You’re probably sitting on your couch, remote in hand, wondering if you have enough time to start Cross before bed. Or maybe you're planning a weekend-long binge and need to know if this is a "one-nighter" or a "three-day commitment." It’s a fair question. When Amazon MGM Studios announced they were taking another crack at James Patterson’s most famous detective, fans of the Alex Cross books—and the older movies starring Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry—immediately started doing the math.
So, let's cut to the chase.
There are eight episodes in the first season of Cross.
That's it. Eight. It’s that modern streaming sweet spot. Not so short that it feels like a long movie, but not so long that the middle chapters start to feel like they’re just spinning their wheels to fill a broadcast quota. Each episode runs roughly between 45 and 60 minutes. If you’re looking at the total runtime, you’re committing about seven to eight hours of your life to Aldis Hodge’s portrayal of the titular detective.
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Why the Number of Episodes in Cross Matters for the Story
Ben Watkins, the showrunner you might know from Burn Notice, didn't just pick eight episodes out of a hat. In the world of prestige TV, this length allows for a "slow burn" that isn't actually slow. Most of the early reviews and fan discussions on Reddit point out that the series uses its eight-episode structure to adapt the vibe of the characters rather than a specific book like Along Came a Spider or Kiss the Girls.
If you’ve read the books, you know Alex Cross is complicated. He’s a forensic psychologist. He’s a father. He’s a widower. He’s a detective. To cram all that into a two-hour movie? Impossible. We saw what happened with the 2012 Alex Cross film; it felt rushed. By choosing an eight-episode format, the writers gave themselves room to let the grief breathe. Cross isn't just catching a killer here; he's dealing with the psychological fallout of his wife’s murder. That's a lot of ground to cover in just a handful of hours.
Honestly, the pacing is tight.
Episode one sets the stakes, and by the time you hit the cliffhanger at the end of episode four, you’re basically strapped into a roller coaster that doesn't stop until the finale. Because there aren't 22 episodes—the way old-school police procedurals like Law & Order work—there are no "filler" episodes. You won't find a "Monster of the Week" here. Every minute of those eight episodes is dedicated to the primary mystery and the overarching conspiracy.
Breaking Down the Season 1 Structure
If you're curious about how the season is laid out, it's essentially one long movie broken into chapters.
The first two episodes are heavy on world-building. We see Washington D.C. not as a tourist destination, but as a lived-in, gritty city. We meet John Sampson, played by Isaiah Mustafa (yes, the Old Spice guy, and he’s actually incredible here), who provides the necessary foil to Cross’s more intense, often volatile personality.
By the middle of the season—episodes five and six—the show shifts gears. This is where the cat-and-mouse game with the antagonist really heats up. The show doesn't hide the killer's identity for as long as you might expect, which is a bold choice. Instead of a "whodunnit," it becomes a "how-do-we-stop-them."
Then you have the finale. Episode eight.
It wraps up the primary case while leaving just enough breadcrumbs to keep you thinking. It’s satisfying. There’s nothing worse than a show that ends on a total cliffhanger without resolving the main plot, especially when you’ve invested eight hours of your weekend into it. Cross manages to stick the landing while clearly signaling that Alex’s journey is far from over.
Is There a Season 2?
Here is the really cool part.
Amazon was so confident in the show that they renewed Cross for a second season before the first season even premiered.
That is almost unheard of in the current streaming climate where shows get canceled after one month if they don't hit "Stranger Things" numbers. This means that while there are currently only eight episodes available to watch, there is a confirmed batch of more episodes on the way. Production for Season 2 actually kicked off months ago.
We don't have an exact episode count for the second season yet, but industry standards suggest they will likely stick to the eight-episode order. It works for the budget, and it works for the storytelling. Why fix what isn't broken?
The Aldis Hodge Factor
You can't talk about these episodes without talking about Aldis Hodge. He also serves as a producer on the show, which gave him a lot of say in how Alex Cross was portrayed. In previous iterations, Cross often felt like a generic "super cop." In these eight episodes, Hodge plays him with a visible layer of trauma.
