The Bridge (2013 TV series)
Two detectives unite across a border to catch a serial killer.
The Bridge is an American crime drama television series developed by Meredith Stiehm and Elwood Reid, broadcast on FX and based on the Danish-Swedish series Bron/Broen. It stars Diane Kruger and Demián Bichir as detectives on opposite sides of the Mexico–United States border. The show was developed in both English and Spanish and ran for two seasons of 13 episodes each, from July 10, 2013 to October 1, 2014.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Crime drama; Serial drama
- Based on
- Broen/Bron
- Hans Rosenfeldt
- Måns Mårlind
- Björn Stein
- Developer
- Meredith Stiehm; Elwood Reid
- Starring
- Diane Kruger
- Demián Bichir
- Annabeth Gish
- Thomas M. Wright
- Ted Levine
- Matthew Lillard
- Emily Rios
- Seasons
- 2
- Episodes
- 26
- Executive producers
- Meredith Stiehm
- Elwood Reid
- Carolyn G. Bernstein
- Lars Blomgren
- Opening theme
- "Until I'm One with You"
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The series follows two police detectives—one from the U.S. and one from Mexico—as they jointly pursue a serial killer operating on both sides of the border. The investigation begins when an American judge known for anti-immigration views is found dead on the Bridge of the Americas connecting El Paso, Texas, with Juárez, Mexico. Detective Sonya Cross of the El Paso Police Department, who has undiagnosed Asperger syndrome or a similar autism spectrum disorder, works with Chihuahua State Police Detective Marco Ruiz. Their differing approaches—Ruiz's whatever-it-takes style versus Cross's by-the-book attitude—create tension, but they cooperate to solve a string of murders amid issues of illegal immigration, drug trafficking, violence, prostitution, and corruption.
Production
FX ordered the pilot in July 2012, with shooting on location in the El Paso area wrapping in December 2012. Gerardo Naranjo, director of 2011's Miss Bala, directed the pilot. Work on the remaining twelve season one episodes began in early April 2013. Meredith Stiehm and Elwood Reid served as executive producers and head writers; the show was co-produced by Shine America and FX Productions. Alex Plank of Wrong Planet consulted on Sonya's Asperger syndrome. Shine America initially wanted the series set on the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, but Stiehm and Reid argued for El Paso and Ciudad Juárez at the Bridge of the Americas. The series was renewed for a second season of 13 episodes in September 2013. After the first season, Stiehm departed to rejoin Homeland, leaving Reid as sole showrunner. Matthew Lillard and Emily Rios were promoted to series regulars for the second season. The series was canceled after two seasons due to low ratings.
Cast and characters
Diane Kruger plays Detective Sonya Cross of the El Paso Police Department, who has undiagnosed Asperger syndrome. Her sister Lisa was killed when Sonya was 15; Sonya still visits the murderer, now brain-damaged, and keeps his drawings on her fridge. Demián Bichir plays Detective Marco Ruiz, a homicide detective for the Chihuahua State Police. Ted Levine plays Lieutenant Hank Wade, Cross's supervisor who counsels her to be more diplomatic. Annabeth Gish plays Charlotte Millwright, a wealthy widow whose rancher husband dies after a heart attack on the Mexican side, revealing secrets about his cross-border activities. Thomas M. Wright plays Steven Linder, a lone wolf in the borderland. Matthew Lillard plays Daniel Frye, an El Paso Times reporter whose career has been derailed by partying and substance abuse (recurring season 1, series regular season 2). Emily Rios plays Adriana Mendez, a young Times reporter and Juárez native (recurring season 1, series regular season 2). Other cast members include Johnny Dowers as Tim Cooper, Eric Lange as Kenneth Hasting, Carlos Pratts as Gus Ruiz, Catalina Sandino Moreno as Alma Ruiz, Ramón Franco as Fausto Galvan, Alejandro Patiño as Cesar, Juan Carlos Cantu as Captain Robles, Diana-Maria Riva as Kitty Conchas, Stephanie Sigman as Eva Guerra, Alma Martínez as Graciela Rivera, Brian Van Holt as Ray, Daniel Edward Mora as Obregon, Larry Clarke as Manny Stokes, Lyle Lovett as Monte P. Flagman, and Arturo Del Puerto as Hector Valdez.
Reception
On Metacritic, the first season scored 77 out of 100 based on 37 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a 91% rating based on 46 reviews, with an average score of 8 out of 10 and the consensus calling it a seductive crime drama with culturally conscious themes. Chuck Barney of the San Jose Mercury News called the series mesmerizing, saying it sucks viewers in like a good book. Alan Sepinwall praised the characters and setting as fascinating and complicated. Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post noted that while mismatched cops is an old trope, The Bridge builds a realistic, detailed world around the detectives. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter described it as mandatory viewing for drama lovers but questioned whether the writers could realize the potential. Robert Bianco of USA Today found rich ground in the problems Mexico faces but thought the show's attempt to boil that down to a catchphrase was offensive and silly.
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