Article first published as THE BRIDGE Review on Seat42F.
Grade: 95%
Grade: 95%
FX has a treat for summer viewers
premiering this week. Titled THE BRIDGE, this latest serialized drama is
a hybrid of Justified and The Killing. Loosely based on a Danish /
Swedish show, THE BRIDGE follows American Detective Sonya Cross (Diane
Kruger, Inglourious Basterds) and Mexican Detective Marco Ruiz (Demian
Bichir, Weeds) as they investigate a serial killer after a body is found
split in half on the border of their respective countries.
Kruger is brilliant as the impersonal
officer with Asperger’s, stealing the show. She has great difficultly
relating to people, and takes the rules and law completely literally,
unable to even see why an exception should be made to let an ambulance
cross the crime scene when it carries a man dying of a heart attack.
Yet, Kruger plays the part with such earnestness and authenticity that
she comes across as both believable and sympathetic. She is not defined
by the condition, but it’s merely part of the larger, fully developed
personality.
Asperger’s has been creeping onto
television more and more in recent years, most notably in the NBC family
drama Parenthood. What’s amazing is that, unlike in the past with other
concepts, I can’t recall it being presented in a stereotypical or
parody-like manner. Kruger is going to break new ground in expanding
acknowledgment and understanding.
Setting the part in a police drama is
great because Sonya’s skills both help and hinder her in her job. She is
meticulous and detail-oriented, so she is likely to be very, very good
at catching criminals. Yet, she has problems relating to others, so when
she goes to deliver bad news to next of kin in the “Pilot,” we see her
weaknesses laid bare. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t relate to
others on the same level as most people, and that’s why she needs help.
These are tasks she cannot avoid, and her department does not spare her
this side of the job, meaning she has to find a way to make it work.
Enter Marco, who is all about the
personal relationships. Marco, unlike most of his department, including
his boss, is not beholden to criminals and has a strong moral compass.
He is a beacon of hope for the struggling city of Juarez, hidden away in
the thick smog of the corrupt. Marco does the best he can within the
system, and clearly wishes he could operate in a similar manner as his
El Paso counterparts.
Marco is the epitome of caring, and so
quickly figures out what is going on with Sonya and latches on. I’m not
sure if he sees something in her he likes, but he definitely appreciates
what she brings to the table, and is attracted to her sense of justice.
Together, they will balance each other out and be able to nab the bad
guys.
Kruger will get all the attention
because she has the character with the hook, but Bichir is every bit as
vital to THE BRIDGE as she is. He has a presence that is more than just
an interchangeable archetype, and he will control a great deal of the
story, despite appearing to play second fiddle. It’s the manner in which
Marco deals with Sonya that will define their partnership, and Bichir
is very responsible for this element.
Now, the standard male-female
partnership is prevalent across the crime genre. What makes THE BRIDGE
different is that: a.) both characters are much more dynamic and fleshed
out, b.) the show is about them at least as much as it is about the
solving the case, and c.) the romantic tension is not played up. I’m not
saying that there isn’t a connection between them, but like Holder and
Linden on The Killing, that just isn’t the point of the show, unlike,
say, Castle, which very much caters to the “will they, won’t they”
between its leads.
Marco may just be what Sonya needs at
work. Her mentor, Lieutenant Hank Wade (Ted Levine, Monk), who has
advised her on all things emotional, is looking towards retirement. He
can’t stick around forever, and has other considerations to think about
besides Sonya. Sonya must have someone like Hank looking out for her,
though, and so Marco may just be the substitute necessary at this time.
One of the best moments in the “Pilot”
is when Hank breaks this news to Sonya. She takes it hard, and yet,
without a lot of external reaction. We see the thoughts playing across
Kruger’s face and the tears in her eyes, and yet she keeps her display
within the character. We quickly realize this is about as bad as it gets
for her, even showing more sadness here than when mentioning her dead
sister. Sonya becomes a person in that scene, even to those who have
trouble accessing the series through her until then.
There are also a couple of subplots
going on. The aforementioned man in the ambulance dies, leaving his
widow, Charlotte Millwright (Annabeth Gish, Brotherhood), whom he asks
for a divorce for shortly before passing, to uncover his secrets.
Presumably, there will be a connection between Charlotte’s husband and
the dead bodies, but at this time, we do not know what it is. Also, a
reporter named Daniel Frye (Matthew Lillard, Scooby-Doo), whom the cops
strongly dislike, gets involved in a big way through no fault of his
own, making for a heck of an exciting final act in this “Pilot.”
Basically, THE BRIDGE is a top notch,
high quality crime drama, head and shoulders above what the broadcast
networks deliver, in keeping with its FX and AMC peers. The cast is
phenomenal and the writing is intelligent. It will likely be nominated
for some awards, and many critics, this one included, will sing its
praises. Don’t miss it.
THE BRIDGE premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FX.
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