‘Cross’ Season 2, Episode 7 Recap – Is There Still A Big Surprise to Come?

We’re almost there, folks. And based on Episode 7, “Winnow”, there probably aren’t that many surprises remaining in Cross Season 2. Sampson’s subplot seems to be rather unceremoniously wrapped up here; Rebecca’s revenge plot has only one logical place that it can really go, and Kayla seems to have deduced who Mastermind is and sent Bobby Trey to tie up the loose end. I personally think there’s going to be a rug-pull there, but it might be the only one.

I could be wrong, though. Perhaps we’ll find a way to essentially let Rebecca off the hook since she’s fighting the good fight – more or less – but we’ll have to wait and see in that regard. In the meantime, here’s where we’re up to.

Mommy Dearest

While it has been a clear weak spot throughout the season, I can’t say I’m totally mad about the developments that Sampson’s investigation into his mother’s murder case took here. It was obvious in the previous episode that LaDonna was lying about her connection to T.K., even if the specifics weren’t exactly clear, and that’s confirmed in “Winnow”. But it’s Sampson who has to take a major step in deciding what to do with that information.

T.K. turns out to stand for Tyson Knight, who has been living with LaDonna for a while. She isn’t guilty of murder, but Tyson is, and she has been making clear efforts to protect him, which is also a crime. When Sampson confronts her about the deception, she doubles down. She might be a little sincere about trying to snatch every moment possible with her son, but when the chips are down, she is still willing to sacrifice herself to protect Tyson. That lends credence to the idea that she was only targeting Sampson to manipulate him emotionally, again to protect Tyson.

Earlier in the episode, Sampson had finally had it out with Nana Mama for telling him that his mother was dead. Her justification – that breaking his heart just once was preferable to her breaking it again and again – proves prophetic. On some level, Sampson must know she was right all along, which is perhaps why he chooses to cut his losses, walk away, and leave LaDonna to her fate.

I Still Think Kayla Is Mastermind

Kayla’s off-books investigation into Operation: Bad Religion seems to be over, too. But I’m not quite buying it. When Roy turns up at her house to tell her that she passed what was essentially a test, thus securing a promotion to Assistant Director in Charge, she’s not best pleased about how she has been manipulated. And when Roy lets slip something that he could have only gleaned from Margaret’s corpse, Kayla realises that her on-camera suicide was all a part of the ploy.

Kayla also theorises that Margaret is Mastermind, and sends Bobby Trey to deal with that problem, which he’s inclined to do given his general distaste with everything that has been revealed about the plot. However, I still think there’s a surprise to come here.

Again, in the books – spoiler alert – Kayla’s character is Mastermind. I’m tempted to believe that everything with Margaret is a red herring and that the finale will reveal – or at least strongly suggest – that Kayla has been Mastermind all along. We’ll see.

Rebecca Remains A Step Ahead

With Rebecca’s target list now confirmed, the authorities make the decision to shift the remaining billionaires to a secure military base for their own protection. But Cross Season 2, Episode 7 confirms she has anticipated even this, or at least something similar to it, as she enacts a faintly ridiculous plan that relies on everyone behaving in the precise way she wants.

First, she offers the final four a deal – either they confess to their crimes or pay her $20 million. Naturally, none of them is inclined to do either of those things, so Rebecca kills Nuri remotely by messing with her pacemaker. This means that Griff is next on the list, and he knows it, so out of panic, he flees his protection detail and goes into hiding, offering to pay Rebecca for her silence (and, of course, his safety).

Lance tracks Griff down to try and talk him out of paying up, but Griff claims to have recorded an incriminating conversation that he will release if Lance doesn’t back off. Lance does the expected thing and beats Griff to death, which Rebecca, Donnie, and Clare are listening to via a device. Rebecca anticipated everything. Now it’s a race to see who can get to Griff’s hidden recording first.

Race to the Truth

Nat, acting on behalf of Lance, rushes to find the recording, while Donnie and Rebecca’s aunt, Clare, race off to do the same. Cross and Kayla aren’t far behind, since when they find Griff’s body, they immediately recognise that Lance’s amateur efforts to remove his fingers and frame Rebecca were carried out by someone else. In tracing Griff’s calls, they too discover the location of the recording.

Donnie gets there first. However, Cross arrives quickly enough to wing Donnie as he tries to make his escape. Even though he gets away, Clare takes the recording and coldly executes him in an effort to try and protect Rebecca. She’s devastated to hear of Donnie’s death, but Clare takes the initiative and says Cross killed him.

So, Rebecca will now be gunning for Cross more than ever, not to mention Lance. He and Nat are going to have to go on the run themselves, since their complicity in the criminal scheme has very much come to light. And there’s now concrete, smoking-gun proof of the whole thing out in the wild. All the pieces are in place for a pretty decent, if unsurprising, finale.