In Cross, Alex’s love life has got us talking. We all thought that Elle was his next (and final) great love. But when the relationship hit a bump in the road, he found himself drawn to his partner, Kayla, leaving us wondering: what????
Of course, Aldis Hodge, who plays the complex detective, broke it down for EBONY.
“Alex got thrown into a crazy, chaotic, life-threatening situation when it comes to Kayla.They came together in a place where they were almost killed. They almost blew up,” he exclaimed. “Human nature draws you to a sense of familiarity, a sense of protection.”
Coupe that with their long professional history, a similar mindset under pressure, and a dash of adrenaline in the emotional aftermath of almost losing your life, their unexpected, unbridled moment makes human sense.
But one thing Hodge wants viewers to be clear about: Kayla was never meant to replace Elle. “Kayla was a response to an individual situation, not a deliberate, intentional choice above Elle. That doesn’t take away across his love or reverence or respect or admonishment of Elle by any measure,” he explained.
Then he addressed the question we’ve really been asking. “What the audience, I think, is afraid of is, does this decrease the value of this Black woman in his eyes?”
It does not.
“That’s what everyone needs to understand. There’s nobody, nothing, no situation that could ever diminish Elle’s value,” he declared. Alex isn’t choosing between these two women. The goal is about finding his way back to the second love of his life.
Because “Elle is Alex’s heart,” Hodge declared.
One relationship that isn’t in jeopardy is Alex’s brotherhood with John Sampson, his partner, brother, and best friend. “They have a long history. They grew together as brothers in the same house,” Hodge reminded us. “They’ve been through a lot together. But I think that their love for one another pushes them to want the best out of each other.”
Isaiah Mustafa, who plays the fellow detective, agrees. Their bond runs deep, and John just wants Alex to be at his best.
“John knows how intelligent Alex is, like everything is on a genius level. So when he does things that don’t match with that cognitive behavior, it’s frustrating for his brother,” Mustafa stated, but added that John realizes that Alex can make mistakes, the way all humans do.
For these two, maybe the best way to settle things is over a simple game night. “Dominos,” Mustafa exclaimed when asked what the two might do just to hang out, while Hodge said few round of Spades could do the trick.
Love may get complicated in Cross’ world, but when it comes to brotherhood, he’s got it figured out.
Cross is now streaming on Prime Video.