While AMC gets most of the glory for redirecting viewers in search of quality programming from major network to basic cable with shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, FX is definitely holding their own with Justified, Sons of Anarchy, and their newest venture The Bridge. As Shakespeare said "There is nothing new under the sun", and The Bridge isn't exactly new either. It's a remake of Denmark's "Bron", which also means "the bridge". Yet while the original focused on a crime that took place on the borders of Denmark and Sweden, FX's version focuses on the much grittier border of Mexico and the U.S., specifically the darkly criminal Juarez and comparatively backwoods El Paso. When a woman is found murdered and laid out directly on the border bridge, it forces law agents from both locations to work together.
This show is dense and rich, the TV equivalent of brownie cheesecake. It starts with the two leads, Diane Kruger playing Det. Sonya Cross and the real find- Demian Bichir as her Mexican counterpart Marco Ruiz. Kruger is playing down the physical beauty that landed her the roll of Helen in the movie Troy, and her Det. Cross is so socially awkward because of her struggle with Asperger's her scenes are painful to watch- in the good way. While there were times when I thought Kruger was overdoing it slightly, there was nothing jarring, and there were moments of fragility she played beautifully. Ruiz is her polar opposite, smooth and charismatic, charming ladies out of information as quickly and easily as Cross causes people to shut down. Bichir, whose IMDb credits are mostly Spanish language rolls, displays acting as effortless as his character's charm- there wasn't a single false note. Their assumptions of one another and the way their behavior is expected to be, should be, and will be compared to the actions they actually take is wonderfully constructed conflict that transcends the cliché butting of heads usually found in plots like this.
There are other threads and characters presented that aren't immediately clear how they relate to each other, mainly a recently widowed politician's wife, played by the always-good-to-see Annabeth Gish, whose husband was into something behind literal closed doors. There's an egotistical reporter that is introduced as a stereotype who quickly develops pathos when put in a unique danger. We also glimpse a sinister coyote- not the animal, but someone who escorts illegal immigrants across the border for high prices- but his may be the highest of all. There were complexities of family and mentors added to the leads, and the writers balanced all of this without being convoluted or feeling like anything was just filler.
A lot happened though very little was revealed in the hour and half pilot, at no point did I find this languid. The Bridge is drawing comparisons to another Denmark import, AMC's The Killing- but after just the first episode I already have higher hopes for it- even though The Killing was another show I thoroughly enjoyed. There was more delicious tension here. There is also a healthy dose of trepidation while watching. We the viewers are preparing for (and looking forward to) dark times ahead. There is such a sense of place; I love when a location becomes something of a character in and of itself. There are hints of politics, national and race, which entered into the scope of the show without any screechy preaching. Even the cinematography is high quality and real- the night feels like night, not just day with a lens filter. This show is definitely worth watching, and unless it takes a series of serious missteps in the future I will be.
This show is dense and rich, the TV equivalent of brownie cheesecake. It starts with the two leads, Diane Kruger playing Det. Sonya Cross and the real find- Demian Bichir as her Mexican counterpart Marco Ruiz. Kruger is playing down the physical beauty that landed her the roll of Helen in the movie Troy, and her Det. Cross is so socially awkward because of her struggle with Asperger's her scenes are painful to watch- in the good way. While there were times when I thought Kruger was overdoing it slightly, there was nothing jarring, and there were moments of fragility she played beautifully. Ruiz is her polar opposite, smooth and charismatic, charming ladies out of information as quickly and easily as Cross causes people to shut down. Bichir, whose IMDb credits are mostly Spanish language rolls, displays acting as effortless as his character's charm- there wasn't a single false note. Their assumptions of one another and the way their behavior is expected to be, should be, and will be compared to the actions they actually take is wonderfully constructed conflict that transcends the cliché butting of heads usually found in plots like this.
There are other threads and characters presented that aren't immediately clear how they relate to each other, mainly a recently widowed politician's wife, played by the always-good-to-see Annabeth Gish, whose husband was into something behind literal closed doors. There's an egotistical reporter that is introduced as a stereotype who quickly develops pathos when put in a unique danger. We also glimpse a sinister coyote- not the animal, but someone who escorts illegal immigrants across the border for high prices- but his may be the highest of all. There were complexities of family and mentors added to the leads, and the writers balanced all of this without being convoluted or feeling like anything was just filler.
A lot happened though very little was revealed in the hour and half pilot, at no point did I find this languid. The Bridge is drawing comparisons to another Denmark import, AMC's The Killing- but after just the first episode I already have higher hopes for it- even though The Killing was another show I thoroughly enjoyed. There was more delicious tension here. There is also a healthy dose of trepidation while watching. We the viewers are preparing for (and looking forward to) dark times ahead. There is such a sense of place; I love when a location becomes something of a character in and of itself. There are hints of politics, national and race, which entered into the scope of the show without any screechy preaching. Even the cinematography is high quality and real- the night feels like night, not just day with a lens filter. This show is definitely worth watching, and unless it takes a series of serious missteps in the future I will be.