Crossing THE BRIDGE

Article first published as THE BRIDGE Review on Seat42F.

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.

South Park serves up some "Ass Burgers"

     Comedy Central's South Park ended their spring run earlier this year with Stan (Trey Parker) growing cynical, losing his friends, and his parents were divorcing. South Park returned this week with "Ass Burgers," and Stan is still in the same state that he was last seen in. Thinking this means he has Asperger's Syndrome, he is sent to a support group, which is actually a secret organization who wants to expose just how crappy the real world is to the general population. It's a play on The Matrix. Their solution to 're-enter' the false reality where things are cool? Drink lots of alcohol.

     Also, Kyle (Matt Stone) unknowingly eats a hamburger that Cartman (also Parker) kept in his underwear, misunderstanding what Asperger's is. The two go into business selling the delicious sandwiches, setting the fast food companies on edge. Cartman's own body forms a Dutch oven, combining the gases from those places' addictive chemicals that seeps into the burgers. Of course, his secret is exposed, everyone is disgusted, and the business falls apart.

     All of this is pretty funny. In the humor department, it's a fine episode. Sure, one can do without seeing everyone eat hamburgers that came from Cartman's butt. But not actually seeing that process happen explicitly keeps it from being too gross to stomach. And Stan's secret organization is pretty good, as well as the assertion that alcohol makes the world better. That's something many can relate to.

     What's really a shame is that a wonderful opportunity, taking Stan and the show in a completely different direction, is missed. Stan realizes by the end of the episode, and comments on in one of the series's trademark "lesson" speeches, that this is so. It's an exciting new direction for the show. Yet, then Stan's parents get back together, and he realizes things are going to go back to status quo. To be able to handle this, Stan becomes a secret alcoholic, sipping booze from his dresser drawer. Stan's drinking problem could be an interesting, ongoing plot, but more likely, he will just seem like his old self, and the balance will be restored. Which is too bad, since fifteen years in, making substantial changes would go far in keeping the show fresh and new all over again.

     Also not great is the implication that Asperger's is not a real disease. Of course it is, and a serious one that affects many people. While the riffing on the delusion that vaccinations can cause harm is cool, picking on a real condition is not. South Park can go after religion and celebrities, because they chose to be what they are. But people suffering from Asperger's do not, making it offensive that they would go after it.

    Thus, "Ass Burgers" is a mixed bag of funny and disappointing. Let's see what next week brings. Watch South Park at 10 p.m. ET Wednesdays on Comedy Central.

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Parenthood has "Qualities and Difficulties"

     How do you tell a child that he or she has Asperger's Syndrome? That is the question NBC's Parenthood is clearly attempting to answer this week (the last new episode for awhile, based on their promos). Did they accomplish that feat? It's debatable, but we get both a good example and a bad example of how to tell a child, and the emotional journey of the parents involved is heart wrenching. So whether or not the episode is educational, at least we get good TV. Which, after all, is the cynical goal of all television production, right? I wish tone transferred better to text...

     If you watch Parenthood, you already know the child at the center of this conundrum is Max (Max Burkholder), young son of Adam (Peter Krause) and Kristina (Monica Potter) Braverman. Shortly after the series began a year ago, Adam and Kristina found out that Max had Asperger's. They also decided he was too young to be told, even as they began making accommodations for him in all areas of their lives. Adam is clearly not ready to tell Max when, last week, Max overheard Peter blurt it out in a fit of anger at his brother Crosby, who through his infidelity had driven away Max's special tutor. This week, we pick up as Adam and Kristina sit Max down and try to explain to him what he has.

     The first attempt is a disaster. Kristina cries, Adam calls it a 'disability', and both clearly send the signal to Max that he has something bad wrong with him. Dr. Pelikan (Tom Amandes) recommends they try a do-over and gives them a script to follow. Adam hates the script, which is a listing of "Qualities and Difficulties," as the episode title suggests. He thinks Pelikan is just trying to put a positive spin on something not positive. Instead, Adam pulls Max out of school and takes him to a theme park, where Max has a meltdown after his favorite roller coaster breaks. Chastised, Adam goes back to the script and he and Kristina try again.

     It is impossible to tell what is going on in Max's head. As part of his syndrome, his face gives away less than most people's. As such, I cannot say for sure if they were successful in making Max feel OK about things. But his behavior suggests that they did at least a decent job. I cannot imagine the struggle a parent in that situation goes through, and I'm sure it is hard to unless you experience it yourself. However, I feel the actors do a superb job making a difficult situation very relatable to an audience. I felt their pain. It is a fantastic, moving episode for this branch of the Braverman family.

 

     Elsewhere, Crosby (Dax Shepard) continues to try to make things up to Jasmine (Joy Bryant) for the aforementioned indiscretion. She will have none of it, refusing to talk at him, and moving his things out of her house. Should she forgive him? All the time on television couples get past being cheated on. It happens in real life, too, I'm sure, but I consider that one of those nearly unforgivable sins. That could be because of my age and inexperience in the matter, but surely Parenthood is smarter than to allow a quick, easy resolution. So far, it has only been a couple of episodes, but I think they're going for the long haul. If Crosby will ever reunite with Jasmine, it will probably be in at least the May season finale, if not longer.

      Luckily, Crosby's family are making sure Jasmine still feels welcome. She is the mother of Crosby's son, Jabbar (Tyree Brown), after all, so she has a deep connection to Crosby's kin. Several of the Braverman characters berate Crosby. Crosby knows he screwed up, and while his family still loves him, they agree with that. Julia (Erika Christensen) and Joel (Sam Jaeger) even give up their anniversary date to comfort her.

     Again, I love how realistic this show is. Of course Crosby's family isn't going to cut him off, but this is a delicate, complicated situation. Every one of them handles it a little differently, per their personalities, and all hold no ill will towards Jasmine for what happened. Their support for her, as evidenced by Julia and Joel's actions, is sweet. I look forward to Jasmine's continued presence on the show, rather than just being dumped from the cast as some series would do.

     The final story this week saw Sarah (Lauren Graham) becoming a playwright. It seems she is a Renaissance woman, with music, poetry, and shoe design already under her belt. We do not yet get a glimpse of Sarah's passionate writing project, but judging from ex-boyfriend Mark's (Jason Ritter, The Event) reaction, she may finally have found her calling. He is an English teacher, after all, so he should know.

     By the way, is anyone still called an English teacher? Haven't they all become Language Arts teachers by now? The show's writers are letting their age slip in. Or, more likely, they are just putting it in terms the audience, many of them older, can understand. Plus, English teacher just has a better ring to it. But still...

     I can't wait to see Sarah's work performed, hoping that is where the show is going. She is in definite need of a break in her life, and this may be it. When Parenthood returns, it will resume its time slot Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

Article first published as TV Review: Parenthood - "Qualities and Difficulties" on Blogcritics.

 

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