‘The Bridge’ episode 2 review: A thirst for death
Does FX have a hit on its hands with “The Bridge“? Unfortunately thus far, the ratings are not equaling what we personally feel about the quality of this series. It’s the best new thing to come on TV this summer, and it may be a strong contender along with “The Americans” and “Orphan Black” for the best new property of the year thus far.
Are there some issues holding it back? Technically, we don’t believe there to be any, but this is a show very much about interpretation. Some may find Diane Kruger’s character of Sonya Cross to be extremely jarring, including how she can somehow never understand ordinary social functions (such as a wife calling her husband for no particular reason), almost as though she has never heard of them before in her years of police work. She goes from innocent and delicate to aggressive and matter-of-fact in the sex scene in this episode, and that alone makes for a confusing dichotomy.
Perhaps the issue why the Sonya character is hard to digest is merely because we don’t know anyone like her, and don’t have the experience around people with Asperber’s to know if this is truly how they function or not. We do find the whole performance by Diane Kruger to be particularly strong, and really, the biggest problem we have is with the name “Sonya Cross” itself. It feels almost like a name you would see in a graphic novel rather than a TV show that prides itself on being gritty.
Even though we get a sense of who is acting out and doing terrible things, we are still left somewhat without the “why.” This is where the comparisons to “No Country for Old Men” come into play aside from the setting. “The Bridge” takes some of that and adds the shock value of “The Following,” which is why there are such haunting deaths, including the “water” massacre that we saw play out in this episode in real time. Add to that international relations, and you have a concoction that is powerful, political, and captivating. Plus, Marco is in so many ways the perfect partner to Sonya: A man who understands social situations and wants to do good, but his perception of right and wrong is skewed somewhat by his own limitations and capabilities of reality.
We cannot stress enough that “The Bridge” is a great show, and one that is deserving of a spot on your DVR if you are not watching it live. We just hope that as the weeks progress, more and more people start to check out the series, and understand that this is not just another stereotypical cop drama. There is something more here that needs to be said.
If you want to read more news related to the series, be sure to head on over to the link here. (This review was published slightly later than usual, thanks largely in part to the Comic-Con schedule.)
Photo: FX