Cross – Season 1 Episode 7 Recap & Review

Happy Birthday

Episode 7 of Cross begins with Ed preparing for the final phase of his sick game. He has a video up explaining how injections are administered to kill an individual on death row. This is how Shannon is going to be killed.

Meanwhile, Nana Mama feeds back to Alex the name she managed to gain from the ex-cop she visited in episode 6. Peter Lenox. She encourages him to go see the guy and figure out this mess. However, Alex receives an urgent call first, informing him of the drama surrounding Michael. He realizes that whoever got in and out needed to be “like a ghost”.

Alex has a lightbulb moment and races off to see Senator Caitlin. He asks about Ed Ramsay and hat happened at Ed’s party. He knows she was spooked and saw something. Alex vows never to say anything and to keep this secret, as she brings up the haunting images of blood-stained hands reinforcing that Ed is the serial killer here.

Meanwhile, Shannon is forced into having her final meal before facing Ed’s mosaic of death. However, he’s interrupted midway through this by his lawyer, Witney, showing up. He reveals the money has been frozen but for now, he’s here to help prep Shannon.

While all this is going on there’s still frosty hostilities between John and Alex as they sit with fellow officers and go over details surrounding Ed Ramsay’s whereabouts. Of course, Alex has another lightbulb moment surrounding the words “Happy birthday” and he seems to suss out what’s happening.

All the victims seem to be disappearing right before their birthdays. Aileen’s birthday is on the 29th February, which means – as it’s the 29th February now – he has to do this otherwise he’ll have to wait 4 more years to make his move. This makes sense as to why he’s waited a year before killing again. It also explains the risks Ed is taking too.

Part of this stems from Ed reaching out and needing a plastic surgeon. While Alex races off, John realizes that Massey is the dirty cop here. He confronts her alone, and Massey explains that Ed basically paid her off, giving her child the best treatment possible in exchange for basically blackmailing her.

John is shocked and lashes out at her lack of integrity. However, he does bring Massey in to the station, where she confesses to her crimes.

Alex visits Dr Marla Daine, who’s the plastic surgeon responsible here. Unfortunately, she steps forward and stabs Alex with a syringe. She’s not under duress or being forced into this though, as she admits to being the real accomplice to Ed Ramsay’s crimes. She also brings up how Alex is being kept alive intentionally to witness all of this.

When the doctor leaves, John shows up just in time and helps Alex out. He’s actually put a tracker on her, and the pair move along with the other officers to try and find her. Well, they do just that and also uncover the warehouse that Ed is working on Shannon inside. This whole charade is filmed online and as Ed gives a big speech about how all of this is his masterpiece, the police ruin the big show.

John and Alex arrive just in time to stop this sick game from continuing. Shannon is saved, while Alex races off to find Ed, who runs with his tail tucked between his legs. He has a getaway car, but the others know where he’s heading. He’s back home in his office. Ed has a syringe in his hand and he injects himself when Alex shows up. He kills himself like a coward, but it also brings an end to the Fanboy case. Through it all, Bobby Trey manages to evade capture, despite sitting right outside.

Anyway, Alex is given the details surrounding Peter Lenox. He’s the man responsible for stalking him and his family, wanting revenge for putting Deirdre behind bars. Unfortunately, he’s not coming directly for Alex but instead those closest to him… and that includes Damon and Janelle.

Ed wakes up in the coroner’s office, as it turns out he’s not dead after all. Ed checks out the time and realizes he still has some time to finish what he started with Shannon. He kills the coroner and then finds out where Shannon is being kept. Which happens to be the exact same hospital that he’s in. What are the odds, eh?

Ed breaks in to see Shannon in her room, and prepares to inject her IV. That is, until he feels cold metal at the back of his head. Yep, it’s Alex Cross. Alex holds Ed up at gunpoint and it seems the case is finally over. However, there’s still the situation involving Peter Lenox, who breaks into Alex’s house that night and tackles Regina to the ground.

The Episode Review

So the penultimate episode of Cross sees everything culminate in a dramatic crescendo of epic proportions. The situation involving Ed looks like it may finally be coming to an end, although it was a bit touch and go there for a while.

Why didn’t anyone check the contents of the syringe or do a tox screening to see what was in his bloodstream? And why was he at the same hospital as Shannon? There’s obviously a fair few contrivances at play in this series, but it has been an enjoyable ride despite a very wobbly beginning

This parallel case involving Lenox is a bit naff if I’m honest, and has felt like a secondary plot for almost the entirety of the show. I can’t help but feel it would have worked better as a second season thread, or even splitting the show up into parts with different cases in the foreground.

Either way though, there’s enough here to enjoy and everything is geared up for a very dramatic finale to follow.