He’s brilliant, sure. But he’s also kind of a mess.
He’s obsessive. He’s arrogant. He’s sometimes a bad friend to Sampson. This nuance is only possible because of the episodic format. In a movie, you have to be the hero. In an eight-episode series, you’re allowed to be an anti-hero for a while. You’re allowed to fail in episode three and spend episode four recovering.
How the Episode Count Compares to Other Patterson Adaptations
To understand why eight episodes is the "magic number" for Cross, look at the history:
- Kiss the Girls (1997): 1 hour 55 minutes.
- Along Came a Spider (2001): 1 hour 43 minutes.
- Alex Cross (2012): 1 hour 41 minutes.
- Cross (2024): ~8 hours.
The TV series has roughly four times the amount of story real estate than the movies had. This allows for the "B-plots" that make the books so addictive. We get to see Alex’s grandmother, Nana Mama, and the family dynamics that are so central to the novels. These aren't just cameos; they are integral parts of the narrative that fill the gaps between the crime-solving.
Streaming vs. Binging
Because all eight episodes dropped at once on Prime Video, the way people consume Cross is different than a weekly release.
If you're a "marathoner," you can knock the whole thing out in a Saturday. However, because the show is dense with psychological jargon and intricate crime scene details, some viewers find it better to watch two episodes at a time. It gives the mystery a chance to marinate.
There's a specific subplot involving a "fan" of serial killers that spans the entire season. If you blink, you might miss some of the subtle clues hidden in the background of earlier episodes. The eight-episode length is short enough to stay fresh in your mind but long enough to require some actual attention.
Common Misconceptions About the Episode Count
Sometimes you’ll see "10 episodes" listed on some unofficial international databases or fan wikis. This usually stems from early production rumors or confusion with other shows. Don't let that trip you up. The official Prime Video count is eight.
There’s also a bit of confusion regarding the "bonus" content. Amazon often releases "X-Ray" features or behind-the-scenes clips. While these are great for fans who want to see how the stunts were filmed or hear Aldis Hodge talk about his character prep, they don't count as narrative episodes.
What to Expect Next
If you've already finished all eight episodes, you're likely in "withdrawal" mode. The good news is that the second season is coming, and it will likely follow a similar release pattern.
The strategy for Amazon seems to be building a "Cross-universe." With James Patterson's massive library of books—there are over 30 Alex Cross novels—they could easily keep this going for years. If each season covers a new major investigation while progressing the family's story, we could be looking at a multi-year run.
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But for now, focus on the eight you have.
The show is a significant departure from the "clean" procedurals of the past. It's darker. It's more political. It deals with the reality of being a Black detective in a modern American city. It doesn't shy away from the friction between the community and the police force. These themes aren't just "extra" flavor; they are baked into the scripts of every single episode.
Ready to Start?
If you haven't pressed play yet, here’s your roadmap.
- Block out your time: Total watch time is roughly 7.5 hours.
- Pay attention to the pilot: It sets up a lot of visual cues that pay off in the finale.
- Don't skip the credits: Sometimes the music choices provide a nice emotional bridge to the next chapter.
- Watch with a friend: This is one of those shows where you’ll want to debate "who the killer is" around episode three.
The eight episodes in Cross represent a new chapter for the character. It’s the most faithful version of Patterson’s vision we’ve seen yet, mainly because it finally has the time to tell the story properly. No rush. No filler. Just a deep, dark dive into the mind of a man who hunts monsters while trying not to become one himself.
Actionable Next Steps
- Verify your subscription: Ensure your Amazon Prime account is active, as Cross is a Prime Video exclusive.
- Update your app: If you're watching on a smart TV or mobile device, update the Prime Video app to ensure you have access to the 4K HDR streams, which make the moody cinematography of the show look significantly better.
- Check the "X-Ray" feature: While watching, use the X-Ray tool on your remote to see the names of the actors and the specific James Patterson books that inspired certain scenes.
- Set your watch order: Aim for two episodes per sitting to balance the intense psychological themes without feeling overwhelmed by the darkness of the plot.