Okay, I've been ride or die with Prime's Cross, based primarily on the rizz of the male lead, Aldis Hodge. Unfortunately, “The Good Book” tests my steadfastness because of the incomprehensible motives behind Ed Ramsey's (Ryan Eggold) actions and the need for tighter plotting concerning Ramsey’s relationship with Bobby Trey (Johnny Ray Gill). Episode one was a strong start for creator Ben Watkins. While not a complete flop, episode three, "The Good Book,", lost some of its zeal by becoming weighted down with inexcusable distractions. Do you want to hear about it? Here we go!
The previous episode left me uncertain about Ramsey's connection to Cross's stalker. This episode begins with a drug-addicted mystery lady receiving a gun and a note that reads, "Kill Alex Cross," confirming the show is focusing on two distinct mysteries. In a beautiful scene, Cross remembers his wife on their wedding anniversary. His daughter gives him flowers as he prepares to go to the cemetery. Nana Mama (Juanita Jennings) whispers in his ear, "Talk to her. She was always a good listener." It's a quintessential winter day—cloudy, cold, with the snow flying. Cross stands literally frozen in place outside the graveyard leaving John Sampson (Isaia Mustafa) to finish the job. Sampson snatched the flowers from Cross's hands and seemed impatient with Cross's grief journey.
"The Good Book” – CROSS, Pictured: Melody Hurd as Janelle Cross, Juanita Jennings as Nana Mama, Caleb Elijah as Damon Cross. Photo: Quantrell Colbert/Prime @ 2010-2024 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliate. All Rights Reserved.
Later in the squad room, Cross struggles to convince Chief Anderson (Jennifer Wigmore) and Judge Matlof (Von Flores) of the connection between Emir Goodspeed's, his friend Tavio, and Tavio's girlfriend Vanessa's deaths. Chief Anderson declares the Goodspeed case a drug case. Sampson has such serious doubts about Cross's fitness for the job that he refuses to share the forensic report on DNA evidence related to his stalking case until Cross makes an appointment with his therapist. Pissed, Cross delivers one of my favorite lines to Sampson: "This is not some kind of Iyanla, fix my life shit," as he makes the appointment. Sampson's actions here seem less than supportive. However, I'm willing to concede that it might be my female filter that can't appreciate that this is how men interact. What do you think?
"The Good Book” – CROSS, Pictured: Eloise Mumford as Shannon Witmer. Photo: Keri Anderson/Prime Video @ 2010-2024 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliate. All Rights Reserved.
Meanwhile, Ramsey is preoccupied working not on Shannon Witmore (Eloise Mumford), but on his work with her. Shannon begs to go home. Ramsey warns that her desire to return home is self-torture. He tells her, "I need you to be strong." Ramsey's suggestion literally gets under Shannon's skin in ways that interfere with Ramsey's work with her. Cross obtains a warrant to search the address where Emir Goodspeed asked Tavio to pick him up and where Shannon met Ramsey. Trey warns Ramsey about the impending police search. Ramsey ignores him, snarling, “I will leave the door open because getting into this house is not the same as getting to me!”
"The Good Book” – CROSS, Pictured: Isaiah Mustafa as John Sampson. Photo: Keri Anderson/Prime Video @ 2010-2024 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliate. All Rights Reserved.
The cops carry out the raid. They find nothing. Later in the episode, Cross and Sampson return with a sledgehammer, reasoning that, as a former brothel, the location must have multiple exits. Interestingly, the unnamed guy who cloned Shannon's phone in the previous episode was the same man who was served the search warrant. The tattoo on this guy's wrist, which also appears on Ramsey's book cover, catches the editor's eye because the camera focuses on it as the man tries to stop Sampson from knocking down the wall. However, the man and the symbol are never addressed. The absence of explanation about these elements feels like a wasted opportunity.
Cross and Sampson crash Ramsey’s space. Trey frantically phones Ramsey to let him know. Suspense builds as Ramsey repeatedly rejects Trey’s calls because he’s busy being—well—Ed Ramsey. The episode shows how Ramsey "makes the sausage" behind the scenes in Washington. Ramsey delivers some particularly crude, attention-getting dialogue in this disturbing scene with Congressperson Caitlin Goldman (Marion Adler). Trey and Ramsey finally speak via video call, and he hears the sledgehammer breaking down the wall. Trey uses the urgency of the moment to extract more money from Ramsey in exchange for getting the “Good Book” and Shannon away from the police.
Trey flees with Shannon and the book. Shannon screams. Cross and Sampson hear her and give chase. Trey pauses his sprint to talk with Shannon as if the police weren’t in hot pursuit. He continues with Shannon but leaves the book behind, creating another narrative inconsistency. It's difficult to reconcile that, despite their close pursuit, Cross and Sampson couldn’t catch Trey. The scene becomes even more problematic when Sampson and Cross get outdoors; Trey is nowhere to be found. It’s been snowing, but there are no tracks to follow--nothing. Cross and Sampson kind of shrug and give up, which is a bit out of character for our heroes. While this scene is not exactly a plot hole, its unbelievable nature makes the show, which had previously felt emotionally true, feel disjointed and poorly thought out.
"The Good Book” – CROSS, Pictured: Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross. Photo: Quantrell Colbert/Prime @ 2010-2024 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliate. All Rights Reserved.
Cross's eight-episode arc makes me think of Noah Lyle's 100-meter Olympic race in Paris last summer. He won in a photo finish, with each of his 9.79 seconds of his victory counting. Just with Lyle's race, the show’s compact structure demands unwavering intensity from start to finish, which, heretofore, they have delivered on.
Maybe too many parts of “The Good Book” were left on the editing floor. All viewers want is coherent and effective storytelling that maintains the balance between mystery and resolution in ways that are plausible and feel true. Instead, the unexplained elements in this episode feel a bit like a broken promise.
What say you? Am I being a lazy viewer wanting every detail handed to me or were you also left feeling frustrated with dangling details? Let me know in the comments.
Overall Rating:
7/10
Lynette Jones
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