Matthew Lillard Reveals Why Being Bad Feels So Good in ‘Cross’ & Beyond

The penultimate episode of Cross is a bit of a bloodbath as things take a turn for the worse for the series’ antagonists. As a result of a few rash decisions, bodies begin piling up, and hands get dirty. Very dirty. (Warning: Spoilers ahead for Season 2, Episode 7, “Winnow.”)

Lance Durand’s (Matthew Lillard) position and sanity begin to unravel as Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge) closes in on the conspiracy behind his corporation, Crestbrooke, and his charity, Prosperity Seed. At the same time, vigilante Luz (Jeanine Mason) begins systematically targeting the original conspirators who played a role in the death of her mother, Dr. Gabriela Porras, who had been trying to expose the human trafficking operation running under Durand’s watch.

After the murder of Nuri through her pacemaker, paranoia spreads among the surviving conspirators. Trust evaporates, alliances fracture, and each member begins scrambling to save themselves before Luz catches up to them. As the walls close in, the episode becomes a brutal reckoning for the people who believed their power and money would keep them untouchable.

Griffith Stoker (Stuart Hughes) reaches out to Rebecca and promises he will get Lance to pay her $20 million just to stop her, since he knows he is next on her list. He first tries to persuade Lance to simply pay up, but Lance refuses. That is when Griffith reveals his leverage: a recording of the Crestbrookers’ conversation right after Gabriela’s death. His brother Alan has a copy, ensuring that if anything happens to Griffith, the evidence will still surface.

This does not sit well with Lance. Not at all.

Panicking, Lance violently attacks Griffith, beating him to death with a nearby tchotchke in a desperate attempt to silence him. Unbeknownst to him, Luz and the very people working to bring him down are watching it all unfold in horror.

It is a moment of pure carnage in which Matthew Lillard shines. Screaming and spewing venom, he bludgeons Griffith to death, letting the mask of the charming billionaire philanthropist finally slip as the sociopathic madman beneath it comes fully into view.

And it is glorious.

Blumhouse stand up bc genuinely this is how yall should be utilizing Matthew Lillard’s incredible acting skills pic.twitter.com/0i4EtnXzh9

— adri ୨୧ DEADLINE 2.27.26 (@aft0nvsp) March 11, 2026

TV Insider sat down with Matthew Lillard to talk about his portrayal of Lance Durand and the nature of his duality.

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“I think the powerful people in general have this charisma, and just because you’re evil, it doesn’t mean they don’t possess charm,” explained Lillard. “Some of the greatest villains ever are charismatic and fun. There’s something really lovely as an actor being able to play that, to lean into that.”

“I guess what I bring is my je ne sais quoi to this character and to the show Cross, and hopefully people find that exciting.”

In the end, the tape is recovered by Donnie and Aunt Claire (Wes Chatham and Michelle C. Bonilla), and in a stunning twist of events, Claire then murders Donnie, her niece’s most faithful soldier, to hide the truth of what is on the tape. However, it is revealed that only music is on the cassette, not the incriminating evidence everyone expected. The revelation suggests a true mastermind still operating in the shadows.

Cross, Season 2 Finale, Wednesday, March 18, Prime Video