Thursday, June 26, 2014

DVD Review - The Bridge: The Complete First Season



The Bridge: The Complete Season One
Starring: Diane Kruger, Demián Bichir, Annabeth Gish, Thomas M. Wright, Ted Levine
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Retail: $39.98
ASIN: B00ECHBSP8
Running Time: 590 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

Arriving on DVD yesterday is the Peabody Award-Winning FX series The Bridge: The Complete Season One. Special Features include Building The Bridge, Ciudad Juarez: The Other Side Of The Bridge With Damien Cave, deleted scenes and an audio commentary on the pilot episode.

Based on the 2011 Danish/Swedish TV series of the same name, the American version centers on a deceased body of Judge Lorraine Gates that is found on the bridge that is located between El Paso, Texas and Mexico. There is one little problem, the bottom torso belongs to Mexican Cristina Fuentes. El Paso Detective Sonya Cross (played by Diane Kruger) joins forces with Chihuahua Detective Marco Ruiz (played  by Demián Bichir) to investigate the murders.

Are these random killings? Or is there a serial killer on the loose?

These questions are quickly answered when reporter Daniel Frye (played by Matthew Lillard) sits in his car and finds a bomb ticking inside. Though the bomb was more of a test than anything else, it is clear that the killer somehow knows Daniel Frye.

Meanwhile, a loner Steven Linder (played by Thomas M. Wright) helps women that are being abused in Mexico by bringing (or sometimes kidnapping them) to a mobile home, followed by a safe house. Elsewhere, Charlotte Millwright (played by Annabeth Gish) is struggling with the recent death of her husband and the secret that he had kept from her - the tunnel underneath an old house that leads to Mexico.

As the body count rises, Detective Marco Ruiz learns that the killer is closer to him than he thought; putting his wife and children in jeopardy.

Honestly, I watched only two episodes when the series debuted on FX last summer and I quickly gave up on it. After seeing countless teasers for the second season (it begins July 9th) and I became interested in giving the series another try. Luckily, I received a chance to review the first season on DVD and I eagerly signed up to review it. I'm glad to say that the second viewing of the pilot was more entertaining than the first time around. It is nice to see a female actress in a lead detective role, though the character is emotionless due to a childhood trauma, the character is still interesting. Demian Bichir gives a great performance as Detective Marco Ruiz especially in the last three episodes. The series is not for the weak-hearted, as the episodes are dark, gritty and occasionally has graphic violence in them. All the characters, including the minor/side characters, are flawed, making them feel more realistic. To me, The Bridge is a cross between Justified and Breaking Bad, and it takes a few episodes to get drawn into the mystery plot and the characters. Overall, The Bridge: The Complete First Season is well-written mystery with an outstanding cast.



*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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