| The Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Crime drama Serial drama |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Ryan Bingham |
| Opening theme | "Until I'm One with You" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original languages | English Spanish |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production locations | |
| Running time | 40–62 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | FX |
| Release | July 10, 2013 (2013-07-10) – October 1, 2014 (2014-10-01) |
The Bridge is an Americancrime drama television series, developed byMeredith Stiehm andElwood Reid, that was broadcast on theFX network, and based on the Danish-Swedish seriesBron/Broen.[1][2] The series starsDiane Kruger andDemián Bichir in leading roles, and co-starsTed Levine,Annabeth Gish,Thomas M. Wright,Matthew Lillard andEmily Rios in supporting roles. The complete series consists of two seasons of 13 episodes each. The series debuted on FX in the United States on July 10, 2013, and the series finale aired on October 1, 2014.[1][3] The show was developed both in English and Spanish languages.
The American version takes place on theMexico–United States border where a murdered body on a bridge betweenEl Paso andJuárez (theBridge of the Americas) brings togetherEl Paso detective Sonya Cross (Kruger) who is mentored by Hank Wade (Levine) andChihuahuaState police detective Marco Ruiz (Bichir). The story parallels the investigation byEl Paso Times reporters Daniel Frye (Lillard) and Adriana Mendez (Rios). The series was a critical success and received positive reviews throughout its run. After the first season maintained a modest audience that dropped by 42 percent by the second, the series was not renewed for a third season.[4][5][6]
The Bridge follows two police detectives – one Mexican, one from the U.S. – and their joint effort to capture a serial killer who is operating in both countries when an American judge known for anti-immigration views is found dead on the bridge connectingEl Paso,Texas, withJuárez,Mexico, menacing both nations along the Texas–Chihuahua border.[1] Detective Sonya Cross, of the El Paso Police Department, works with Chihuahua State Police Detective Marco Ruiz, who knows about the slippery politics of Mexican law enforcement. Ruiz's whatever-it-takes approach doesn't sit well with Cross, who has undisclosedAsperger syndrome or a similarautism spectrum disorder and a by-the-book attitude when it comes to the job. But the two put their differences aside to solve a string of murders on the border, which is already infected with issues that include illegal immigration, drug trafficking, violence and prostitution. Their investigation is complicated by the rampant corruption and general apathy among the Mexican authorities and the violence of the powerful borderland drug cartels.[2] The show title refers to theBridge of the Americas that serves as a border crossing between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, where the series is set.[2]
FX ordered the series' pilot episode in July 2012.Shooting for the pilot took place on location in the El Paso area and wrapped in December 2012.[2][7] Critically acclaimed director Gerardo Naranjo, best known for 2011'sMiss Bala, directed the pilot.[8]
Work on the remaining twelve season one episodes began in early April 2013.Meredith Stiehm, creator ofCold Case, andElwood Reid served as the series' executive producers and head writers.[1] The show was co-produced byShine America and FX Productions for FX.[1]Alex Plank ofWrong Planet served as the consultant for Sonya'sAsperger syndrome.[9][10]
Shine America wanted Stiehm to begin the series on theAmbassador Bridge connectingDetroit andWindsor, Ontario, in order to mirror the original series' winter setting. However, Stiehm and Reid argued to set their version inEl Paso, Texas andCiudad Juárez at theBridge of the Americas.[11]
In September 2013, the series was renewed for a second season of 13 episodes.[12] After the first season, co-developer Meredith Stiehm departed the series to rejoin the writing staff of her previous TV series,Homeland, leaving Elwood Reid as the soleshowrunner for the second season.[13] Also,Matthew Lillard andEmily Rios, who had recurring roles in the first season, were promoted to series regulars for the second season.[14] The series was canceled after two seasons. John Solberg,FX's executive vice president of communications, said, "FX will not be moving forward with a third season ofThe Bridge. Creatively, we're very proud of what we done. But this came down to the numbers, and they just weren't there."[6]
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| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 13 | July 10, 2013 (2013-07-10) | October 2, 2013 (2013-10-02) | |
| 2 | 13 | July 9, 2014 (2014-07-09) | October 1, 2014 (2014-10-01) | |
On the review aggregator websiteMetacritic, the first season scored 77 out of 100, based on 37 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16] The review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes gave the first season a 91% rating based on 46 reviews at an average score of 8 out of 10, with the consensus "A seductive crime drama,The Bridge draws viewers in with culturally conscious themes that combine intelligent mystery and spellbinding drama."[17] Chuck Barney from theSan Jose Mercury News gaveThe Bridge its highest praise, saying: "FX may have struck dramatic gold again. This series is mesmerizing. It sucks you in like a good book and has you yearning for more."[18]Alan Sepinwall wrote, "With these characters, with this fascinating, complicated place – and one that's at the forefront of so much of what we're talking about in real world politics...The Bridge is off to such an outstanding start."[19]
Maureen Ryan fromThe Huffington Post commented: "Mismatched cops forced to work together is one of the oldest TVtropes in the book, butThe Bridge builds such a realistic, detailed world around the detectives here that the dynamic is often fresh."[20]The Hollywood Reporter's Tim Goodman called the series "mandatory viewing for drama lovers", adding, "but it will be interesting to see where the writers take it and whether they have the big-league ability to make the evident potential materialize. One thing they've hopefully learned is that sometimes holding back information isn't mysterious, it's just confusing."[21] Robert Bianco fromUSA Today thought there was "rich ground to explore in the problems Mexico faces and the responsibility we may bear for some of them", adding "but the show's clumsy attempt to boil that down to a catchphrase is offensive and silly, particularly as it has no real connection to the story being told."[22]
The second season received a Metacritic score of 67 out of 100, based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[23] OnRotten Tomatoes the second season received an 86% rating based on 22 reviews at an average score of 7.5 out of 10 and the consensus reads, "Thanks to beautiful cinematography and unique, captivating characters,The Bridge is a chilling murder mystery, even if it meanders slightly."[24] Alan Sepinwall writing forHitFix hugely praised the season saying, "It's a show with a much stronger command of its subject matter and awareness of its own strengths and weaknesses–even asThe Bridge still seems to be stuck in that nebulous border region separating the pretty good from the genuinely great.[25] Maureen Ryan ofThe Huffington Post also gave a positive review, "It moves along with purpose and energy, but it's often at its best when finding colorful details and or allowing small, telling moments to breathe."[26]
New York Post reviewer Robert Rorke called the show "unique" and wrote, "Drug cartels, a room of shrink-wrapped bills (worth $60 million), body bags and buckets of blood are just some of the intriguing elements in this uniquely Mexican-American drama, where the layers of corruption on both sides of the border seem impenetrable."[27] Mike Hale ofThe New York Times gave a mixed to positive review saying, "The Bridge still feels like a show caught between two masters. It has a lot of the pieces it needs to actually be a compelling murder mystery–some good performances in key roles; an evocative, sun-blasted look; and an ability (presumably Mr. Reid's) to concoct creepy, suspenseful scenes. Yet we're still waiting for it all to come together."[28]
In June 2013, the series was honored, along with five others, with theCritics' Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series.[29] The pilot episode of the series received the 2013 Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in Television: Long Form – Dialogue & ADR from theMotion Picture Sound Editors society.[30][31] The series won a 2013Peabody Award, which noted that "its rare, non-stereotypical depiction of two cultures rubbing against and informing each other is as fascinating as the mystery."[32]
