Cross Link – Series Review & Episode Guide

Ian and Alt are a happily dating couple. Their relationship started almost a year ago. Back then, Alt was nervous and trying to work up the courage to confess. Thankfully, Ian felt the same way about him. Fast forward to now, and they're living together. Ian loves doting on his boyfriend, and Alt is just as affectionate in return. These two are ridiculously happy, and it shows in every moment.

Ian has been stuck in unemployment hell for months. Applications get rejected. Interviews go nowhere. His job hunt is such a mess that it feels personal. To make things worse, he can't help comparing himself to Alt, who seems good at literally everything. Alt had great grades in school. He found a steady job that pays well and even scored a promotion within his first year. Compared to him, Ian feels painfully lacklustre. Alt does his best to hype up his boyfriend, insisting that employers are missing out on a real talent. Yet, Ian still feels down about himself.

Recently, Ian finally got some good news. After months of rejection, he lands a job offer from Core Line. It's a solid role and exactly what he's been hoping for. Of course, there's a catch, because there's always a catch. The position is overseas. If Ian takes the job, he'll have to leave South Korea and move to the United States. There's no clear timeline either. He could be gone for a long while, at least long enough to get his career off the ground. The thought of relocating weighs heavily on him, especially since his relationship with Alt is still so new.

Alt has been buzzing with excitement about their first anniversary. In his head, they're celebrating together. Ian doesn't have the heart to tell him the truth. If he takes the job, his departure date lands on the exact same day as their anniversary. Ouch. Ian spirals over what to do next. Does he take the job and move abroad? Does he finally tell Alt? And what happens to their relationship if he does? While Ian is stuck in his own head, Alt senses that something is off. His boyfriend is hiding something, and it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out.

Cross Link is a short BL series about a happily dating couple. One of the boyfriends has to move abroad for work. Dramatic gasp! OK, let's be honest. This conflict isn't exactly groundbreaking. It reminds me of a plot that shows up in the last two episodes of basically every BL drama ever. When the writers run out of ideas, someone suddenly gets a job offer in another country. Cross Link takes that overused trope and stretches it into a whole series. The premise feels super familiar, like we've seen this story play out many times before.

Not only is the conflict cliched, but the plot is also painfully predictable. The story unfolds exactly the way you think it will. And I mean exactly. No plot twists, no unexpected turns. Not even a tiny curveball to keep things interesting. You can map out the entire series in your head. Boyfriend gets a job offer. Other boyfriend finds out. Cue the sad music and tense conversations. They work it out by the end. Ta-da! Predictable from start to finish. Cross Link plays everything so safe that it's boring. The storyteller looked at every other BL series about long-distance relationships and said, "Yeah, let's do exactly that…"

There's some potential hiding in Cross Link. Instead of the whole "moving overseas" nonsense, let's focus on Ian's struggles with unemployment. Like, really struggle. Show him applying day after day and getting no response. Show him bombing interviews. Let him finally land a job, only to get fired the next week. Make it hurt! Many of us have been there, desperately job hunting and feeling like a failure. That's relatable! That's real! Imagine watching Ian's confidence crumble, then slowly rebuilding himself from scratch. Now, that's an emotional arc I'd get invested in!

Maybe I'm being too harsh on Cross Link. Honestly, this short story is so inoffensive and doesn't hurt anyone by existing. Alt is a supportive boyfriend who says all the right things, and I like how he encourages Ian through his rough patch. When Alt learns about the job offer, he handles it in a very classy way. Is it a bit boring? Sure. But also, good for him! We need more boyfriends in BL dramas who know how to use their words rather than create unnecessary angst. Cross Link shows a healthy relationship where people solve their problems like grown-ups. What a concept!

The biggest issue with Cross Link? It's too damn short. The whole series is only 15 minutes long. Blink and you'll miss it! We get a few sweet moments with the couple, but it's not enough. The story spends forever hemming and hawing over whether Ian should take the overseas job, which eats up precious screen time. You wanna know what I wanted to see? The long-distance relationship! Give me the awkward video calls with time zone differences. Show me Ian kissing his boyfriend over FaceTime. With a longer drama, Cross Link could've developed this couple more deeply.

Cross Link delivers a happy ending, but the conflict and the resolution feel too basic. Worst of all, there isn't even a kiss. At least not in the free version that us regular peasants get to watch. The series is gatekeeping the romantic content for the uncut edition that you have to pay for. Excuse me? That's so rude! The non-paying viewers deserve juicy moments too! In the end, Cross Link is a harmless series. But the story feels recycled. And the romance is so forgettable. There's nothing here that the BL genre hasn't already done a million times before, and done better.