From what’s visible, 'Cross' puts heavy emphasis on identity-driven casting and story beats, occasionally prioritizing these themes above classic detective grit or character depth. In our view, some main roles seem chosen less for narrative fit and more to tick boxes, resulting in occasionally flat or overly idealized characters who are rarely challenged in meaningful ways.

The show often subverts traditional masculinity by painting older, traditionally masculine authority figures as antagonistic or outdated, while newer diverse characters are celebrated as embodying all virtue. Family and classic morality themes play second fiddle to modern ideological motifs, subtly undermining more traditional values.

It appears that dissenting or traditional viewpoints exist only as caricatures, corrupt, bigoted, or simply obstacles for the heroes. Genuine debate about differing morals or perspectives is glaringly absent, creating an almost uniform ideological environment with little narrative tension or pluralism.