Episode 7 of "Cross" unfolds with Ed gearing up for the climactic act of his macabre game. A chilling video, detailing the lethal injection process employed to terminate the lives of condemned inmates, sets the stage for Shannon's impending fate. This is how Ed intends to snuff out her life.
In the meantime, Nana Mama conveys a crucial piece of information she extracted from the ex-cop during her visit in the previous episode – Peter Lenox. She urges Alex to confront him and unravel this tangled web of deceit. However, Alex's focus is momentarily diverted by an urgent call regarding Michael's predicament. He realizes that the perpetrator who managed to slip in and out undetected must possess an almost ghostly stealth.
A sudden epiphany strikes Alex, prompting him to race towards Senator Caitlin. He grills her about Ed Ramsay and the eerie events at Ed's party. Her visibly spooked demeanor and haunting visions of blood-soaked hands reinforce in Alex's mind that Ed is indeed the serial killer they're after. She, too, pledges silence, her tales of horror cementing Ed's guilt.
As Shannon sits down to her last meal before confronting Ed's grim mosaic of death, her fate hangs in the balance. But mid-meal, Ed's lawyer, Witney, storms in with startling news – the funds have been frozen. Nevertheless, Witney insists on aiding Shannon in her preparations.
Elsewhere, tensions between John and Alex remain frosty as they dissect details of Ed Ramsay's whereabouts with fellow officers. Alex experiences another Eureka moment, this time centered around the phrase "Happy birthday." He begins to piece together the puzzle – all victims vanished just before their birthdays. Aileen's birthday falls on February 29th, a date that prompts Ed to act now or wait another four years. This revelation explains Ed's year-long hiatus and the bold risks he's willing to take.
Moreover, Ed's desperation to reach out for a plastic surgeon adds another layer to his erratic behavior. As Alex dashes off, John catches on to Massey's duplicity. In a confrontation, Massey confesses that Ed blackmailed her by paying for her child's top-notch medical treatment, thus ensnaring her in his sinister web.
John is startled and lashes out furiously at her for her breathtaking lack of integrity. Nevertheless, he proceeds to bring Massey to the station, where she ultimately confesses to her sins. Meanwhile, Alex seeks solace at the hands of Dr. Marla Daine, the plastic surgeon involved in the saga. But fate has other plans; the doctor takes a sudden, sinister turn and stabs Alex with a syringe. Far from being coerced, she openly admits to being Ed Ramsay's true accomplice. She reveals a chilling detail—Alex's life is deliberately being prolonged so he can bear witness to it all.
Just as the doctor departs, John arrives at the nick of time, his tracker having led him to Alex. With swift action, he aids Alex in escaping. Together with other officers, they hotfoot it to uncover Ed's secret warehouse, where Shannon is being held captive. This entire macabre spectacle is being live-streamed online, with Ed delivering a monologue about his masterpiece. But the police intervene, crashing his grandstanding party.
John and Alex arrive just in the nick of time to halt this grotesque game. Shannon is rescued, while Alex speeds off to confront Ed, who flees in disgrace. He hops into a getaway car, but the team knows exactly where he's headed—his office. There, Ed brandishes a syringe, ready to inject himself and end it all cowardly. In a twist, it also marks the conclusion of the Fanboy case. Throughout this, Bobby Trey somehow slips through the cracks, even though he's sitting right outside.
Alex is briefed on Peter Lenox, the stalker who seeks revenge against him and his family for imprisoning Deirdre. Alarmingly, Peter's target isn't Alex himself, but those nearest and dearest to him—including Damon and Janelle.
However, Ed's fate isn't sealed yet; he wakes up in the coroner's office, still very much alive. Checking the time, he realizes he has enough time to finish what he started with Shannon. He brutally murders the coroner and discovers Shannon's whereabouts—ironically, the same hospital where he lies. What a bizarre coincidence!
Ed sneaks into Shannon's hospital room, poised to tamper with her IV. But just as he's about to strike, he feels the cold bite of metal against the back of his head. It's Alex Cross, holding him at gunpoint. Finally, it seems, the case is resolved.
Yet, the saga involving Peter Lenox continues. That night, he breaks into Alex's house and tackles Regina to the ground, leaving a cliffhanger that promises more twists and turns.
