8.3

The Bridge: “The Beetle” (Episode 1.09)

TV Reviews The Bridge
The Bridge: “The Beetle” (Episode 1.09)

Last week I decided The Bridge was my kind of crazy.

Yes, for a show that meandered and languished plotwise for weeks, the sudden explosion of action was somewhat jarring. And, sure, the Kenneth Hastings/David Tate reveal was a little nuts. But it pulled the pieces of the puzzle (the beads, Marco’s infidelity, the seeming randomness of the killings, Daniel Frye’s involvement) together in a way that worked. It was a shocking and exciting hour of television. On a show like The Bridge, there comes a time when you have to decide whether you are in or you are out, and I decided to go all in. Plus, I have to admit, I was rather pleased with myself for being suspicious of Alma’s puppy-dog admirer from the start.

But in last night’s episode, “The Beetle,” the whole storyline felt like it was on a completely different show. As a crazy-eyed, obsessive villain, David Tate seems better suited for Criminal Minds. And, while I could go along with the idea that Marco had never met Kenneth Hastings, the idea that he had never even heard Alma mention her coworker’s name is (please pardon the pun) a bridge too far in the willing suspension of disbelief department. Is Marco such an inattentive husband that he never even talks to Alma about her job?

And what of Alma? I don’t know many moms who would walk into an unknown, creepy cabin with their two young children. Even if she is heartbroken and seeking some sort of revenge on her husband, Alma is not an idiot.

The series doesn’t have its first season finale until Oct. 2, and I’m not a fan of watching David Tate get crazier and crazier over the next four weeks. I love that the serial killer was revealed in the middle of the season, but I would like to see him behind bars next week.

I simply cannot care about Steven Linder or the guilt he feels over killing Hector or why he talks like he’s an advertisement for bad dentures. And I certainly don’t want to have to watch him at the expense of not seeing Daniel Frye and Adriana.

I’m not even sure what to think about the latest plot twist with Charlotte, as she gets herself deeper and deeper into trouble. She’s gone from a woman who didn’t even want to have to be involved with a tunnel to one who commits murder and buries the body. It’s a rather inconsistent character arc. But although Caesar hopes they can both forget about everything, the bug Graciela brought with her won’t make that possible. The ATF is most likely on to Charlotte. And I am pretty sure Graciela’s people will come looking for her. Charlotte’s best bet would probably be to move with Ray to a nice Florida cul-de-sac where she can spend her days playing penny can.

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