion, the creative team, led by Watkins and the writers, found themselves unable to part ways with Luz. Despite her apparent suicide in a dramatic backward plunge from a bridge, a subsequent scene subtly hints at her survival. A figure bearing her distinctive tattoos and build is seen participating in a funeral procession for a child whose remains were discovered on Lacne Durand’s farm, portrayed by Matthew Lillard.
Watkins shared with DECIDER that this intriguing twist was a late addition. “Initially, that scene wasn’t planned,” he revealed. “The character was so dynamic and captivating that thanks to the exceptional work of our writing team, we reached a point where we simply couldn’t let her go.”
Just as the team suspected, fans quickly lined up to support and defend Luz in the show, as her actions were, to many, justified. The opening scene of Season 2 even shows Mason’s character cutting off someone’s fingers and killing a mansion full of sexual predators, while also setting free a horde of trafficking victims. Yeah, it’s understandable why people like her.
To Watkins, so much of the last-minute change in endings for Luz has to do with what Mason brought to the role and how she humanized this woman, whose actions should be unforgivable. In the end, he says, they couldn’t fathom losing out on the opportunity to see her again, especially after she made a compelling case for Alex walking away from the force.
“A lot of the credit goes to Janine Mason, whose performance was so amazing that we just couldn’t find ourselves letting her go,” he explained of keeping her character’s arc open-ended, especially after watching similar stories unfold in the real world with no consequences.
Watkins added, “Oh, and then there’s one more piece, you know how much she sacrificed. There’s a part of you, again, just trying to live vicariously. You want to believe that people can do that and still somehow make it to the other end, even if that’s a long shot.”
Mason herself also spoke with DECIDER for Season 2 of the James Patterson adaptation, and said she was honored to represent a woman who was hurting and just wanted to see those in a position of power brought to justice. Additionally, she says she’s grateful to Watkins and the rest of the team for changing up her character’s ending to leave the door open for her return.
“Listen, it was not the plan for her to survive this season, I can certainly tell you that. And I remember it was sort of like the eleventh hour and they were like, ‘We want to add this shot where we see her in the crowd,’ and we’re like, ‘hold on,’” she said. “The best part about this industry and gig is you love what you do so much that it felt like such a gift to this character that we had all, at that point, just come to Love, as messed up as she is.”
Mason added, “I was so grateful that it felt like the first bit of softness and grace and joy in her very sad life.”
How To Watch Cross
Cross Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Prime Video.