Prime Video's 8-Part Crime Thriller Is Everything 'Cross' Fans Have Been Looking For

2 days ago 5

Kay Scarpetta looking down in a lab coat

Published Apr 11, 2026, 7:37 PM EDT

Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival.

Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. She is currently completing her Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works, and is expected to graduate in 2026.

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Move over, Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge). There’s another troubled investigator on Prime Video. Based on the books by James Patterson, Cross is a cautionary tale about what happens when the best people are on the verge of succumbing to the worst versions of themselves. Cross himself is the police department’s trusted and highly skilled forensic psychologist, able to get to villains by understanding their minds. But as his personal demons slowly consume him from within, he becomes someone he no longer recognizes — still a detective, but deeply flawed.

The same can be said for the streaming platform’s latest antihero in its new thriller, Scarpetta. Medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta (Nicole Kidman) excels both in theory and in practice. However, when it comes to people — whether colleagues or family — she seems to lack a certain emotional grounding, which ultimately affects her professional life. While both Cross and Scarpetta feature mind-boggling mysteries involving notorious psychopaths, it is the people at the center of these investigations that make the shows truly worthwhile.

What Is 'Scarpetta' About?

Based on the books by Patricia Cornwell, Scarpetta introduces viewers to Dr. Kay Scarpetta (Kidman), a Virginia chief medical examiner who originally served in Richmond in the ’90s before stepping away, only to return nearly two decades later. Like Cross, Dr. Kay is incredibly intelligent. While Cross is well-versed in human behavior thanks to his PhD in psychology, Scarpetta is one of the country’s premier forensic pathologists. Her role places her under intense public scrutiny — much like Alex, who is constantly on the receiving end of public protests due to the department’s incompetence.

Alternating between the present day and 1998, the story follows Dr. Scarpetta as she investigates a string of murders involving victims who are found bound, posed in a specific, sexual manner, and with their hands mutilated. One suspect, Matt Peterson (Anson Mount), comes to mind, but Scarpetta is convinced that someone else is responsible. In the present day, she encounters a new victim with the same modus operandi. This discovery leads her to question her authority and judgment. With Peterson still free, she begins to doubt her once razor-sharp instincts, fearing that she may have accused the wrong person more than 20 years ago. Reacquainting with old acquaintances and partnering with new ones, Dr. Scarpetta finishes what she's started.

Both Alex Cross and Dr. Kay Scarpetta Are at Odds with the Criminal Institution

Serving on the front lines of justice, Cross and Dr. Scarpetta let their work consume them — not because they need to protect their credibility, but because they cannot allow another murder to happen. Their determination often pushes them to operate outside their jurisdiction. Over the two seasons of Cross, viewers follow a grieving yet hopeful Cross who is determined to bring criminals to justice. However, when he discovers that these villains are working with high-ranking officials who are meant to protect the public, he is labeled a liability for going against the FBI’s self-interests. As a result, Cross grows increasingly disillusioned with a justice system that is skewed by corruption.

Things are different, if not even more severe, for Dr. Scarpetta. In the present day, she may be the respected chief examiner in Virginia, but it wasn’t always that way. Back in 1998, despite earning her position through merit and intelligence, many of her colleagues—most of whom are male—believed she was unfit for the role simply because she is a woman. Her fellow detectives and officers undermine her abilities, assuming she is careless, emotional, and unable to stay calm under pressure. As a result, Dr. Scarpetta not only has to confront a bureaucracy that withholds key details about the investigation, but she must also navigate the casual sexism that surrounds her.

Despite Her Professional Expertise, Dr. Kay Scarpetta Is Bad at Family Life

Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis in 'Scarpetta'

Outside of their expertise, Cross and Dr. Scarpetta are weighed down by messy family lives. Cross is still grieving the death of his wife, which not only leaves him emotionally closed off from his family but also clouds his judgment at work. Meanwhile, Dr. Scarpetta struggles with her relationship with her more vivacious and somewhat narcissistic older sister, Dorothy Scarpetta (Jamie Lee Curtis). In 1998, Dorothy leaves her only child, Lucy Farinelli-Watson (Ariana DeBose), in Dr. Scarpetta’s care. She then goes on vacation to Hawaii and marries someone she meets there, avoiding her parental responsibilities. Dorothy even guilt-trips Dr. Scarpetta, suggesting that if she refuses to care for her niece, she is simply a self-serving aunt.

Now living in the same house, Dr. Scarpetta and Dorothy continue to butt heads, primarily over their differing approaches to helping Lucy cope with her grief following the passing of her wife. Although they get on each other’s nerves to the point of near-verbal assault, the two are bound by a traumatic past that only they understand. Either way, this proves one thing: being exceptional at your job doesn’t mean you have everything together outside the office. That’s what makes both Cross and Dr. Scarpetta such nuanced characters — flawed heroes are always more interesting to watch than perfect ones.