This episode of “What Happened to the Ramseys” is just past the midpoint of Cross’s eight-episode run, in which Cross (Aldis Hodge) and Ed Ramsey (Ryan Eggold) On screen almost the entire time. The dialogue here is sharply written and the actors’ dramatic skills create an intense and unforgettable viewing experience, proving that words can be as powerful as actions. Let’s take a look.
The episode begins with the disturbing image of a pig impaled on a stick, preparing to roast it in celebration of Ramsay’s 45th birthday. The show then turns to Ed Ramsey’s preparations. He works out, bathes, shaves, and dons a creepy mask while being serviced by a woman who kneels before him. Ramsay finally gets dressed and touches the “good book” that Bobby Trey (Johnny Ray Gill) retrieved from the police. Feeling self-satisfied, Ramsay returns to work with Shannon, who tries to resist but is unable to fight the situation.
The guests have arrived. Dressed like a peacock and ordering drinks from memory, Ramsay says, “The key to being a good host is knowing everything about your guest.” The audience knows that Ramsay literally knows everything about the people in the room. . We have to sit back and see how he uses this knowledge.
“What Happened to the Ramsays” – CROSS, Pictured: Samantha Walkers as Ellie Monteiro. Photo: Keri Anderson/Prime Video © 2010-2024 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. all rights reserved
Ellie Monteiro (Samantha Walkers) and Cross are guests of Ramsay, as is his boss Chief Anderson (Jennifer Wigmore). When Ramsay welcomes Ally, she tells him that she brought Cross as backup. Ramsey called Cross “the golden boy of Metro PD.” The first shot was fired. Of course, Ramsey’s barb missed the mark, as Cross planned to use the party as a way to conduct an impromptu three-hour police interview without any lawyers present.
Meanwhile, John Sampson (Isiah Mustafa) is interviewing an old acquaintance of Ramsey’s in Indiana. Like Ramsey, Cross needs to know everything there is to know about his nemesis. Sampson meets a nervous man who used to be Ramsay’s neighbor as a child. The man shared some disturbing details about young Ramsey’s behavior as well as secrets about Ramsey’s mother.
“The Ramsay Affair” – CROSS, pictured: Isaiah Mustafa as John Sampson. Photo: Quantrell Colbert/Prime Video © 2010-2024 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. all rights reserved
Ramsey’s party guests expressed interest in Cross’s latest investigation. Chief Anderson tries to talk the crowd down, but Ramsey notes the presence of the chief and the lead investigator, insisting they have something in common. Cross took the bait and described the suspect’s profile: white male, about 40 years old, more like Ted Bundy than Jeffrey Dahmer, raised in the South or Midwest. Ramsey was well aware that Cross had profiled him. Ramsay and Cross met in a room filled with horrific artwork and shared a tall glass of Cross’ favorite drink, Pappy Van Winkle whiskey.
When discussing the suspect’s profile, Cross criticized the suspect as a pale imitator masking deep insecurities. Ramsey tried to recover and described the suspect’s actions as respecting the legacy. Cross told Ramsey that police nicknamed the suspect “Fan Boy.” The name hurt Ramsay in a way. He replied, “Smart,” and he set off to meet Shannon. Cross leaves to ask Ellie if she told Ramsay about his love for Pappy Van Winkle whiskey. She said no.
Ramsey lost his cool in front of Shannon after a verbal altercation with Cross. He was speaking incoherently and swearing. As he pulled an expensive bottle of wine from the shelf, one fell to the floor. Shannon saw an opportunity in Ramsay’s mistake of letting a $10,000 bottle of wine soak into the concrete floor. In another part of the house, it was time to eat. Ramsay provided the prayer his mother recited before every meal—Proverbs 21:13: “He who is deaf to the cry of the poor will cry out himself, but will not be heardSampson used the song to trigger Ramsey’s mother, who has dementia but is still alive, to sing happy birthday to her son, which Sampson videotaped and sent to Cross. Mzee expressed his passion for charity by sharing the details of Cross’ tragedy.
Ally and Cross argue. Elle struggled to understand why Ramsay was targeting him, prompting Alex to express her suspicions about him. She was already angry. Ramsay confronts Ellie and forces her to approach a potential donor. Ramsey teased her with donors, promising to donate $250,000 a year to her nonprofit. Ellie was offended when they asked her if she supported anti-police protests. Cross interrupted.
“The Ramseys” – CROSS, pictured: Ryan Eggold as Ed Ramsey and Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross. Photo credit: Keri Anderson/Prime Video © 2010-2024 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. all rights reserved
Hodge and Eggold deftly convey the characters’ simmering rage and how they use psychological tactics such as gaslighting, intimidation, and mind games to get the better of each other. Every line of dialogue is a strategic attack designed to destabilize your opponent. Cross explains why he thinks Ramsay killed his mother in his mind. He speculated that his mother experienced “morbid bereavement” and severed emotional ties with Ed after her sister’s death. Cross explains that this is a self-defense mechanism for the parents, but can be devastating for the surviving child. Ramsay gave a witty answer: “Want to bill my insurance company for my diagnosis?” “You have to mentally murder her so you don’t have to think about the fact that your mother is alive and doesn’t care about you at all. “I’d do anything to be an only child,” Ramsay whispered. Cross looked at him in horror. “We all have secrets,” Ramsey said. “The difference is I’m ready to share mine.”
Shannon unexpectedly “encounters” a dinner guest who freaks her out. Ramsay retrieves her, but she makes one last attempt to thwart his plans. Ramsay returned to the party after calming down for a while. Cross approaches his guest, Senator Caitlin Goldman (Marion Alder), and he senses she knows something. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he commented. Cross turned to Ramsay, who had showered and changed his shirt, and accused him of detaining Shannon in his home. Ramsey ignored the accusation and simply said, “It’s pumpkin time.” Cross wondered what that meant.
He found out when everyone’s cellphones started ringing at the same time showing footage of Cross punching someone. Sheriff Anderson confronted Cross and said, “This is the incident reported by Sampson. You need to leave. Go home and call your union representative.” Cross lost control and accused Ramsey of sending the video. He claimed that Ramsey fit the bill and was his prime suspect, calling him a monster. One woman pointed a cell phone at Cross and said, “The only monster here is you.”
In a panic, Cross attempts to regain the upper hand by revealing that Ramsay’s mother is alive and playing a recording of her singing “Happy Birthday.” Witnesses remained unmoved. Ramsay dismissed Cross’s erratic behavior, saying: “He drank too much, and what happens at Ramsay’s house stays at Ramsay’s house.” Security escorted Cross out of Ramsay’s house Home. Ellie looked on, hurt and disappointed. The scene ends with a children’s choir singing “It’s a Wonderful World.” Ramsay snorted softly and Shannon screamed loudly in the room. 4
“What Happened to the Ramseys” – CROSS, pictured: Ryan Eggold as Ed Ramsey and Aldis Hodge as Adam Alex Cross, Samantha Walkes as Elle Monteiro. Photo credit: Keri Anderson/Prime Video © 2010-2024 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. all rights reserved
Ed Ramsey is a compelling villain, a master manipulator who exploits the weaknesses of our heroes Cross and Shannon at every turn. Although they had a brief victory earlier in the evening, Ramsey ultimately emerged victorious. However, I’m sure their defeat in this episode sets the stage for even sweeter, more satisfying victories to come. Shannon’s determination and Kroos’ resilience could very well lead to an epic comeback that will have the crowd cheering.
Overall rating:
9/10
Lynette Jones